At least once a day every day, I think about what it would be like to just get rid of my phone, like throw it into the woods and run off to the minimalist life. I know I wouldn’t be able to last a day, but just the thought of returning to the simple life is so nice sometimes!
Since technology is so ingrained in our daily lives and really at our fingertips now, I think we do need to stop and think about whether or not we are utilizing it to the best of our abilities in an effort to provide the most effective interventions to our learners.
I can give multiple examples of just how accessing something as simple as google images or YouTube while in session with a client, has been life changing. Not to digress too much, but actually being able to bring up pictures and video of a target word or concept being taught has helped to reduce/ eliminate rote responding and memorization without meaning and allows us to really, truly teach concepts.
Speaking of YouTube and videos in general, the use of QR codes has become commonplace around our Social Skills Development Center and have even been making appearances in some of the homes we work in! (way to go moms and dads!!)
A QR code (as pictured above) is a type of matrix barcode which when scanned, can link to a variety of media. I’ve seen various applications in classroom settings but for our purposes, want to talk specifically about QR codes linked to video models.
Video Modeling has more than 30 years of research supporting it’s effectiveness, so why aren’t we seeing it used more frequently as part of an intervention package? I can understand the barriers in the 80’s, but what’s our excuse today?
I think it still comes down to response effort. Videos have to be made and many times to promote generalization, there needs to be a couple of different videos targeting the same skill then the videos need to be stored somewhere, accessed and able to be shown and viewed.
I’d like to invite you to let QR codes change your life in 10 easy steps like we did:
Have access to an ipad/tablet/smart phone
Create a Youtube Channel
Create a video model of the target skill
Upload the video to the channel (be sure it’s set to private/unlisted if you are using a client as the model)
Copy and paste the YouTube link into a QR Code Generator app or website (lots of free choices!)
Generate and save the code (download as an image)
Print it out (laminating sheets and velcro are our friends)
Affix the code to a convenient location (Need ideas? watch our video on play bins Video 1 Video 2 )
Download an app that can scan/read the code (Again, lots of free choices)
Try it out!
Become obsessed like we are and look for more applications. How about social skills and ADLs !?
Are 10 steps too many? (don’t be lazy now folks, you can do it!)
If you are not yet comfortable with creating your own content or uploading to YouTube on your own, search around and see if there are already videos uploaded to other channels that may meet your needs. Shameless plug, we have one: Mission Cognition on YouTube