3-12, Critical Thinking, Education, Games, Teaching Tools

Digital Breakout Tools

“Digital Breakouts” are similar to the physical game, where students use clues to try to open locks.  However, in a Digital Breakout, the students input the lock codes online, usually into a Google Form, rather than using tangible locks.  One of our NEISD Instructional Technology Specialists, Heather Miller (@SATechieTeacher) recently used this technique for a PD she presented to our staff, and inspired me to try to create a few of my own for my students.  This “Fibonacci Thief” DBO (I’m guessing it was designed by a Mrs. VanKirk in Milton SD based on the URL) is an example of a Digital Breakout that uses Google Forms embedded in a Google Site.

If you haven’t used Google Sites, don’t be intimidated.  You can actually make a simple Digital Breakout just using Google Forms and inserting some images.  This excellent video explains how to create “locked” Google Forms in a matter of minutes.

This page offers more video tutorials if you want to add some complexity to your Digital Breakout, such as embedding the form in a Google Site with pages for different clues.  It also includes a crowd-sourced document of resources for making fun images and clues.  Kari Augustine’s Breakout EDU Pinterest Board is another place that you can find ideas for generating interesting graphics and codes.  A couple that I found over the weekend that I plan to try are:

eyechart.png

Word_Puzzle.jpg

angelique

As soon as I create a couple of my own Digital Breakouts worth sharing, I will post them to this blog!

3 thoughts on “Digital Breakout Tools”

  1. For the Fibbonacci, did you just give those clues on that page? How do I find out the answers??

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