This might be my new favorite QR code generator

One of the challenges with many of the free QR Code generators is that they have restricted the free QR code features to only linking to websites. I recently came across the free QR Code generator, Me-QR that generates a QR code and lets you link to many types of media with the free version.

Once you get to the Me-QR website, you will need to sign up for a free account.  After that, it's just three simple steps to generate your QR Code.

Step 1: Select what your QR Code will link to

You can link your QR Code to a website, but you can also link to all of the following (and more):

 

I particularly like being able to link to a PDF document (an article, work document, or PDF of a PowerPoint presentation, etc.) and to link to text or an image with contact information, etc.

Step 2: Select your content and create your QR Code

Add the link or upload the content from your computer and click: Customize & Download QR.

Step 3: Customize and download your QR Code

Your QR Code is generated and you have the option to customize the look of your QR Code with frames based on pre-made templates, themes, holidays, and events. Once you have a design and color customization that you like, you can download your QR Code and use it in documents, slide decks, presentations, posters, and more!

What are some ways you can integrate QR codes linking to all these options into your profession?

Pack your information into a QR Code

What is a QR Code?

QR code stands for Quick Response code.  QR codes can contain a variety of information from text, to video, to documents, and scanning the QR code unlocks the information for you and captures it on your phone.  QR codes make the real world clickable!

Here is a brief explanation of QR Codes by Common Craft.

QR Code Readers

In order to unlock the information in a QR code, you need a QR reader.  There are many QR reader apps available for mobile devices.  You can check the web and the app store for your mobile device for recommendations. I have been using the QR Reader for iPhone app for years. There may be newer and better apps available, but QR Reader seems to do what I need to do, so I am still using it. 

QR Code Generators

QR generators let you create your own QR codes. QR Code generators are available on the web on your computer and as mobile apps.  I tend to generate my QR codes on the computer because I am often using them in handouts or presentations that I am creating on the computer. There are QR code generators that are free and many that have paid versions. Here are two generators that offer slightly different features that are free.

• QR Code Generator is a simple QR Code generator that lets you include text, URL, structured contact information, or send a SMS/text.

• QR Code Monkey lets you change the color of your QR code and add an image to the middle of the QR code.  For example, this QR code takes you to the Leadership Book Club podcast website.

How can you use QR codes?

There are hundreds of ways to use QR codes. One of my favorite uses of QR codes is with my PowerPoint slides when I give a presentation. On the last slide of the presentation, I will include a QR code with my contact information and a QR code with an electronic copy of the presentation. It saves me from emailing my contact information and the presentation to dozens of people after I get home!

QR codes can also be used to support learning and the QR codes can be added to print media like posters, books, and handouts. I have even seen QR codes printed, cut out, and attached to "real life" objects. One of my favorite examples of QR codes in education is the Periodic Table of Videos created by Brady Haran (Periodic Videos). Each element on the periodic chart has been replaced with a QR code that leads to a video on the element!

Here are a few other ideas:

• Use QR codes for the answers in study materials.  It is like having the answers in the back of the book, but makes it easier for students to try the problems before they look at the answers.
• With a display of student projects or products, post QR codes on each exhibit with the link to a video of the creator explaining their work.  
• At the end of a chapter or document have a QR code with the link to the next document.
• Supplement handouts with QR codes to videos demonstrating the concept in the handout.
• Create a scavenger hunt for new students or employees to become familiar with their new work environment/campus and to team build with other new students/employees. Student/employees can scan a QR code that sends a text to the instructor so she knows each step they have accomplished in the scavenger hunt.
• Use a QR code on a poster to link to a document with more information (such as a program for a concert, a biography for a speaker, etc.)
• Use QR codes on an organizational chart with pictures or biographies of each person.

Here are resources with even more ideas on how to integrate QR codes into the classroom.  Although these examples are primarily from K-12 education, there are ideas and inspiration for those of us who teach post-secondary and in a corporate setting.

QR Codes for Quick Student Engagement (Faculty Focus)

8 Ways to use QR Codes in Higher Education Classrooms (Educause)

Four Ways to Use QR Codes to Enliven Your Learning Event (ATD)

One word of warning: Just as links take you websites, so can QR codes, which means there is the opportunity for malicious behavior. Apply the same caution and common sense to using unknown QR codes as you would to clicking on unknown links.

What are some ways you can integrate QR codes into your profession?

Have your computer read to YOU

 

In an earlier post I described how you can talk to the computer for speech-to-text in MS Word and Google docs, but you can also have the computer read your text to you (text-to-speech).

Why would you want to do this?  

There are many possible uses for this, but one use for college students (and other writers) is to have your computer read a paper you are writing to you. It can be beneficial to hear your paper to get another perspective on how it will sound to the reader. It can also be helpful if you are stuck, to listen to the paper and see what should come next; or to hear if the points you are making are in the best possible order; or if you have edits you want to make, etc.

To have MS Word read your document:

Open the document.

Go to the Review menu and select Read Aloud.

You will get play controls. Click the play button to hear your paper!

It is also possible, but a bit more complicated, to have Google docs read your text to you through your Google doc settings.

There is also an interesting Chrome Browser extension that you can install to convert webpage text to audio (websites, blogs, etc.) and various documents (PDF, Google docs, Kindle, EPUB, etc.)

How can having your computer read aloud to you help you?

Scanning Documents With Your Phone

 

I was working with a student this week who needed to sign a document and send it back to me.  She did not have a scanner and did not know what to do.  The answer? Scan it with your phone!

