Thursday, April 25, 2013

Finding Treasure at Sonora: QR Code Scavenger Hunt!

One time each year the Springdale School Board visits each school in the district.  This is a great time to showcase the excellent work of our students and our teachers.  Yet, there is never enough time to share everything we want to share.  So, this year we approached the concept in another manner; we had a QR Scavenger Hunt!

Earlier in the year I got the idea from reading an article about a visit James Dasher, author of The Maze Runner Series, made to a local school district from the local newspaper.  After reading the article, I was inspired to have the School Board Meeting this year student planned and led.  Through the use of QR Codes, I wanted the board members to experience the successes Sonora has had in our first 1.5 years.  I wanted to highlight students/teacher blogs, student work posted online (safety features involved), and student created projects in order to model providing a world-wide audience for our students. 

I am always amazed by our students and what they create.  It is "owlways" better than I could have imagined or anticipated.  The students identified to complete this project surveyed myself and a few teachers to identify areas to highlight.  They identified numerous areas:  Sonora's social media outreach, Breakfast in the Classroom, EAST, PE Program, Girls on the Run, National Board Teachers, Community Partnerships, and Art Integration (which won us national recognition in fall '12).

For each showcase area, the students created a QR Code to take the board member to a site (Sonora created YouTube Video, Blog, Social Media Site, or teacher webquest pages).  Then, the students, with Mr. Worthy's watchful eye, created questions for a scavenger hunt to take the board on a tour of our building.  Here is an example of one sites questions and QR Code:

 
Sample of one of the QR Code Scavenger Hunt clues and QR Code Showcase item.
One item not highlighted in the scavenger hunt was our all boy iPad Classroom - the first in the district!  Thank you to Dr. Rollins, our superintendent, for trusting us to move forward with this venture.  When I had the vision last year to have a 1:1 iPad classroom, I approached Mrs. Worthy to see if she would join me on this venture.  Not only was she willing, but she wanted to include a gender-based component.  You can follow Mrs. Worthy's class on their blog.  I wanted to insure we shared the success of this pilot program. 

So, 10 of Mrs. Worthy's boys met the School Board and Springdale District Administration at the doors to Sonora at 11:30 today.  Check out our good-lookin' group of Worthy's Boy Clubhouse:


These boys escorted our visitors to the cafeteria for a choice of lasagna or turkey club.  Then, they brought them to the library to eat.  While our visitors ate, the boys presented projects they have created, as well as apps that they use in the classroom:  Educreations, Edmodo, MineCraft, Stitch (and a multitude of others).  What we have found is that the students work in the higher level of Bloom's when they are creating on the iPad. 
Kelly Hayes listens intently to a student
created iMovie on a Revolutionary

Mrs. McFetridge views a student created project.

Mr. Jones and Mr. Luttrell listen while Mrs. Worthy explains
 the Boys' Clubhouse (i.e. all boys and all iPad Classroom).

Mr. Luttrell views another student created lesson.

Dr. Jones questions a student on the
process to his created project.

Dr. Morledge views a student created project
 on Edmodo.

Mr. Hutchinson engages a student in a conversation
about his use of the iPad for instruction.


Dr. Rollins asks this student to explain his math
thinking as they view his work (through Educreations).

Garage Band was used to create music for the iMovie.
This young student LOVES his music!

I am listening in as this student explains
the process for his creation.

Mr. Jones loves learning!

After our boys presented their projects, the students who have been working on the QR Scavenger Hunt took over.  After explaining to our visitors the process, and defining a QR Code, we divided for the hunt.  What a success!
Dr. Jones outside of  EAST waiting for the
QR code to upload.

Mr. Jones scanning a QR code outside of the
5th grade classes.

Dr. Morledge scans a QR code with
her student helpers.
Our students were so excited that at times they were hard to catch up to in the halls.  So cool to see the students engaged with the adults sharing their excitement for learning!

Upon returning back to the library we were able to have some conversation.  We want to expand our iPad pilot program to all of 4th grade next year.  We are in plans to figure out how to purchase 84 more iPads.    We believe it has 21st Century Learning Potential, as well as a perfect alignment to Common Core. 

If our visitors or you wanted to continue learning and viewing about our programs outside of the school walls.  Mr. Worthy provided a document with all the QR codes from the Scavenger Hunt. 


Thank you for visiting Sonora Elementary. Below is a list of all the QR (Quick Response) codes that you viewed today. Please revisit and share these links in the future. Updates are frequently applied each day. 
  Sonora Elementary FacebookSonora Elementary Twitter
  Sonora EAST Facebook             Sonora EAST YouTube      Dr. Stewman’s Blog                   Mr. Worthy’s Blog: EASTward Bound
  Breakfast in the Classroom        ISTE EAST Video – San Diego, California
    Sonora Elementary PE ProgramGirls on the Run Video
    Sonora Elementary National Board TeachersNob Hill Fire Department Video
    Sonora Elementary in Parenting Magazine
 

Mrs. Worthy's boys completed some work in their classrooms and for homework, too.  Here are the links to see how they can show their thinking through the use of iPads and apps:






All in all it was another "owlsome" day at Sonora, where we "innovate to educate" every day!

Be watching for my next blog . . . 10 things that parents need to know about Common Core!



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