This post was contributed by Marcie Herbert: Google Certified Trainer and Teacher. Find out more about Marcie and her work with STREAM initiatives at https://sites.google.com/site/marciehebert/home.
Gamification has been a trending topic in education. A new way of doing this is Breakout EDU which “teach(es) critical thinking, teamwork, complex problem solving, and can be used in all content areas”.
Teachers start by purchasing a kit from breakoutedu.com, or the teacher can purchase the items needed through the open source list on the website. The website has many free games, and the Breakout EDU community continues to build and share even more games through the sandbox (a place for teacher created games to be tested).
Students are so excited to learn or review in a new and interesting way. The first experience provided to students is often a team building game to help get them acquainted with how the process works. A key piece of Breakout EDU is to debrief with the students after the game. There is a chance to analyze what went well and areas that need improvement. Not each group will be able to breakout.
One game is all it takes to hook a teacher and their students. After playing with some of my teachers and their classes, I am helping them to find other games that fit into their curriculum. The students ask about when they will get to play Breakout EDU.
This is the type of learning we are after as we make the needed shifts to teach our students in a hands-on cross curricular way to help them prepare for their future.
If you are interested in learning more about topics like this, consider registering for the NCEA STREAM 2.0 Symposium on June 27-29. Registration is now open. Use the coupon code STREAM100 to get a $100 registration discount! https://www.ncea.org/events/stream-20-symposium
