If you haven't heard of BreakoutEDU yet, let me be the first to tell you, this educational tool is like no other. BreakoutEDU is a platform for immersive learning games. According to the website, "[the] games teach critical thinking, teamwork, complex problem solving, and can be used in all content areas. It is the brainchild of James Sanders. I first met James at a GAFE Summit, held at Oak Bay High School, in Victoria, BC. I signed up for his breakout session and had no clue what to expect.
I entered a classroom with about a dozen other teachers. James welcomed us and informed us that we had about an hour to break into a box. Easy enough, right? The box sat at the front of the room and was sealed with four different types of locks. He let us know that clues and codes were placed around the room and we would need to work together to crack the codes to "breakout".
People were slow to get started, a little uneasy with what we were doing and insecure about getting it wrong. But eventually, a brave soul noticed a smaller box with a padlock and suggested that we'd need to get into the smaller box in order to get into the box with the four locks. Then, another noticed a sign with hieroglyphics that seemed to be out of place. One by one, each person began to get up, move around, ask questions, and attempt to crack codes. We broke into the box with only seconds to spare.
It was one of the most interactive, effective professional development activities I've ever been a part of it and I ordered a kit to use in my classroom. I have used it on several occasions, most often as an entry event to prime students for a new unit of study. But more often than not, I use it before any collaborative project.
It's a great way to put your students through a challenging simulation and see what qualities each student demonstrates while under "pressure". After numerous breakouts, there are always a few students who take over, some who quietly observe, others who work alone, and of course, those who spend their time distracting others or giving up from frustration. It lends itself to great debrief conversations with reflective questions such as, "So, who were you in that exercise and how does that compare to how you normally behave in a group? What worked well and what was tricky?"
I recommend the BreakoutEDU kits to any teacher who is searching for an effective, engaging, challenging way to teach collaboration.
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