And the Answer Is...

I'm a little late to the Trivia Crack app movement, but after just a few questions I've made it to Level 2 and can totally see the appeal. The game resembles the classic Trivial Pursuit board game where players answer questions in various categories trying to win segments. Categories in the app include history, geography, art, sports, entertainment, and science. It has a fun animated interface, involves challenging social game play with friends, and messaging and chat features. Players can earn achievement badges and answer questions to earn special characters or challenge your opponent.

A really interesting aspect of this app is what they call the Question Factory. Players are able to suggest and rate questions and even translate questions. How cool would this be to use in Foreign Language classrooms?!  I was pleased to see the screen warning about offensive or inappropriate content when I clicked on the Suggest Questions section. 

As an educator, it never fails, my mind always thinks of how things can be applied to learning and the classroom. Which led me to my first thought, why not set up a classroom account and play with other classrooms? Compete with similar grade classrooms on your campus, in your district, or even globally. 

This app is very popular with students as well as teachers. Students are seeking out teacher help and searching the Internet as they encounter difficult questions. Capitalize on this high level of interest and build rapport with your students. Here are a few suggestions to try with your students:

• Begin the day or class with team challenges. 
• Fill in those transitional periods with a few questions.
• Utilize the app for brain breaks.
• Expand on questions with journal writing. 
• Locate images or artists from Art category questions.
• Practice geography skills, locate places, landforms, etc.
• Proofread questions and answers for correct grammar and spelling.
• Challenge students to create questions from class content to suggest for the app. 

Whether you are a trivia game lover or not, curiosity can help the brain boost learning and memory. Try Trivia Crack in your classroom and lead a brain cross-training workout plus learn some interesting facts along the way.

As always, follow your treasure map...

S~

A Saturday Not Wasted

I might not have been very productive during this past Saturday afternoon, but I was definitely inspired and reenergized as an educator. This was my multi-tasking view as I settled in for the live stream of the College Football Playoff Foundations Extra Yard for Teachers Summit that was held in Dallas this weekend. There were so many great moments, speakers, and performances. Celebrations for educators like this should be the norm for all districts, either to kick off a school year or as a mid-way recharge event like this one. You Matter! Don't lose your joy! Celebrate! Enjoy! Be a great mentor! Be a great colleague! We need you! Remember why we do what we do! How would you complete the phrase, "I teach because...".  You can watch the recording of the summit here...   http://www.extrayardsummit.com/live-stream/. I guarantee you will not be wasting your time.

I selected a few key tidbits of inspiration from notes on the summit and practiced my sketchnoting. This is my first official "sketchnote" utilizing the Notes HD app on my iPad.





There were many recurring themes throughout the event, so I thought it would be fun to see what my notes might look like in a word cloud.

Until next time...
Follow your treasure map where ever it may lead!
S~