Using your phone to scan documents can be helpful when you need to sign and email documents, but I also use it in the library to scan pages from books that I have quotes I want to use in my research, reference lists I want to follow up on from articles I like, non-research/at-home uses, etc.

There are many scanning apps for your phone. If you are not familiar with scanning apps, here is a short (2:41) video to show you what it's like! This demo shows the scanning app I use most often, Genius Scan, but it is similar with any scanning app!

Wait! How did Robin screencast on her phone? Check out how to do it on Apple and Android phones.

(full disclosure: I used a video editing program to add the boxes and highlights to the video after I screencasted it.)

How might you use your phone for a scanner-on-the-go?

Podcasts! A great way to multi-task (or single task)

 Audio (and video) podcasts are a great addition to your PLN.  In addition to providing another way to learn (auditory), audio podcasts are a multi-tasker's dream!  You can listen to podcasts while cooking, cleaning, walking the dog, driving, exercising, etc!  This week, you are going to find and listen to at least one podcast.

 

• Find a podcast relevant to your PLN.  You can check the iTunes library if you have an iphone, ask others for recommendations, or just search for "Podcast" and "something-you-are-interested-in-for-your-PLN", see what comes up, and then scroll until you see an episode you want to listen to! To listen on your mobile device, search for the podcast name on the podcast player you have on your mobile device. Here are a few podcast options to get you started:
  
  
• Teaching in Higher Ed podcast
• The Accidental Trainer podcast (Association for Talent Development)
• The Business of Learning podcast
• Instructional Designers in Offices Drinking Coffee (also on YouTube)
• Harvard Business Review IdeaCast podcast (this link lists all of the HBR podcasts )
• Simon Sinek's A Bit of Optimism podcast (also on YouTube)
• SHRM's All Things Work podcast
• AI for Humans podcast--I cannot find a good link for the audio podcast. Search for it in your podcast player. (Also on YouTube)

• Listen to at least one podcast episode on the web or using a podcast player on your mobile device. 
  
  
• If you like a podcast, consider subscribing! (if you subscribe, new podcast episodes will come to your podcast player automatically, just as new blogs automatically come to your Feedly.)

What HRD or technology and learning podcasts do you recommend for us to add to our PLNs?

Two YouTube Tools

YouTube is an amazing resource of videos that we can incorporate in our own PLN and as we develop others.  Here are some tools to make using YouTube even better! 

• Creating a "cued up" YouTube video link - through YouTube
  If you want to start showing a video at a particular time in the video, you can use YouTube to modify the URL for the video so it starts where you want it to start.  Let's say you were watching the YouTube video of the Ze Frank web playroom TED talk and wanted to share it, but wanted to start at a particular spot in the video project which begins 14 minutes and 22 seconds into the video.  Do the following:

          1. Click on the Share icon to show the URL.

          2. Click the checkbox and add the start time in minutes and seconds.

              Now when you share the URL, it will start at 14 minutes, 22 seconds.

              (I encourage you to take a look at this entire TED Talk. And oldie--2010!--but a goodie.)

• Displaying a YouTube video without distractions

   Let's say you want to show a video in class or in a training session or in a meeting.  The problem with going to the YouTube website is the random videos in the sidebar.  Not only are they distracting, but since you have no control over what is presented in the sidebar, they may be completely inappropriate for your setting!  There are several easy ways to show the video without the sidebars on the screen:

• Show the video full screen. This is a less than perfect options because you will spend some time on the YouTube screen before you make it full screen.

• Embed the video in a Powerpoint presentation.  The video will show "in" your Powerpoint without the sidebar videos or comments from the YouTube page.

• What if you are not using Powerpoint?  
• You can use Watchkin.com. Watchkin is a website that allows you to paste your YouTube URL into the blank Watchkin webpage (except for the Watchkin branding) so you can watch on a distraction-free webpage. You can also fullscreen the video from the Watchkin page.
  
  
• You can also use the DF Tube (Distraction Free for YouTube) extension for Chrome or Firefox.
  
  
• If you find a YouTube video you want to use for development and it has ads during the video, a good tip is to add a "dash" to the YouTube link so your link appears as
  yout-ube.com/etc.etc. It will allow you to watch the video without externally added ad interruptions (this does not work if the "ad reads" are read by the host as part of the video).  

What are your favorite YouTube tips to share with us?

Adding a Video to YouTube (and "trimming" it)

There are many ways to create a video including using video from your phone; creating a screen recording with ScreenPal; creating a recording of a conversation, a screen share, or a PowerPoint presentation in Zoom (created for another class), and recording a presentation directly from PowerPoint and saving it as an MP4 video. 

(Here is a more in-depth video on all of the video recording options in PowerPoint, including how to create a screen recording from within PowerPoint that is "editable" and then easily include it in your PowerPoint slide.)  

But the question is: 

Once I have a video...what do I do with it?

Uploading a video to YouTube

Obviously, you can include your video in your Blogger blog. But often, you will want to upload it to YouTube.  Everyone who has a Gmail account automatically has YouTube storage space. Your ISU email is a Gmail account, which means your ISU email has YouTube storage associated with it! Here is a brief video on uploading a video to YouTube.

Once your video is uploaded to YouTube you can copy and share the link just like you would with any YouTube video!

Trimming your YouTube video

When you record your video, there is often some "extra" video at the beginning of the video between when you start recording and when you actually start your presentation. There is also typically a bit of "extra" video that gets captured at the end of the video as you finish up, turn off the recorder, etc.  It is not critical to remove the "extra" bits, but it makes your video look much cleaner and more professional.  Here is a video that explains how to trim your video once it is uploaded to YouTube.

Have fun as you use YouTube with your videos!