Beat the Post Spring Break Blues

‘Tis the season of testing and student squirminess. That means many schools experience reduced access to student devices, and teachers need to dig deep to engage students in the waning weeks of school. Here are a couple options that might help:

1.) Digital Breakout games.

You are likely familiar with Escape Rooms and Breakout EDU. You can run similar games in your classroom with just one device (though a couple more would help). Follow these steps:

• Start by making a copy of one of these Google Form templates: Digital BreakoutEDU Form or A simpler Form version. Note: you need to adjust the response validation to make the answers what you want. (Credit to Alex Milton for the templates)
• Create questions that require students to explore your content in order to find the “codes” to enter in the Form. You can see this set of examples or this set of examples for  some ideas.
• Run the game by loading the Google Form link on a classroom device or by directing students to access it on their phones.

2.) Use one of the options from our REMC Maker Kit. See our list of available options that you can check out – FOR FREE – for 1-2 weeks. Your students could design objects to be printed on the 3D printer, explore circuits with Little Bits, record with a green screen, and much more. Ron and I are available to train and to help facilitate activities with students.

Let us know if you have questions or needs we can help with. We are here to serve and connect.

 

#breakoutedu, #educational-technology, #maker

Bring a Maker Faire to your School!

Here’s a great idea for your school – launch a Maker Faire!

Maker Faire is a celebration of invention, creativity, and resourcefulness. It’s a place to show what we’ve made and to share what we’ve learned with others—a great match for any educational community.

Schools host Maker Faires because they are a perfect combination of part science fair, part county fair, and part something entirely new. School Maker Faire exhibitors, or “makers,” are primarily students—either as individuals, clubs, classes or groups. And Maker Faire exhibits can be from any discipline — from science to art to gardening to engineering to craft.

For more information and how to get going on this next-level STEM event going at your school, please visit the Maker Faire School website.

#faire, #maker, #stem