The Process:
- The teacher creates QR codes of various pictures found on the web and saves the codes in his/her files. Using a QR Coder and a Google Image search, pictures can easily be found. The pictures should invoke descriptive writing.
- Prior to class, the teacher prints out the QR codes and places them around the classroom.
- Students circulate around the room and use a QR code reader on their smartphone or tablet to access the pictures and either write their descriptions on paper or use the voice recorder on their device to record the student's description of the picture. Students who do not have their own device will team up with another student who has a device.
- When all pictures have been written about, students share their responses with their neighbor and the teacher asks for volunteers to share with the whole class.
- The teacher will then project each picture on the big screen in the front of the room and the teacher will discuss the pictures with the class. Students will then revise their responses to include details that could not been seen on the smaller device screens or those sparked by comments made by classmates. Students can share their responses with their neighbor and discuss writing options.
- Students choose one response from the set to revise and turn in for review by the teacher.
Grading
The initial writing responses will not be graded, but instead used for formative assessment. The final revised response can be scored using a rubric, but as I've stated in previous posts, I'm reluctant to put a score on students' writing. I'd rather read the response, annotate, conference with the student and offer constructive feedback for further improvement.
Take a look...
