Designing Digital Puzzles and Breakout Games for the Classroom

Pricing

FREE for Members

– Or –

$4/ On-demand Workshop for Non-Members

*The links to purchase individual workshops are available under the workshop descriptions.

Categories: Game-based Learning, Assessment & Review     ||    6 CEUs (for total workshop)     ||     60 min / workshop  

About the Workshop Series:

Digital puzzles and breakout games are an effective way for students to develop problem-solving, critical thinking, and communication skills. Join Lauren Boucher for a series of six collaborative, hands-on workshops where you will have the opportunity to make, take, and share a variety of digital puzzles and breakout games that will motivate and engage your students.

By the end of this workshop series, you will be able to: 

  • Discuss the benefits of using digital puzzles and breakout games in the classroom.

  • Participate in a digital breakout game that will assist in designing a game experience to foster students’ critical thinking skills and encourage collaboration. 

  • Participate in a digital puzzle game that will assist in designing a game experience to foster students’ logical thinking skills and improve memory. 

  • Utilize a digital breakout game design template to construct a game experience for students that enhances 21st-century skills. 

  • Create a digital breakout game using Google Forms that increase student ownership of learning and engagement. 

  • Build a digital breakout game using Google Sites that fosters students’ critical thinking and social and emotional skills required to solve complex problems. 

Series Workshop Descriptions

This is session one of six for the workshop series titled “Designing Digital Puzzles and Breakout Games for the Classroom.” 

NOTE: While we recommend that you attend all sessions of the workshop series to meet the learning objectives, each workshop can be attended as a standalone. Full members will also have access to view the recordings on-demand and earn up to six continuing education credits. 

Workshop Description: 

Digital puzzles and breakout games are a highly interactive instructional strategy for students of all ages, however creating them may seem like a daunting, impossible task. Join Lauren Boucher as she shares the brain science behind playing digital games and the benefits of using them in the classroom. Participants will also have an opportunity to participate in a digital breakout game that will assist them in planning a game experience for their students. 

Learning Objectives:  

  • Participate in a digital breakout game that will assist in designing a game experience to foster students’ critical thinking skills and encourage collaboration.  

Special Technology Instructions: Participants will need access to an internet device and a non-school, personal Google account. SimpleK12’s Google Classroom will be utilized for the interactive and hands-on components of this workshop. 

Assessment: Participants will create their own digital puzzle and breakout game at the end of the workshop to assess their understanding. 

NOW AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND:

This is session two of six for the workshop series titled “Designing Digital Puzzles and Breakout Games for the Classroom.” 

NOTE: While we recommend that you attend all sessions of the workshop series to meet the learning objectives, each workshop can be attended as a standalone. Full members will also have access to view the recordings on-demand and earn up to six continuing education credits. 

Workshop Description: 

It is no secret that digital puzzles are an effective way for students to develop logical thinking, improve memory, and boost problem-solving skills. Join Lauren Boucher as she shares the types of digital puzzles that are most helpful in the classroom as well as the variety of creation tools that are available. Participants will also have an opportunity to participate in a digital puzzle game that will assist them in planning a game experience for their students. 

Learning Objective:  

  • Participate in a digital puzzle game that will assist in designing a game experience to foster students’ logical thinking skills and improve memory. 

Special Technology Instructions: Participants will need access to an internet device and a non-school, personal Google account. SimpleK12’s Google Classroom will be utilized for the interactive and hands-on components of this workshop. 

Assessment: Participants will create their own digital puzzle and breakout game at the end of the workshop to assess their understanding. 

NOW AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND:

This is session three of six for the workshop series titled “Designing Digital Puzzles and Breakout Games for the Classroom.” 

NOTE: While we recommend that you attend all sessions of the workshop series to meet the learning objectives, each workshop can be attended as a standalone. Full members will also have access to view the recordings on-demand and earn up to six continuing education credits. 

Workshop Description: 

Teachers are always looking for innovative ways to engage their students, and digital breakout games are one of the top activities that students love! Join Lauren Boucher as she shares ideas, options, and strategies for designing a digital breakout game for students. Participants will also have an opportunity to utilize a digital design template to begin planning an educational breakout game to bring into their classroom. 

