Jenkins,+Penny+Thomas+-+cool+tools+review

Following the Cool Tools carousel, I choose to attend the session on using the smart phone in the class room. Most students have cell phones, and the majority of these phones are smart phones. I already allow the use of smart phones in my class for quick searches and polls (polleverywhere). I have been using my phone for QR code reading, but I have not used them in class. I want to incorporate QR codes this year for lesson planning and searches. QR codes for lesson planning would allow students to get on task as soon as they enter the room or if they are absent, they can scan my school web site and get QR/smart phone uses. The easiest way to introduce students to QR codes is with a quick poll question website. The question can be a bell ringer or a quick check for understanding. I found a great site called Polltogo.  Polltogo allows anyone to create QRcode polls and survey questions. It is an easy site to use. It has a free account and you can create as many polls as you like. The whole site is template-based, making it very easy to set up your polling question and then print off the QR code. You can watch the poll results in real-time so students can answer the questions and the answers will update live on the polltogo website. It reminds me a bit of polleverywhere, but for QRcodes. In addition, people can send in comments on the polls (or you can select a poll type that allows for feedback or open-ended responses). Polltogo is a great starter activity as students are getting settled in class or a wonderful tool for field trips/scavenger hunts. If students do not have a smartphone with a bar code (or QRcode) reader, students can take a picture of the QRcode and send it in to x@snpmy.com and they will text the student back the information on the code. An example of a polltogo QR code to start class could be  Polltogo will be used in my class room this fall!