Teamwork and collaboration were essential skills required by Home Language Arts students in Carol Garcia’s class at Bellport High School as they learned about internet safety through a digital-physical combination platform called BreakoutEDU.

BreakoutEDU is an escape room style immersive learning game that consists of physical and digital puzzle elements, usually with a theme, that must be solved in a set amount of time. Using critical thinking, collaboration and creativity, students are also challenged to open a locked Breakout EDU box that contains clues.

Ms. Garcia, in collaboration with library media specialist Colleen Oates-Robesch, hosted the activity which centered on internet safety and digital citizenship and was completed in a set 45-minute period. In addition to applying the required BreakoutEDU skills in solving the puzzles, the Home Language Arts students utilized their home language communication skills, while sharpening critical thinking and collaboration.

At the end of the exercise, the students received a “We Broke Out” certificate, signifying that they were successful in completing the assignment.