Using QR Codes

Question: How many of us knew what a QR Code was before COVID hit and restaurants refused to hand out hand-held menus? That's when we were required to drag out our cell phones, center a QR code, and scroll through tiny little pages to decide what we could order for dinner! It was a learning curve for many of us but at least now we're comfortable with the utility of these strange little blocks of magic that lead us to relevant websites with the tap of a finger. Want to learn more?

How fortunate we are that CSAA member Kristen Tyson of the West Bay Common School Museum in League City, Texas offered a presentation on how to create and use QR codes to enhance the museum experience for our visitors. Her program at the CSAA annual conference in Toledo was the shot in the arm we needed to learn how our own schoolhouse programs could benefit from their creative uses. Kristen's slide show will tell you why they are a terrific tool, explain their many uses, help you experiment with them, and show you how to create them. What a bonus!

We thank Kristen Tyson for her creative graphics and her kind offer to share this program with our readers.

​A Quick Response for Your Museum Visitors!
by Kristen Tyson

As the next generation visits One Room Schoolhouses, it is vital to find ways to engage them and leave them with a better understanding of the value of schoolhouse museums. Quick Response Codes (QR) are a tool that can connect visitors with valuable information to expand their learning experience.

A QR Code is a distinct image that is generated via a website and connects a web address to the code. When a visitor opens their smartphone camera, they simply let the camera “read” the image and it provides a link directly to the website. QR Codes have been used by marketing firms for years, but educators are realizing the value to continue the lesson and even expand on information not easily explained in person.

At our schoolhouse (West Bay Common School), we are using QR Codes to provide information about our artifacts. This tool offers a cost-effective alternative to having a guided tour with limited staff, and it allows for additional immersive experiences with audio and video aids.

Note: Photos are sample pages of Kristen's lessons.

QR Codes: LEARNING BEYOND THE ONE-ROOM SCHOOLHOUSE