Shelver Game QR Code Voice QR Code
I have worked with QR codes in the past as part of a musical for my current elementary school, so I am familiar with their uses and purposes. With that being said, I have only worked with QR codes that served as links to informational websites (our school musical website), not multimedia tools. I visited QR Code Monkey (http://www.qrcode-monkey.com/) to create my first layered reality tool. This site was incredibly user friendly and provided many options for creating the QR code. To create the code I was able to simply copy and paste the website link into the box. I had the option to choose a color, create an effect on the QR code icon, or add a logo to the front of the QR code. QR Code Monkey allows its users to save their QR codes as PNG images; a format that supports “lossless compression” (Reynolds 2013) and features a transparency effect that is ideal for websites. I chose to link my QR code to a library game called “Shelver” (2013) where students are able to virtually sort books on a shelf by their fiction call numbers or by Dewey Decimal. I thought that this game was not only a fun game for students to play, but also content relevant as it reinforces the ABC order skill.
Having been familiar with link based QR codes, I chose to also create a voice QR using QR Voice (http://qrvoice.net/). On a positive note, this site was very easy to use. I assumed that I would have to record my voice, however all I had to do was type in the sentence that I wanted read aloud. It was quick and simple, and when I finished typing my sentence I clicked the QR code icon and my QR appeared below. On a negative note, this site lacked many features. There was a character limit in the text box, and so it took several attempts to come up with something meaningful that fit. The site did not offer any options to choose a different color or add a logo, nor was there any way to download or save the QR code. I was provided with a link to access the code in the future, but I ended up having to take a screen shot of the image and save it as a PNG file for future use. For this voice QR code I chose to record a reminder for students to return books while at the self-checkout station.
Augmented reality was an entirely new concept to me. In an effort to better acquaint myself with this exciting new tool, I viewed the Aurasma TED Talks (2012) video that demonstrated how to create and use the Aurasma (http://www.aurasma.com/) app. I also visited several websites and blogs that demonstrated finished products and offered suggested uses for augmented reality in both the classroom and school library. I really like the idea of taking a still image and having the capability to make it come to life. It can take visualization and your imagination to a whole new level, especially when applying Aurasma to fiction books.
QR codes can serve as an interactive means to deliver information, such as providing directions to students (as in the voice QR code I created) or a link to the library website. Library bulletin boards can feature QR codes that show information about the bulletin board content, such as display on Read Across America or the Scholastic Book Fair. Students can use voice QR codes in their library media lessons by recording their voice with a review of a book they have read or narrating a digital storytelling project. Augmented reality can assist students with biography research projects by having a biography show a video clip with information on that famous person. It can also highlight an author to showcase an interview with the authors of a book or series. Augmented reality can also serve as an interactive genre scavenger hunt with students as they find clues throughout the library. Incorporating layered reality into the school library can provide a technological boost to attract students, teachers, and families.
Sources
Aurasma. (2014). Aurasma Systems Limited. [Mobile application software]. Retrieved from http://www.aurasma.com/.
Aurasma. (2014). Aurasma Systems Limited. [Mobile application software]. Retrieved from http://www.aurasma.com/.
Mills, M. (2012, June). Matt Mills: Image recognition that triggers augmented reality. [video file]. Retrieved from https://www.ted.com/talks/matt_mills_image_recognition_that_triggers_augmented_reality.
QR Code Monkey. Digital image. http://www.qrcode-monkey.com/. QR Code Monkey, n.d. Web. <http://www.qrcode-monkey.com/>.
QR Voice. Digital image. http://qrvoice.net/?id=1kaBROQ. QR Voice, n.d. Web. <http://qrvoice.net/?id=1kaBROQ>.
Reynolds, G. (2014). Presentation zen design: A simple visual approach to presenting in today's world. 2nd ed. New Riders/Pearson.
Shelver. (2013). Shelver. [Flash game]. Retrieved from http://www.mrs-lodges-library.com/play-shelver.
I like your idea of having students record a review for a book or a digital storytelling project and imbedding it on the book cover. That could be a great way for students to report about a book they read and also a hook to invite other students to read the book. I guess we would just want to make sure that the book review didn't give too much of the book away.
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