• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to secondary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
385-646-5000
2500 South State Street Salt Lake City UT 84115
F.A.Q.
Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram
Translate:

Granite School DistrictGranite School District logo

  • District Home
  • Students & Families
    • Bully Prevention
    • Suicide Prevention
    • Gradebook
    • Lunch Menus
    • Lunch Payments
  • Community
    • Find Employment
    • Math Vocabulary
    • School Boundaries
    • Education Foundation
  • Schools
    • Elementary Schools
    • Junior High Schools
    • Senior High Schools
    • Specialty Schools & Programs
  • District
    • Board
    • Departments
  • Calendar
  • Contact
  • Educational Technology
  • Directory
    • District Office Staff
    • Elementary School Technology Specialists
    • Secondary Library Media Educational Technology Specialists
    • Our Locations
  • Library and Technology Guidelines
    • Approved Hardware
    • Approved Software
    • Copyright Guidelines
    • Digital Citizenship Resources
    • Library Guidelines
    • Technology Forms
  • #GSDEdTech Blog
    • Digital Learning Resources
    • Grants
    • Library Spotlights
    • News
    • Professional Development
    • Student Spotlights
    • Teacher Spotlights
    • Technology Tips
  • Library Media
  • Professional Development
    • Technology Integration Progress (TIP)
    • GSD Ed Tech Tuesdays 2019-2020
    • Educational Technology Endorsement Program
    • New Teacher Tech Training
    • EdTech Monthly Newsletter for Teachers
    • Transformational Technology Initiative
    • Digital Conversion
  • edtech.fun / TIP Cards
  • Digital Citizenship
Granite School District > Educational Technology > Blog > Problem Based Learning

Problem Based Learning

Featured Resource: Puzzle Hunts

January 2019Josh Whiting

Post Author: Celia Powell, Educational Technology Specialist and Team Leader

Teachers have embraced the breakout boxes both physical and digital in recent years to help students solve problems, think critically, and develop engagement in the classroom. Alex Rosenthal and his colleagues have taken the principles of a breakout box several steps further in their annual puzzle solves. Check it out for long-term projects and challenges for students.

Additional Links

  • MIT Mystery Hunt
  • MIT Mystery Hunt Puzzle Index
  • Spotlight: First Graders and the 4 Cs with Breakout EDU
  • Spotlight: Digital Breakouts at Calvin Smith Elementary
  • BreakoutEDU Conference Presentation by Tricia Fenton and Sara Robinson
  • Digital Breakout Template
  • How Digital Breakouts Work
  • Making a Digital Breakout
  • 50+ Digital Resources for Creating Puzzles and Clues

Filed Under: Digital Learning Resources, Professional DevelopmentTagged With: Breakout EDU, Celia Powell, Digital Breakouts, Game-Based Learning, MIT Mystery Hunt, Problem Based Learning, Problem Solving Activities, Puzzle Hunts, TED Talks

Spotlight: Digital Breakouts at Calvin Smith Elementary

January 2018Josh Whiting

Third Grade Students in Kimberly Cretsinger’s classroom at Calvin Smith Elementary worked collaboratively to solve clues in the Digital Breakout challenge they were given. Digital Breakouts are a newer component of the already well known Breakout EDU web site. Instead of physically unlocking boxes by finding and solving clues, students unlock digital levels of a breakout mystery. Questions contain a variety of content aligned challenges. The storyline for this Digital Breakout explained that students had accidentally been locked into their classroom and would miss the bus if they didn’t solve all the clues to Breakout.
Students worked in groups using their classroom Chromebooks to solve the mystery. Watch the short video above to see these 3rd Grade Problem Solvers hard at work Breaking Out!

Spotlight created by Teresa Bruin, District Educational Technology Specialist and Team Leader. This post originally appeared in our January 2018 Ed. Tech. Monthly Newsletter for Teachers.

Filed Under: Teacher SpotlightsTagged With: 3rd Grade, Breakout EDU, Calvin Smith Elementary, Digital Breakouts, Game-Based Learning, Kimberly Cretsinger, Problem Based Learning, Problem Solving Activities, Student Collaboration

#GSDEdTech Chat Archive – STEM Education (4/28/2016)

April 2016Josh Whiting

Thanks to all the Granite teachers who joined us in our most recent chat and shared STEM-related classroom ideas. Check out the archive of the chat below.

