901 - Assignment 4.4
Design A Game
Breakout EDU is a collaborative problem-solving game in which groups of students are presented with a situation and they need to work together to solve puzzles and find clues to open up a series of locks on a box. The activity is done under a time constraint so students must stay on task and learn to work under pressure. The groups that perform the best are the students who listen to each other and appreciate the diversity and varied skill sets within their group. Groups in which one "smart kid" takes the lead and tries to direct everyone else typically don't perform as well.
Breakout EDU promotes the 4C's - critical thinking, collaboration, creativity, and communication, and the students LOVE it. I love this infographic from @sylviaduckworth highlighting the benefits of playing BreakoutEDU in the classroom. BreakoutEDU can also be used for team building at staff meetings and PD sessions. Teachers love it too!
For this assignment, I decided to create my own Breakout EDU game to use at the conclusion of my Fourth Grade, California Gold Rush unit. It seemed overwhelming, but I used the Create a Game template on the Breakout EDU website, broke it down in to small chunks, and bit by bit was able to create a game that I am excited to try with my students.
The only thing I haven't done yet in order to submit my game to Breakout EDU is create the YouTube game set up video. I ordered a few more materials and I am waiting for those items to come in before I film the set up. I also want to try it out with my students, and we have a few weeks of studying history before they will be ready for this. I can't wait to see if they will be able to work together to break out!
Learn more and create your own Breakout EDU game with the help of these resources:
- https://padlet.com/venturino/breakouttips
- https://padlet.com/venturino/breakouttools
- http://www.breakoutedu.com/blog/
- http://www.breakoutedu.com/create/
- https://www.smore.com/fqazh-breakoutedu
There is also a large fan base on Facebook and Twitter. Teachers are willing to share resources and ideas. You can also look for teachers to collaborate with when creating your own breakout.
