On the Tuesday before break, Mr. B. agreed to try something new, fun, and exciting. He wanted to do something that would get his kids moving, thinking, and collaborating before break. He agreed to do an awesome Breakout EDU. With some careful planning, we were able to successfully challenge our students in a review of some 7th grade World History standards as the students tried to save the Roman Emperor from assassination.
The students were tasked with finding and solving a number of clues based on their knowledge of Roman History. They were encouraged to ask questions and to find, then synthesize, the information that was needed to solve the locks. Of Mr. B.'s five classes, three of the classes were successful in saving the emperor's life. Both of the other classes were just minutes away from cracking the last clue.
Students working to solve the clues.
As Mr. B. and I debriefed following it, we saw many amazing attributes from most of the students throughout the day. The students collaborated as a class. They did some critical thinking to solve the clues. They needed to communicate (had the two classes that did not open it communicated, they likely would have made it in) with one another to ensure that everyone was on the same page. It was truly incredible to see what they students were working on.
Throughout the day, the smiles, enjoyment, and authentic engagement that was demonstrated was incredible. The students enjoyed each and every minute of the class that day.
Students collaborating and critically thinking.
Before leaving for the holiday break, many students thanked us for allowing them to complete such a fun
activity.
As a reminder, we have one box in the building and we have ten boxes available at the RESA. If you are interested in doing a Breakout EDU game, let's talk about it and plan it. Below, you will see two videos from the day.
This weeks shortcut of the week is to help you project your Chromebook. Due to resolutions, your Chromebook will likely default to the “Extended Screen” mode. If they happens, you will see your desktop background on the screen upon plugging in your Chromebook (your Chromebook needs an HDMI connection, if you need a cable, I can get you one!). In order to change this, you will use the “Ctrl + Full Screen” button. This will quickly switch between the two modes, allowing you to switch back and forth. A quick word to the wise, the extended screen is usually to the right!
Grasshopper is a relatively new app from Google's Area 120. It is available on both the Android and iOS operating systems. In this app, you complete challenges through writing bits of JavaScript. I like to compare it to Duolingo, the popular language learning app. It is free and allows you to work on the puzzles at your own pace. This is a step up from the Blockly coding that has been popularized by Hour of Code and Code.org. The best part is, you get nearly instant feedback and multiple tries to master the material. While this will not get you a Silicon Valley coding job by itself, it will definitely start you down a path that allows you to start growing your coding skills. It is really worth checking out. Learn more at here .
Awesome news! Google Docs now supports columns of text! Seriously! Just this week, Google announced and updated Google Docs to include support for columns when working within Google Docs. To get there, it is incredibly easy! Step 1: Highlight the text that you wish to place into columns. Haven't started working yet? Skip the first step! Step 2: Click on the Insert option on the menu bar in Google Docs. Locate and select columns. Step 3: Select the columns that you wish to have. You have the option for a single column (as the Google Doc is likely already set up), two columns, three columns, or more options. Currently, the maximum number of columns supported is three. Step 4: Check out the new columns in your document! Questions? Please do not hesitate to ask!
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