Game-based learning and gamification are hot topics in education. This month I was given the task to find ONE tech tool to share related to games in the classroom. This task was quite the challenge due to the quality sites that I am already familiar with. But then I started to think about “what if” I was 15 again (or 10). What kind of gaming tools would I enjoy?
Last summer my family visited an escape room. It is rare to find one thing that my 3 kids (tweens and teens) and the parents all enjoy. Well, this place was a hit! I love that they have started to take this strategy and create lessons and activities for the classroom. How much fun!
The tech tool this month is Room Escape Maker (reviewed here). You have two options when you arrive at the site. First, you can use one of the already-created games (and they have a great collection of over 1,500). This is a fabulous way to start exploring and sharing this tech tool. Share one of the “escapes” on your projector, smart TV, or whatever you have available. Once students are familiar with how to use the hints and strategies to solve the puzzles, let them explore the many games in cooperative learning groups. This site is an ideal addition to your MakerSpace activities!
Another option available at the site is to create your own escape room for your students (or better yet, challenge your older students to create games/rooms for the rest of the class). When you are ready to begin, choose the “Create Game” option. You will be given prompts to follow, making it easy to choose your canvas (or background), add items, create clues, and finalize your escape room.
Be aware: to create a game you must have an account. All accounts require an email address. If you are having students create their own accounts, be sure to be familiar with your school’s acceptable use policy for students using email addresses to register at a site.
A few final tips before you begin to create your great escape! Don’t miss the “What’s New” tab to follow Room Escape Maker on Twitter and learn the current news. There is also an informative “Help” tab that answers many of your possible questions. And finally, if you want to see a room creation in action, check out this YouTube video tutorial. If your district blocks YouTube, the video may not be viewable. You could always view it at home and bring it to class “on a stick” to share. Use a tool such as ClipGrab to download the video from YouTube.