#games4ed discussions cover ways in which gaming can be used in education. Games mirror the way the human mind was designed to learn. They motivate players to take risks and actions, persevere through failures, set and achieve increasingly difficult goals, and devote attention, time, and effort to acquiring knowledge and skills. All this while the game is tracking the player’s actions and assessing the player’s achievements and skills. Isn’t this what we want from education?
Hi! I'm Jared from NYC, Teacher for the Deaf/EdTech Coordinator and I have never lost an hour-long Escape Room and love using Breakouts in my classroom! Planning on starting the year with one! #games4ed
Nick Baskwill Grade 5 NS Canada - Love @breakoutEDU create my own games for use in my class and have presented on it. Escape rooms are great fun, done 4, Escaped 2! #games4ed
Don't fall over @mpilakow, but I'm here AGAIN! ;-) Heidi, high school ELA/Technology teacher from Nebraska. Managed to escape from the only Escape Room I've done so far and truly LOVE breakouts, although I think the physical ones are easier than the digital ones. #games4ed
Here's an overview of tonight's questions.
We'll follow the Q1/A1 format.
Don't forget to tag your tweets with #games4ed!
Let's get this show on the road! Q1 up at 7:06!
Jason Howse from Saskatchewan, Canada here. Gr. 6 teacher. Currently 2 for 2 in my Escape room career and used a @breakoutEDU model for parent conferences last year. #games4ed
Hi there, Kevin! Thanks for the honesty. I like to use them as an introduction, but not so much for content delivery myself. IMO, student created ones are my favorite! #games4ed
A1: The digital ones I've done with students have been REALLY hard for our grade level. I enjoy the physical ones so much more because I make it relevant to whatever book or genre I'm introducing. #games4ed
High School English teacher, from Virginia- I have never done an Escape Room, not sure I would want to (I need time & quiet to process), BUT I am hoping to incorporate them into my class this year: definitely digital, maybe traditional. #games4ed
A1: I prefer the hands on of Escape Rooms and @breakoutEDU they can have some puzzles or clues that need to be constructed, or secret passages... so fun! #games4ed
A1: I teach 12 classes, so I'm thinking digital would help me have everything set up and ready for the next class. It was hard relocking and resetting all the clues in about 5 minutes!! #games4ed Kids love the actual unlocking, so maybe I need to do a hybrid!
A1: I actually started out making physical breakouts and I like physical breakouts, but I find that when you do not have a lot of time for set up physical breakouts can be better. #games4ed
A1: I love a mix. I want an element of physical so my Ss are up and moving, but as a tech guy, I want them to get used to using technology in the classroom as well. I try to balance mine with both. #games4ed
A1: I love the physical and tangible Breakouts. I love the idea of creating hybrids between digital and physical. But there is an incredible energy with the physical locks and props to draw excitment #games4ed
I agree that the resetting was a challenge or when my locks got jammed a few times. I have two @breakoutEDU so I mix them up between classes to keep everyone on their toes #games4ed
A1: I like the excitement of a traditional Escape Room, but it must be a nightmare to recreate the scenes between classes. Digital ER allows everyone to be an active participant & solve the puzzles to learn the skills. #games4ed
A1 I enjoy the @breakoutEDU , especially the digital ones, have never done the escape rooms, but liked working with peers to figure it out, the teamwork is always the best #games4ed
Good point about the setup. A colleague loved the physical ones, but she'd have to alternate days because of the setup work. Digital is easy in that way #games4ed
I do not remember who in our #games4ed PLN shared this spring, but he does Break Ins based on literature. I am working on one for #ToKillaMockingBird Right now where Ss break into Boo Radley's house - it is more digital but can add props for experience.
