Checkmate: Game Theory and Critical Thinking in the Classroom

SESSION DESCRIPTION

This session aims to explore critical thinking through the lens of Breakout EDU and Minecraft. We will be walking you through an introductory session on how Breakout EDU and Minecraft can be used in the classroom to facilitate exploring the curriculum and creating a collaborative environment. Breakout EDU is an interactive and problem solving tool to promote creative and critical thinking where students have to work as teams to crack codes, analyze puzzles, and build community. Essentially, Breakout EDU an “Exit Room” for the classroom. Minecraft Education Edition allows students to create a virtual world that they can manipulate. Students have the option to collaborate within a world, use template worlds, or create their own world with the Code Connect Feature. Our morning session will provide a foundation of Minecraft Education Edition and Breakout EDU and their endless possibilities to put students at the center of their learning in the classroom. We will be providing an in depth look at Minecraft in a secondary afternoon session.

PRESENTER BIOS

We are three elementary school teachers with a passion for innovative learning and finding intentional ways to infuse technology into our practice in order to bring students to the center of their learning. Although each of us brings our own passions to our collaborative learning table, we have found that we are able to weave them together in a way that creates quality authentic learning experiences for our students. Over the past school year we have thoughtfully explored and experimented different apps and programs with our students in order to find ways to let the learners take ownership of their learning. As a team, our goal is to learn alongside our students to explore different ways in which they can personalize their learning in order to make deeper meaningful connections to the curriculum. We hope is to share some experiences and thoughts of engaging ways to infuse tech into your classroom with the intention of placing the learner at the center.