QR Codes 101
Guest post by David Gerber
Jewish tradition has always supported technological innovation. In fact, with apologies to Apple or Android, it was Moses who introduced the world to the first tablets. Kidding aside, the events at Mt. Sinai as described in the Book of Exodus do provide us with a clear understanding of the role of technology in Judaism. As leaders in our respective Jewish communities, we take upon ourselves the responsibility of presenting the values, tenets, and traditions of our religion in the most understandable and accessible medium possible.
With this in mind, I have created The QR Project. QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes readable by smartphones. In the past two years, QR codes have become a popular tool for advertisers and marketers. The QR Project, however, is demonstrating that QR codes can revolutionize the way we approach outreach, education, and conservation.
The most comprehensive example of the impact of QR codes can be found at Congregation Shaare Emeth in St. Louis, MO. Over this past summer, I worked with Shaare Emeth to insert QR codes into their Religious School curriculum. We put codes on any pages that require the students to practice out loud. When they scan the code, their smartphone pulls up an audio recording of their cantor chanting the prayer.
We have taken these prayer QR codes and created a bookmark to accompany their siddur. Adult learners and b’nai mitzvah students can scan the bookmark to learn the blessings. Additionally, the recorded prayers are now housed on the Shaare Emeth website along with links to further learning opportunities.
The results speak for themselves. The QR codes in their curriculum have been scanned more than 200 times since their debut in mid-September. The online site that hosts the prayers has attracted over 3000 hits in that same time span, with over half of them coming from outside the state of Missouri. And finally, the existence of the QR codes means the cantor no longer has to create a CD for each student, saving over 100 CDs per year and hundreds of hours copying.
Curious to know more about integrating QR codes? On Wednesday November 30th, Darim Online and I will be hosting a webinar to talk about the potential for QR code integration. You will have the opportunity to learn the basics of how QR codes work and how to make them, as well as how to use them effectively in your community. By utilizing mobile technology, you will put your organization at the forefront of technological innovation, position yourself to engage those critical, often young members of your community, and meet your constituents in the place that is becoming the most familiar—their smartphone.
Webinar Info
QR Codes 101
Wednesday, Nov. 30th at 1pm
Also see our previous post, “QR Codes: What’s it All About?”
Is your organization or congregation using QR codes? If so, how? Share your thoughts and stories in the comments!
Using QR code as an engagement tool right on my tenpartners business card:
http://tenpartners.org/sitefiles/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/biz-card.jpg
What a great way to bring Torah to more and more people..and without depleting ecological resources.
Thanks so much for sharing this. I hope that you write a follow-up post with the variety of ways other shuls are using this technology.
I am glad I am not the only one in the Jewish community advocating for more widespread efforts at utilizing QR codes: http://www.jewlicious.com/2010/12/codesntags/
This year, I used a QR code in a newspaper ad that I prepared for Congregation Ohev Shalom in Wallingford, PA. The ad ran in the weeks leading up to the High Holidays. The headline is “Word of Mouth Says it All” and the QR code leads the reader to a page on the synagogue web site that contains videos of members of various backgrounds who speak about the positive role that the congregation has played in their lives. You can see the ad here:
http://www.twistnshout.com/qr-code-use-in-synagogue-newspaper-ad/
and see the video landing page here:
http://www.ohev.net/wordofmouth
Thank you all for sharing your ideas! These are great uses of QR codes.
Ben – where does the QR take you? To the website, vCard?
FrumeSarah – So glad you enjoyed the post. We will happily continue to post about these sorts of resources. And please feel free to share with us if you have great examples from your community! (Twitter: @darimonline, Facebook.com/darimonline)
Drew – Awesome post! Thanks for sharing. I also love the potential in this idea you pitched: http://drewkaplans.blogspot.com/2011/11/excellent-place-for-qr-codes-in-jewish.html
Amy – What a wonderful story, and a brilliant campaign. There’s nothing like telling real stories from real people, and connecting with them right where they are!
Will you all be joining us for the webinar? I’m sure others would love to hear these great examples and ideas.
Thanks for share.