The invasion of QR codes continues. I went to the movies recently and was attacked by those little square images.
They were in the lobby, on the popcorn box, on my soda cup and even on the movie screen during the previews. QR codes are like UPC codes that grocery stores use except they can be used to communicate all sorts of information. QR codes can to link to websites, videos and online surveys, which makes them really popular commercially. Look around and it seems that everyone is getting into the QR code business.
For regular readers of the 8 Blog, you may remember that I discussed how to create QR codes a few months ago and provided some ideas for using QR codes educationally. With TagMyDoc, however, QR codes are now even more useful. TagMyDoc allows users to add QR codes to a document which can redirect others to a digital copy of the document online. Imagine including QR codes on your handouts. A student who loses a copy can simply scan the QR code from a classmate and she can download a digital copy for herself. TagMyDoc can also be used with conference presentations. Instead of emailing Powerpoint slides to interested attendees, include a QR code into the final slide of your presentation and let people download copies themselves.
While the site is in Beta development, TagMyDoc still offers a great deal of functionality at this time. Signing up for a free Basic account gives users 1 GB of space to upload their documents and unlimited scanning of documents. This means that once a document is saved onto TagMyDoc, an unlimited number of people can scan the QR code and download the associated file. Another benefit is that the site can handle a variety of file types, allowing users to share their digital images (jpg, tiff, png, bmp or gif) or their documents (doc, docx, ppt, pptx or pdf). securely.
By uploading files to TagMyDoc, educators can help support environmentally responsible actions by replacing paper copies with digital ones. TagMyDoc also allows educators to provide resources for students using mobile devices. There are TagMyDoc apps in development for iOS and Android devices and Add-ins for Microsoft Word and Powerpoint are also being planned. The site can also act as cloud storage for educators who may not have access to similar services in their schools. Whether you plan to use TagMyDoc or QR codes in your classroom, get used to seeing the little square monsters around. The invasion is almost complete.
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