Parent/Teacher Conferences

Conference season is upon us. Some of you are already done with your first set of conferences and some of you have them coming up. Conferences have definitely changed over the years, but I am happy with the way I do conferences now. My students come to their conference with their parents to celebrate their learning. They lead the conference for half of the time, sharing their learning, and celebrating their hard work. Then the students step out of the room and I have a little bit of time with the parents, this is often to continue celebrating, but it provides an opportunity for the adults to discuss anything they need to without the child hearing it.

One way I encourage my students to reflect before sitting down with their parents is to fill out a 3-2-1 Reflection. This reflection asks them to celebrate three pieces of learning, set two goals, and determine one way they can reach the goal. 

3-2-1 Conference Reflection (Freebie)

Click here to get a FREE copy of this reflection to use with your students.

 I am overt in discussing student behavior in front of the student, because I think they should take responsibility in their actions. When it comes to discussing more sensitive issues like friendships and self-esteem, I take advantage of the students being out of the room, because I want conferences to be a positive experience for them. If there is an issue that needs to be handled, I will schedule another meeting with the parents (and possibly the student).

What is your favorite thing about conferences?

Beginner's Guide to QR Codes in the Classroom

I have been seeing and reading a lot about QR codes lately.  When I am searching through TpT, I see a lot of products that include them.  I know that some people know how to create their own and others are left to use products created by others.

Here is a quick question and answer session on QR codes. If you have more questions, leave a comment and I will try to answer them!

What is a QR code?
A QR code stands for Quick Response code and it is like a bar code that you can read with a smart phone using a free app. (I user QR Reader for iPhone)

How do I use a QR code? 
You can use a QR code to link to a website, video, text, sms message, and many more places.  Using a free app on your phone or iPad, scan the QR code and you will be taken to the destination linked to the code. 

How do I create a QR code?
My favorite site to create QR codes is qrstuff.com, it is free and easy to use.  You can choose what type of data you want to link to the code (website, text, email address, etc).  If you are linking a website, you type in or paste the URL and the unique QR code will be generated for you!  It is user-friendly and easy to navigate the site. Below is a picture of the site, they even let you change the color of your QR code if you want! After your QR code is generated, you can download it, print it, or email it.



So how do I use this in my classroom? 
If you want to create the cute products that you have seen on TpT, you can use the "text" option on qrstuff.com, with this option you can type text (the answer to a problem or whatever you want it to be) and create your code. You paste the code into your document that you are creating.  When your students scan the code, the text you typed in will show up on their device.

Other ideas for QR codes? 
I have had students create QR codes for a book recommendation and then we tape the QR code to the front cover of the book.  if students want to listen to a review before reading the book they can scan and listen.

I would love to hear your ideas for QR codes in the classroom!

Future of QR codes? Unknown
I have recently heard that QR codes are not going to stick around for long.  Augmented learning is the "new" thing.  That being said, if your kids are excited and engaged while using QR codes, use them!