Every year I try to add a new teaching initiative to my day to day routines. The longer you teach the more you rely on those tried and true activities and lesson plans that yield successful results. But I also want to stay relevant in my teaching and push myself to try new things.
It’s no secret that students enjoy technology. It’s part of their lives and something they are comfortable with. I decided that I wanted to incorporate digital escapes into my math block for practice, review, and test prep. A digital classroom escape is an interactive activity in which teams of students use clues to solve challenges and unlock “digital locks.” Our line of Digital Classroom Escapes consists of two academic activities aligned to a specific math skill and two puzzlers/ challenges. Here are three reasons why digital classroom escapes are perfect for your classroom.
1.) Low prep
I have always loved the idea of escape challenges, but the initial setup costs/steps has kept me away. With Digital Classroom Escapes there is little prep. There are directions and helpful tips to walk you thru your first escape. You and your students will become familiar with the setup of the escape, making additional escapes even easier. It’s also a great idea to include an escape challenge in your emergency sub kit since your students will already know how to navigate thru the challenge.
2.) All you need is the internet
I get really nervous trying a new activity in my classroom that involves technology. I’m worried that it won’t work, and I will be left standing in the middle of a room with twenty little faces staring at me begging me to fix it NOW! My school doesn’t have Google or Microsoft student accounts, but you don’t need any of that with Digital Classroom Escapes! You need access to the internet and that’s it! There is no setting up class lists or groups. Of course, if you have access to Google Classroom you can assign your classes the escape thru the program. Want to test out a Digital Classroom Escape to make sure it works on your campus? CLICK HERE for your FREE escape challenge.
3.) Student Interaction
There are many personal benefits as a teacher when using Digital Classroom Escapes, but the student benefits surpass my own needs. Students receive immediate feedback while practicing a specific math skill. The escape challenges promote team building and peer collaboration. You will hear accountable talk as students discuss and defend their reasoning as to how they solved a question the way they did. Just like a typical escape room no step or challenge is hiding out in the open. Your students will need to apply their problem-solving skills to advance thru.
Your students will have a blast trying to “escape” different challenges while practicing curriculum!
