Reporting Back on Using QR Codes in the Math Classroom

I thought I would let everyone know how my first experience went with using QR Codes in the classroom.

Going in to the experience, I had several concerns:

1) Would the technology actually work?
2) Would students be prepared for class - would they have downloaded an appropriate app?
3) Would students use the app as intended, or would they just write down all the answers?

I tried this activity with my Geometry Honors class.  I have three classes of Geometry Honors.  These three classes are actually very different.  One is made of almost all freshmen, one is made of almost all sophomores, and one is a mixture.  

I am happy to report that the students in all three classes were prepared for class.  Although not everyone has a smart phone, we had enough students with smart phones and an appropriate app that we could make plenty of small groups.

The technology worked fine!  I was worried that perhaps our wireless wouldn't be able to handle that many requests at once, but it was fine.  In fact, I guess I shouldn't have worried about it because in the activity I used, students didn't have to connect to wireless at all.  The QR Codes I used led to text, so it wasn't a problem.

And, most of all, the students LOVED the QR codes.  They loved being able to check their answers immediately.  I am sure that part of it was it was a novelty...using their phones in math class - COOL!  However, I think that the immediate feedback is a really great learning tool.  The other interesting thing about it is that this activity worked best with my class that is the most squirrley (is that even a word?  LOL)

After I had so much success with this activity the first day, I tried using QR Codes again the next day...I simply made a QR Code out of the answers to my students' homework.  I had one student from each group come up and scan the code and then go over the answers with their group.

I am so looking forward to finding more uses for QR Codes in the math classroom.