Learning Objective:  

  • Utilize a digital breakout game design template to construct a game experience for students that enhances 21st-century skills. 

Special Technology Instructions: Participants will need access to an internet device and a non-school, personal Google account. SimpleK12’s Google Classroom will be utilized for the interactive and hands-on components of this workshop. 

Assessment: Participants will create their own digital puzzle and breakout game at the end of the workshop to assess their understanding. 

NOW AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND:

This is session four of six for the workshop series titled “Designing Digital Puzzles and Breakout Games for the Classroom.” 

NOTE: While we recommend that you attend all sessions of the workshop series to meet the learning objectives, each workshop can be attended as a standalone. Full members will also have access to view the recordings on-demand and earn up to six continuing education credits. 

Workshop Description: 

If you are a fan of using Google Forms for digital quizzes and assignments, you can easily level up to creating digital games! Join Lauren Boucher as she demonstrates how to harness the power of Google Forms to create fun, interactive digital breakout games. Participants will also have an opportunity to use Google Forms to create a mini digital breakout game that they can immediately use with their students. 

Learning Objective:  

  • Create a digital breakout game using Google Forms that increase student ownership of learning and engagement. 

Special Technology Instructions: Participants will need access to an internet device and a non-school, personal Google account. SimpleK12’s Google Classroom will be utilized for the interactive and hands-on components of this workshop. 

Assessment: Participants will create their own digital puzzle and breakout game at the end of the workshop to assess their understanding. 

NOW AVAILABLE ON-DEMAND:

This is session five of six for the workshop series titled “Designing Digital Puzzles and Breakout Games for the Classroom.” 

NOTE: While we recommend that you attend all sessions of the workshop series to meet the learning objectives, each workshop can be attended as a standalone. Full members will also have access to view the recordings on-demand and earn up to six continuing education credits. 

Workshop Description: 

When creating digital breakout games, Google Sites is a fantastic place to organize all your digital clues! Join Lauren Boucher as she shares the best way to incorporate your puzzles and games into one cohesive digital breakout game using Google Sites. Participants will also have an opportunity to set up a Google Site that will be used as a framework for building the initial layout and flow of an organized digital breakout game. 

Learning Objective:  

  • Build a digital breakout game using Google Sites that fosters students’ critical thinking and social and emotional skills that are required to solve complex problems.  

Special Technology Instructions: Participants will need access to an internet device and a non-school, personal Google account. SimpleK12’s Google Classroom will be utilized for the interactive and hands-on components of this workshop. 

Assessment: Participants will create their own digital puzzle and breakout game at the end of the workshop to assess their understanding. 

NOW AVAILABLE ON DEMAND

This is session six of six for the workshop series titled “Designing Digital Puzzles and Breakout Games for the Classroom.” 

NOTE: While we recommend that you attend all sessions of the workshop series to meet the learning objectives, each workshop can be attended as a standalone. Full members will also have access to view the recordings on-demand and earn up to six continuing education credits. 

Workshop Description: 

When creating digital breakout games, Google Sites is a fantastic place to organize all your digital clues! Join Lauren Boucher as she shares the best way to incorporate your puzzles and games into one cohesive digital breakout game using Google Sites. Participants will also have an opportunity to complete their digital breakout game, play each other’s games and share feedback, as well as walk away with a library of digital breakout games that can be customized as needed. 

Learning Objective:  

  • Build a digital breakout game using Google Sites that fosters students’ critical-thinking and social and emotional skills required to solve complex problems  

Special Technology Instructions: Participants will need access to an internet device and a non-school, personal Google account. SimpleK12’s Google Classroom will be utilized for the interactive and hands-on components of this workshop. 

Assessment: Participants will create their own digital puzzle and breakout game at the end of the workshop to assess their understanding. 

NOW AVAILABLE ON DEMAND

Who Should Attend?

