Did you ever pretend to be a spy when you were a kid? Did you use invisible ink to send private notes to friends? Learn to speak Pig Latin or OP-Talk?

A high-tech trend has been harnessing people’s fascination with secret messages. QR (Quick Response) codes are black and white graphic projections that can be linked to information, text, a URL or other data. The image is essentially a multi-dimensional bar code that can be read by mobile devices equipped with a camera a code reader program.

There are several popular and inexpensive QR code readers available for iPhone and Android users. I’m a fan of NeoReader, which is an incredibly simple program that’s free, easy to use and effective.

We’re starting to see all kinds of uses for these handy codes. For example, some nature trails and historical sites are doing away with expensive signage and instead providing QR Codes that visitors can use their handheld devices to decode. These graphics can then lead the user to more information about the location, maps of the area, or even video or podcasts on recent or historical events. Marketing companies, who recognize the potential of a curious public, are also leaping on the QR Code bandwagon. Once you know what the codes look like, you’ll start noticing them in magazine ads, on billboards, in newsletters and on product packaging.

The really neat thing about QR Codes, is how easy they are to create. Want to make a code for your business card that directs people to your personal blog or that translates to your phone number? It takes about 20 seconds using an online QR development site. For example, the sample QR code in this post is linked to ISTE's homepage.

The potential for QR codes in education are extensive. I’m currently putting together a scavenger hunt for my public relations class that will take them throughout the school looking for examples of nontraditional communication pieces. The clues for each stop on the hunt are embedded within QR codes that are posted all across campus.

Check out the video below to see how McGuffey School District in Claysville, PA. has taken a truly innovative approach to using QR Codes in education.