Are you in charge of bulletin boards at your school? Me too! School counseling bulletin boards can be a great tool to share information with teachers, students, and parents.
This year I wanted them to make them more engaging than just the "walk by and look." Adding QR codes was a simple way to engage stakeholders and make the boards interactive.
The best thing is that it's simple and you can use it for any board.
Step 1: Start with Your Board
Step 2: Find videos or websites that go with your board.
Step 3: Create a QR code to go with your resource and add your board.
Yep that's it. Just a 3- step process. So how can you use them? Let me share some of the ways I'm using my interactive bulletin boards.
Ways to Use Interactive Bulletin Boards
Send Parents & Teachers to your Website
I spend a lot of time working on my website, but it doesn't get a lot of traffic.
So on the bulletin board closest to our front office and my room I added a QR code that links to my website. When parents visit they can easily scan it. Additionally, if I'm not available to meet they can scan the code which takes them to my website where they can email me or fill out our online referral link.
I also told teachers about it, so as they walk by my room they can easily scan and go.
Introduce Yourself
I used to do a full "Meet The Counselor" lesson, but time is valuable and I could use those 45 minutes to jump into our curriculum.
To solve this problem I posted a QR code on my "Meet The Counselor" bulletin board that sends visitors to a video of me introducing students to my room.
I also have a code that sends scanners to a StoryBird book called "The School Counselor." The story explains what a counselor does and is super easy to read. With 2 quick scans students and parents can meet me and get a better understanding of what I do.
I've also encouraged teachers to bring iPads on their annual beginning of the year "school tour" so that they can pause, scan, and learn without me having to be there.
Give Students, Parents, and Teachers More Info
I have posters around school inviting students to my "Mindful Mondays" and "Flexible Fridays," but I realized they may not know what yoga or mindfulness is or they may be intimidated.
To problem solve I added one code that takes them to a YouTube video explaining mindfulness in kid friendly terms. I also included one that links to a YouTube video that takes them through a simply yoga routine.
Downstairs we have a bulletin board that encourages mindfulness practices. I added a code that takes them to a lesson I created in Google Slides called "What is Mindfulness?" As stakeholders have questions about what mindfulness is they can scan for quick answers instead of emailing me.
Bring PBIS Expectations to Life
We have our PBIS expectations posted school wide, including our full matrix by the cafeteria. It's awesome to have a visual representation, but I wanted to add to it.
Adding QR codes on the matrix that link to Google Slide lessons and videos brings the words to life. I'm hoping to gather more videos of students following the rules this year and add those links and codes to our board.
Encourage Reading
Reading with my students is my passion, but I definitely have more books than days of the school year.
This summer I've been recording me reading my favorite titles (with a guest reader - my dog Boss). Then I added a page on my website called "Read With Boss." From my website students can visit my YouTube Channel and watch us read a story.
I've also put QR codes on our "Meet The Counselor" and "Story Squad" bulletin boards that send students to our read alouds. Think of the endless possibilities in the library!!
Consider making a bulletin board with books covers of the books you are going to read this year and link to the book trailer. What a fun way to get students excited about what you are about to read.
You could also make a board of books you've read. Then add in links to videos of the book so students can revisit stories whenever they want. "The Book Wrangler" has this amazing QR code that links to over 100 book trailers! He is also the creator of the "Story Squad" bulletin board.
Send Students Directly to College or Scholarship Websites
The sky is the limited on college and career readiness! Create a bulletin board that shares a college, university, or career of the month. Then use a QR code to send students directly to that college website or to a video about that career. Elementary counselors did you know that Near Pod has virtual college tours? Yep!
Have a lot of due dates coming up? Use a small section of a large board entitled "due dates" and place 1 QR code that links to your website where the dates are listed.
Just think, instead of updating bulletin boards you just have to update it online. It's great for getting students real time information.
The possibilities are endless with the simple addition of a QR code. How would you use a QR code to make an interactive school counseling bulletin board?
Share your ideas in the comments!
Need more Bulletin Board Ideas? Check out these creative ideas from three Confident Counselors!
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