Elementary Educators (K-5), Middle Grades Educators (6-8), High School Educators (9-12), Special Education Teachers, Curriculum Directors / Instructional Support, Administrators 

Meet the Presenter

Lauren Boucher- Expert Educator Trainer - SK12

Lauren Boucher is a Regional Digital Teaching and Learning Consultant for the state of North Carolina and a former Instructional Technology Specialist with Pitt County Schools. She has taught third grade, as well as elementary and middle school gifted education. Lauren is passionate about the transforming effect technology can have on the teaching and learning experience, and about inspiring classroom teachers to incorporate technology into their everyday routines. Most of her time is spent working with teachers to incorporate 1:1 technologies, sharing Web 2.0 tools with teachers, developing classroom and device management plans, and writing the Latin curriculum for her district's gifted program.

As a North Carolina Teaching Fellow, Lauren earned a B.S. and Master's degree in Elementary Education. She is licensed to teach K-12 academically gifted, and will add the Computers in Education special endorsement to her teaching license in 2014. She is a SMART certified lesson developer and a SMART Exemplary Educator. Lauren presents at numerous local and state conferences on using technology in the classroom.

Learning by Doing Teacher Professional Development

What are workshops? How do they work?
Collaborative opportunities to learn new skills and strategies that can be applied right away.

Learning by Doing Teacher Professional Development

Hows does SK12 support PD options for educators? We empower educators with training created by teachers for teachers. Virtual, on-demand, 30-minute sessions, and 60-minute workshops.

virtual PD for districts to offer teachers

What solutions are there for districts offering PD to educators? Districts can scale PD offerings with relevancy for each building and individual educator.

Need to become a member?

Things to Know

Live Attendance

In order to receive credit for attendance and CEUs for each individual workshop, you must be a member and be in attendance and participating throughout the whole 60-minutes. Members who are in attendance and complete all required aspects of the workshop will see their completion status reflected on their Certificate of Attendance and CEUs applied to their profile on their Teacher Learning Community profile, typically within 48 hours of completion.

On-Demand

  • Members can access any workshops they may have missed on-demand. Recordings of the workshops are typically available within 3 days following the live workshop.
  • Non-members will need to pay for each individual workshop they would like to watch. *CEUs and Certificate of Completion are not provided for non-members.

CREDITS

  • 1 CEU learning hour is provided for each workshop you attend.

Anyone! If you find a workshop that appeals to you, you are welcome to join us.

Live workshops are 60-minutes in duration. Attendees will have access to the ‘workroom' following the workshop so they can continue collaborating with peers. Additionally, the trainer is available for 24 hours following the workshop to help coach.

While it's recommended you attend every workshop of a series to make sure you are achieving all learning outcomes, each workshop can be viewed as a stand-alone.

  • Workshops will be available on-demand in the Teacher Learning Community for UpTeach members, typically within 3-5 days after the workshop has ended. NOTE: Non-members will need to pay to access the on-demand workshop.
  • UpTeach members will also have access to the associated classroom to view the participant discussion stream and access any resources supplied. NOTE: Access to the trainer is only available during the actual workshop.

We host at least one virtual workshop per week throughout the year, with the exception of holiday weeks. Times for workshops vary due to many of our trainers being educators and school consultants themselves. This means that typically workshops are held after school hours ET.

We are excited to say that workshops are now included with Premium (UpTeach®) member subscriptions and district memberships.

Don't have a membership yet? No problem. Get signed up today!

*The links to purchase individual workshops are available under the workshop descriptions.

  1. Internet access.
  2. Access to GoToWebinar. Whether you use the download app or an internet browser, trainers present direct instruction and communicate throughout the training via GoToWebinar.
  3. Access to Google Classrooms. Please make sure you are in a setting where you will have access to Google Classrooms. NOTE: Some school firewalls will not allow you to access Google Classrooms from your classroom. In these cases, you may need to be in your home to participate. Additionally, if your school email address is already associated with Google Classrooms, you will need to use a different personal email address to join so that you are not locked out of the training. Again, due to school privacy restrictions on some school email addresses.

Yes! If you have access to dual monitors, this is ideal. With this type of setup, you will be able to keep GoToWebinar open on one screen, and Google Classrooms open on another.

If you do not have access to a dual monitor setup, no worries! You will just need to make sure you can ‘toggle/switch' between the two.