BreakoutEDU

If you don't know what BreakoutEDU is then you and your kids are missing out.  I encourage you to go to their website and check them out.  It is based on the concept of an Escape room where you solve clues to escape.  Breakout is a box with a series of locks and to find the  answers they must solve puzzles that have been created to align with their curriculum.  You might be asking, "What is the benefit of doing this?"  See the graphic below from the BreakoutEDU website.

 It is so much fun but really makes the kids think.

I did my first BreakoutEDU last year with 1st and 2nd grade and they did a great job and figured out the clues.  Inside the box you can leave a treat or a prize or some kind.  I have been putting in a coupon for free Cozy Corner time in the library and teachers have offered homework passes and class rewards.

On their website you register to learn more and they will send you a password that will get you into all of their games.  The games are written by teachers and are all done in Google Drive you so you can save them easily.  They cost $0.00, and we thank them for that.  If you buy the kit from them you will get it a few weeks or you can buy locks yourself and try to find a box.  I did buy myself at first but then I wrote and was awarded a grant by my education foundation and was able to purchase 15 kits from BreakoutEDU.

I started looking at lessons on the site and I joined the online community on Facebook.  There are so many lessons and helpful people out there and it is catching on like crazy.

I have written a few of my own too.  I wrote one for my staff to do for inservice and it was a 100% failure.  It was so hard and what I thought was easy to follow wasn't.  As my friend said, "Yeah it was easy if we were in your head!"  I guess they weren't in my head.

I did a breakout with 5th grade this week and the one clue that hung all the kids up was a word that rhymed with chill.  The answer was drill but to my horror they didn't get it.  I don't know if it is a word they don't use or if they were just tired.  Like any good teacher I think if 85% missed it then I need to re-teach rhyming words.  Or maybe they don't do woodwork with their daddy like I did:-)

5th Grade almost ran out of time

5th Grade - they did it

Plenty of time to spare

2nd Grade - they worked hard 

2nd grade - they did it and still had 5 minutes

I also have to say that James and Patti at BreakoutEDU were a pleasure to work with and so nice. They watch the Facebook page and answer any questions you may have.

I hope everybody checks this out.

Kathy