Authentic Tech

I’m learning something that probably no one else has any desire to learn:  programming iOS devices -- specifically iTouch, iPad, and iPhone 4.  The motivation for this came from my Cryptology class last week when I was teaching QR code (a two-dimensional barcoding system developed by Denso-Wave for cataloging Toyota parts).  I had given my students a copy of a newspaper article that featured QR code in which there was an example.  One student that we’ll call Frankie asked, “Hey Ms. Parler, do you know what this says?”  I replied that it was the author’s website URL.  About a minute passed.  Frankie wildly raised his hand -- quite unusual for Frankie as he has rarely been engaged in anything other than baseball throughout his four-year existence at DePaul.

I said, “Yes, Frankie?”. 

“Promise you won’t get mad.”

I looked at him.  How much trouble could he have gotten into in the last minute?  “I won’t get mad.”

“No, really, ya gotta promise you won’t take away my phone”, replied Frankie.

Students are not permitted to use phones on campus.  Nor are they permitted to use iPads, iPods, etc.  If we see a student with a phone, iPad, iPod, etc., we are supposed to confiscate it and send it to the office.  The first time they get off with a warning.  The second time there is a fine (meaning tariff  - not a comment on quality) system.  So, clearly Frankie had accessed his phone in the last minute.  “OK, I won’t take your phone away. What did you discover?”

“I scanned this code thing with my phone and it took me to the guy’s website.  It’s so cool.  Do you want to see?”  Frankie was engaged.  Suddenly cellphones were being whipped out all over the place.  Three other students discovered they had the app as well.  My next day’s lesson included a QR-encoded message they they could decode using their phone cameras.  Now a total of nine kids had the app.  OK, yes -- it’s not exactly according to the rules, but I ran with it.  Next semester, I’ll post the assignment on Blackboard as a discussion topic, so I can stay within the rules and still engage the disengaged.

So, I’m trying to figure out how I can write an app for those of my kids who have iOS devices to light the fire.  Hey, whatever it takes.