BreakoutEDU Update

It has been four years since BreakoutEDU has gone world wide. Since then, the game has evolved into a digital format. Digital Breakouts are websites which contain hidden clues and have an embedded Google Form, where the students enter answers to digital padlocks.  You can even have students create these Breakouts since they do not require any equipment, apart from a digital device. Students can either complete the Digital Breakouts individually, in small groups or a large group.  A new feature to the BreakoutEDU Digital Breakouts is the Tags Apps by BreakoutEDU. These apps allow players to scan BreakoutEDU Tags during a BreakoutEDU game. The app also includes a QR Code scanner and a RFID reader to help players open clues during games. The Tags App is now available for both iOS and Android.

Back in November 2015, there was an article about a new concept called BreakoutEDU in the Ballard Dimensions and the BallardTech Blog. BreakoutEDU is an immersive learning game platform that allows student to practice their skill on working with a diverse group of peers to solve a complex problem. Checkout the article here: http://bit.ly/2WJ0610

BreakoutEDU was founded by James Sanders in 2015. James was a middle school History and English teacher in South Los Angeles and then taught history in the San Francisco Bay Area for many years. He went on to be a White House Innovation Fellow and served as the Chief Innovation Officer at the EdTechTeam.

James was attending a conference in Edmonton Canada with a few colleagues and some of his colleagues'  high school students. They all decided to experience an Escape Room together.  An Escape Room is when one pays money to be locked in an actual room with clues/puzzles that need to be solved in order to successfully "breakout" of the locked room.

While participating, James noticed how the high school students "sprung into action and immediately began collaborating, problem solving and persevering through" to try to solve the different clues in order to breakout of the room.  James thought to himself, "This is exactly what we want to have happen in the classroom."  After brainstorming with his colleagues on how they could replicate this in a classroom, the group knew it might be problematic if they locked students in a room, and this is when the BreakoutEDU locked box was created.

BreakoutEDU is a box that is locked with different types of padlocks.  The students solve different puzzles/clues to figure out how to unlock each of the padlocks to open the box.  The puzzles can be aligned to all different academic areas and ages.  These games can be used to introduce and/or teach core academic subjects including math, science, history, language arts and have embedded standards that apply problem solving strategies within a real world OR collaborative context.  These games require students of all ages (including adults) to communicate, collaborate and think (critically and creatively). Each of these skills allow students to practice working with a diverse group of peers to solve a complex problem.

A few of our Ballard teachers who have already brought BreakoutEDU to their students are: Mrs. Zielke, Mrs. A. Hokel, Mr. Fjelland, Mr. Macki, Mrs. Adams, East Library, Mrs. Johnson, Mrs. Wheeler, Mrs. Wesselmann, HS Tech Team, HS PD, Mr. Dovre, and Mrs. Barbaglia.

If you are interested in having a BreakoutEDU game (physical and/or digital) modeled in your classroom, would like assistance creating a game or have any questions about BreakoutEDU be sure to contact your Technology Integrationist, Jody Kelley at jkelley@ballard.k12.ia.us.

Additional Resources:

BreakoutEDU:

home page: https://www.breakoutedu.com/welcome

pricing page: https://www.breakoutedu.com/pricing

Not wanting to purchase a kit: Checkout a basic kit from your Technology Integrationist by emailing her at jkelley@ballard.k12.ia.us . She will be more than happy to assist with finding free games, creating games, setting up games, and/or playing a game (physical and/or digital) in your classroom.

old games: https://www.breakoutedu.com/gamesold1

References

“CONTACT.” Breakout EDU, www.breakoutedu.com/contact.

“James Sanders.” EdTechTeam, www.edtechteam.com/keynotes/james/.

Magiera, Jennie. “Breakout Edu: Escape From the Traditional Classroom.” Education Week
- Teaching Toward Tomorrow, 21 July 2015, blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_
toward_tomorrow/2015/07/breakoutedu_escape_from_the_tr.html.

Twitter: @BCSDTechEDU

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