We "Stuck" Our Comments & Reviews To A Favorite Australian Story Using The App "Gum" in Sydney and Around The World

My friend J'aime Quick shared something really fun with me this week after learning about it in a workshop led by Jake Duncan in Texas. Jake shared how he was using a new app called Gum.  

As the app states, Gum is a way to attach digital messages to barcodes, turning physical things into social pinboards.  Use the app to scan any barcode that you choose.  

He wrote about his adventures with the Gum app in their school library with a book club, with math, and in writing poetry using a the bar code on the Cheetos package.  What fun!  And how engaging and exciting for his students. 

You can read all about Jake's adventures with Gum here. 

I have been in Australia for the last couple of weeks working with teacher librarians and educators. After J'aime shared this post and her ideas with me, I knew we could find a fun way to use it in the workshops too. 

During my workshop days, I have been sharing my favorite Australian song and story Kookaburra that is now part of Cantata Learning's fall season for 2015.  I thought I would use this book as an example of how Gum could be used in the school library and classroom libraries as well.  

By taking the Gum app, students can scan the ISBN barcode on the back of a book and leave a comment or review.   

When others scan the same ISBN barcode on the back of a book, they will be able to see and read the comments and reviews others stuck there with the Gum app too. 

After I told all of the teachers about Gum in Sydney yesterday, we passed around the Kookaburra book, downloaded the Gum app, and tried it out for ourselves.  

After a few minutes, I saw their faces lighting up as they would scan the ISBN barcode on the back of the book to see comments from others in the room pop up within the Gum app too.  

We could all see the potential this app has within our libraries and school communities.

You can download Gum and try it out on the Kookaburra ISBN barcode too......Just scan it from above. 

Last night, I shared Gum and Jake's ideas with a group of #aussieED friends at dinner.  Zeina Chalich gave it a try with her students today. They came up with lots of ideas for Book Week 2015.

When the sweet people at Gum (@justgumit) replied to her tweet...

they let us know that they are working on a few updates and additions which will be available soon.  I can't wait to see them.  

Our friend Kelly Hobson, who teaches science in Sydney, and I were brainstorming after dinner last night and thought it would be fun to use Gum with food labels teaching her students about nutritional value, energy, etc.... and wouldn't that be a great activity for your health or PE class too. 

I can't wait to hear more ideas.....and continue to find ways to use this one myself.