John Meehan. Washington DC. Love creating a good escape room! So much that I’ve even started creating them IN REVERSE with #QRBreakIN. No locks or boxes - jus my solid team vs team showdowns (like old school centers!) with “locked” deliverables at each checkpoint. #games4ed
A2: I love using old overhead transparencies and blocking off words, so when used as an overlay on a printed page it provides the required info #games4ed
LOL, I just finished tweeting about you, and bam! The next tweet I see is yours!! So glad you are here and able to talk about Break INS! (We need to create a chat just about this idea :) #games4ed
A2: I’ve used a scavenger hunt before as onboarding for my gamified class. Usually they hunt through the textbook to find answers to the clues ultimately revealing the QR code to access the form to join the game. #games4ed
LOL, I just finished tweeting about you, and bam! The next tweet I see is yours!! So glad you are here and able to talk about Break INS! (We need to create a chat just about this idea :) #games4ed
A1. Nothing beats the joy of busting open a physical lock - but it takes a lot of time to set them just right and make sure small parts don’t go missing. Likewise, digital allows for team vs team element in a race where more players have access to the same puzzles. #games4ed
A2: I've had our school counselor hold a set of clues before...it really makes students have to think outside the box when they realize they may have to seek help outside the classroom! #games4ed
A2: When I am doing a physical breakout, I like to hide something for one of the clues and the students have to look for it. When I do digital breakouts I like to password encode the links, so the students have to put the answers in to move on to the next part. #games4ed
A2) Does anyone else use invisible ink? I’m super old school that way I think, but I have a set of markers that only show up under black light. #games4ed
A2: I watched a #TeachwithTech webinar on ERs. I liked that she used hidden object pictures, & clicking on the chosen item to find, opened the hyperlink to the next skills practice. #games4ed
A2: I created a Breakout for a staff inservice last year and because I had one clue rolled up in a single writing pen, we had staff about come to blows! LOL It got quite heated for a moment but I love that they found a clue in the pen. #games4ed
A2: I love sending them to different people. It forces Ss to get to get know staff outside their usual interactions. Most of my ciphers are based on what we're learning, but themed to meet the overall narrative. #games4ed
One of my favorite challenges was a laptop that had no battery and the plugs were tied around table legs and locked. The Ss could see the solution, but had to think to get it. #games4ed
Do you mean invisible ink other than the markers and black light? Man, I haven't played with invisible link for years! Or ink that you have to heat up, ala National Treasure? #games4ed
A2: I created a Breakout for a staff inservice last year and because I had one clue rolled up in a single writing pen, we had staff about come to blows! LOL It got quite heated for a moment but I love that they found a clue in the pen. #games4ed
A3: If you're just starting out, plan small, document the process, and do a test run. It's amazing what slips the notice when you're creating something convoluted like a Breakout. #games4ed
A3: For solving them - break up the tasks, communicate, work fast, but not rushed , and stay organized! Move solved clues and locks out of the way...no need to solve twice #games4ed
A3: I would say if you are doing a breakout, make sure you test everything and have everything set up in advance. Also have something for the students to do while you reset for the next class. I have my students do a reflection in google forms. #games4ed
A3: Look for ideas and inspiration and build from there. Use what you already have and think about ways to turn it on it's head for Escape Room or Break Out activity. #games4ed
A3) in terms of planning, always assume that the Ss will spend ages labouring over what you thought were the obvious parts and breeze through your most challenging elements! LOL #games4ed
This is great advice. Not only test everything but also have some back ups. Too many times I have had locks jam on me and have your own cheat sheet with all the codes so you don't forget #games4ed
A4: I usually have my kids in teams and they know they can't offically win whatever is in the locked box, unless the entire team has been working on it. #games4ed
A3. Story. Every time. A rich narrative helps players feel immersed in the “magic circle” of your scenario. As @yukaichou puts it: “What do I want my players to FEEL” should always come before “what do I want my players to DO?” #games4ed I want my classroom to feel like THIS!
