Have you seen Indiana Jones or National Treasure and found yourself caught up in trying to solve the mystery before Harrison Ford or Nicholas Cage do? Both are clever movie series that engage the audience with mysteries and clues that can be solved along with the characters.
BreakoutEDU brings that concept to the classroom. In February, a few of us Instructional Coaches had the opportunity to participate in a BreakoutEDU activity and we were all immediately hooked; so much so that two of us took the idea home and had our children participate at home. I heard that a neighborhood of children were even involved!
What is BreakoutEDU? Here’s a snapshot:
- How Does it Work? Players solve clues in order to open locks and ‘breakout’ of a room. Since we can’t really lock students into a room, they are really breaking into a box. Technology can easily be integrated by using QR codes, Aurasma, web sties, just to name a few.
- Why? Students (and staff!) enter a fun and exciting game that involves problem-solving, critical thinking, communication, team building, and many other skills. The theme of the Breakout is content-based, so learning is happening-just not in a traditional manner.
- Who? Anyone! Having staff participate in a BreakoutEDU game is a great way to gain first hand experience before implementing it in the classroom.
- What Subjects? Any and all. I’ve seen it used by a basketball coach as a team-building exercise before heading to State Playoffs. Games that are available on the BreakoutEDU website are linked to specific content areas and age levels. There are games being added to the site daily as well as links to games that are ‘in-progress.’ Once you get the idea of how it works and have the materials, you’ll be able to create a Breakout game of your own, giving you the ability to have a tailor-made activity for your staff/students.
Below are some resources for you to check out to find out more and see BreakoutEDU in action. As always, feel free to reach out to your Instructional Coach for any support with BreakoutEDU!