Read the room the QR code way

I finally got the chance to kid test my QR code sight word activity that I created this summer. You can read my previous post here.  I wanted to wait until I had introduced all or nearly all of our words so that it would be more of a sight word review and my students would be more successful with the technology aspect of the activity. 
This week I began hanging all 45 of the QR codes up around the room. Slowly, the kids began to notice them and started asking questions about what they were. Today, as I began to introduce the project, the excitement built as students started to point out the various places that they had seen them around the room. I didn't "hide" them as I don't want them to take forever finding them, but they are scattered around the room- some high, some low. 

i_nigma app icon

After introducing the recording sheet, I showed the kiddos how to scan the codes using our iPads. If the excitement wasn't high before, it went through the roof when they found out they would get to use their iPads too! I ended up chosing the QR reader called, I-nigma. After testing several different QR code readers, I found this one to be the easiest and most user friendly for a 1st grader to use not to mention the size of the text when it displays what is on the code is the largest that I have found (I'd say probably around 16 pt). I also like the fact that I had the option to turn off the decoding sound. With 15 kiddos scanning we certainly don't need to be hearing the blips and beeps the whole time.
I'm excited, maybe more so than the kids right now, to see how well they do over the course of the next couple of weeks. We'll get a good idea Monday morning as we have 12 visitors from another school district coming to observe our technology at work.
I also found it funny today that they noticed the QR code outside of our classroom door for the 1st time today (it's been there since the first day of school) LOL