Scan by QR Code City + QR Codes

Scan by QR Code City + QR Codes

App Description:

This is an app for iPad, iPods, and smart phones that allows the user to utilize the built in camera as a scanner to read both QR codes and barcodes. You open the app, point at the code, and it will pull up the data you are trying to communicate.

Price:

Free

Website Component:

The app itself does not, but to build codes for use in the classroom, a website must be used. There are many, many free generator websites out there. But I use qrstuff.com with no problems. This website is also free.

Screenshots:

My Impression on What Parents Think:

I have not heard any feedback from parents either way.

Pros:

• I like being able to communicate data to my classroom parents such as my professional contact information, websites I am using, apps I’m using, and other pieces of data that are hard to communicate in other ways.
• The website and app are really user friendly.
• Both aspects are free to use and there are no limits as to how many codes you can create or scan.
• You can place QR codes on many different kinds of media. As QR codes are just pictures, they can be placed on my website, newsletters, and business cards to easily communicate. 

Cons:

• This is very new technology. I am unsure as to how many of my parents know how to use it.
• To read the codes I generate, parents must have the scanner app on their smart phones. If they do not have a scanner app or a smart phone, they will be unable to “read” the code.

Overall Impression:

As a tech savvy twenty-person, I am always looking for new ways to communicate with parents and make my job easier. As such, I am very comfortable using new technology even if it is a bit ahead of the curve. I have used this technology sparingly this school year simply because I do not know how comfortable my parents are in using it. However I hope that as this technology becomes more engrained in our day-to-day lives, I hope that my parents will become more comfortable using it. QR codes are already being used in ad campaigns and promotional materials so I want to use it to promote my classroom as well. Overall, I love using the website to create codes. Some websites will limit the number of codes you can create. All I have to do is fill in the information they require to make the code. Save the code, and then place it on the medium I need to communicate the data with. The scanner app is free and also easy to use. I love using the technology and cannot wait for it to be more readily usable by my parents. I might try hosting a technology seminar with my parents next year.