[Read more…] about #GSDEdTech Chat Archive – STEM Education (4/28/2016)

Filed Under: News, Professional DevelopmentTagged With: #GSDEdTech Chat, Problem Based Learning, Professional Development Resources, Project Based Learning, STEAM, STEM, Twitter Chats

Teacher Spotlight: Katie Ricks, Driggs Elementary

January 2015Josh Whiting

Hour of Code with Katie Ricks’s 3rd Grade Students

Katie Ricks, a 3rd grade teacher at Howard R, Driggs Elementary School, is one of many teachers participating in the Hour of Code throughout Granite School District. Most of the 3rd graders at her school have the opportunity to program while using Chromebooks. Programs such as Code.org, Tynker, and Khan Academy are some of the sites where Ms. Ricks’ students learn how to drag and drop programming commands. She says that the students are really excited about Hour of Code, and that she sees it as having great benefit for increasing problem-solving skills as well as an overall learning of basic programming.

Spotlight Author: Kristen Johnson, Granite District Educational Technology Specialist

Filed Under: Teacher SpotlightsTagged With: 3rd Grade, Chromebooks, Code.org, Coding, Driggs Elementary, Hour of Code, Katie Ricks, Khan Academy, Kristen Johnson, Problem Based Learning, Tynker

FIRST LEGO League in Granite School District

November 2014Josh Whiting

Granite School District’s Ed. Tech. department sponsors 30 FIRST LEGO League teams. In the FIRST LEGO League program children learn about coding, programming, and problem solving to prepare their robot for the robot games and to solve a real life issue or challenge.  In the course of creating a solution to this real-world issue and designing a robot, they also learn and apply the social skills of teamwork, collaboration, respect, and persistence.  Educational Technology is proud of our devoted coaches and our super awesome FIRST LEGO League kids.  This video shows the team from Stansbury Elementary hard at work with their teacher/coach, Karen Tinsley.  We would also like to invite you to drop into our Robot Games and Regional Qualifying event, January 17th, at Granger High School. Come see all the fun (and learning!)

Spotlight Author: Cherie Anderson, Granite District Educational Technology Specialist

Filed Under: News, Teacher SpotlightsTagged With: Cherie Anderson, Coding, Educational Technology, First LEGO League, Karen Tinsley, Problem Based Learning, Robots, Stansbury Elementary, Student Activities, Student Projects

Primary Sidebar

Website Search

Connect With Ed. Tech.

  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Phone
  • Pinterest
  • RSS
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Contact Us

Educational Technology Department
385.646.4110
385.646.4115
Monday-Friday, 7 AM – 5 PM
Educational Technology Office Directory

Room D-229 (2nd Floor of 5-Story ‘Programs’ Building)
2500 South State Street
Salt Lake City, UT 84115

@GraniteEdTech

My Tweets

Recent #GSDEdTech Blog Posts

Featured Resource: PBSLearningMedia

Canvas: ‘The Fundamental Five’ for Students and Parents

Featured Resource: Padlet

The County Library Now Shares Digital Books in Granite’s Sora

Featured Resource: Kami

Intranet · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · F.A.Q. · Login
© 2021 Granite School District 2500 South State Street Salt Lake City, UT 84115 385-646-5000

Non-Discrimination Statement

Granite School District prohibits discrimination, harassment (including sexual harassment), or retaliation on the basis of race, color, sex, pregnancy, religion, national origin, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, gender identity or any other legally protected classification in all educational programs, activities, admissions, access, treatment, or employment practices and provides equal access to scouting groups and other designated youth groups. Related inquiries and complaints may be directed to a school administrator or to Charlene Lui, Title IX Coordinator and Director of Educational Equity, (385) 646-7413. You may also contact the Office for Civil Rights, Denver, CO, (303) 844-5695.
» Read Policy «

Commitment to Accessibility

Granite School District is committed to making information, programs, and services accessible to all students, parents/guardians, patrons, and employees, including those with disabilities. Please contact your school administration or Charlene Lui, Director of Educational Equity, (385) 646-7413 to request interpreters or auxiliary aids. If you need help accessing this website, or you would like to provide feedback or report a concern, please contact our Communications Office, (385) 646-4529.

Content Disclaimer

The Granite School District is not responsible for the text and content of websites not owned and operated by the Granite School District.