A4: Divide the puzzles up and break up Ss into groups to begin tackling each puzzle but mix up pieces so they need to work and collaborate with each other and across groups #games4ed
A3: My advice that I don't think has been mentioned is have a "parking lot" for when locks are solved and removed. Otherwise I have to scour the room to find locks #games4ed
I do the same + I have one Ss who is able to crack the locks when they got stuck. I would have him come to the classroom and reset everything for XP when a reboot was necessary #games4ed
I want to order some programmable 4# locks like these to work into an ER... maybe with a year, or 2 sets of page numbers as a code to solve 🤔 #games4ed
That's such a powerful quote--thanks for sharing it. I think that goes for any learning experience--we remember more when we have strong emotions with it! #games4ed
A3. Story. Every time. A rich narrative helps players feel immersed in the “magic circle” of your scenario. As @yukaichou puts it: “What do I want my players to FEEL” should always come before “what do I want my players to DO?” #games4ed I want my classroom to feel like THIS!
I see this, too, especially with high school when it's too much "work" for some to think and easier to quit and let others do it. I've seen one idea of having them be the official photographer, but haven't tried it yet... #games4ed
I love the idea of making them the photographer. I often find myself immersed in the middle of everything and totally forget about taking pics! #games4ed
A3: Watching competition games like Big Brother or Survivor could spark some ideas to adapt. Looking at bargain bins & around home to rethink how items could be used. It’s important not to overlook the educational goal involved though & make sure it’s fun LEARNING. #games4ed
Reflections are great tools via Google Form or paper reflection, After playing a few Breakouts, I have started to have Ss create their own for Sidequests #games4ed
Great idea with the page numbers! You could also make them turn it into a cipher. Give them a word and the cipher key, and they have to do the work of coding, rather than decoding? #games4ed
Storytime now. Thanks for the great ideas #games4ed I will be sure to check back the feed for what I miss and will share my Break In for TKAM as soon as it is done. Have a great night.
A4. Differentiation & a spoonful of sugar. We’re revamping our entire school’s summer assessments using #QRBreakIN. See all that stuff on the first slide? INSANE amount of work to expect from a kid in 2 hours time. But they’re doing it! And excited to do it again! #games4ed
We know how hard it is to make Breakout games...and when the students start making them and their heads are spinning, I just love it! So much critical thinking and learning! #games4ed
Q6: These types of games become more powerful when students start designing them.
What support might students need to create their first Escape Room/Breakout games? #games4ed
A6: I’d like to try a reverse break-out based on Underground RR. The clues lead to location of runaway slaves, but Ss have to make them tough enough so opposing teams can’t find the people. Maybe as a side quest. #games4ed
This would be so cool! And it makes me think of the new Google VR Tour Builder. I wonder if it has any stops on the Underground Railroad that you could use in it! #games4ed
A7: I see them heading to the world of AR and VR, explore and breakout without ever leaving your couch. I would love to see Schools create escape rooms for a community fun night #games4ed
I've thought about designing escape rooms as a fundraiser for organizations. And totally agree with the VR--especially now with Google VR Tour Builder and ThingLink 360--It's so easy to embed clues in those! #games4ed
It's a few minutes early, but let's move on to our final question!
Q8: What are your favorite takeaways from tonight's chat?
Also, don't forget to follow anyone you've met in our chat tonight!
#games4ed
A8: I want to look more into some of @MeehanEDU's Break IN games and try one of those this coming year! That might be what I do during Big Brother tonight!! #games4ed
A7. Blowback on escape rooms is already in full effect. Mostly out of fear and misunderstanding, but also because of some really bad products. #games4ed teachers have to work very hard to reiterate that these things aren’t just triviality or “playing games.” Keep fighting!
A4: Having Ss solve an independent riddle 1st that then identifies their partner/group will increase buy-in from reluctant participants+ Structuring activities that require input from all participants to “solve” encourages collaboration+ Touch upon differed skill sets. #games4ed
A8: As always, I found so many new things to look into and use. That's why I have to make this chat a priority in my life! I don't remember ever leaving it without gaining something! #games4ed
Thanks all for sharing at tonight's #games4ed chat! Good luck to those starting school soon, and enjoy the rest of summer for those who still have some left!!
