Riverwood Students Unlock Clues To 'Escape The Bus'

From Riverwood International Charter School:

The morning of September 8th, 2016 began with the arrival of the Escape Bus from the iSchool Initiative to the Riverwood campus practice field. During the day, over 100 students and staff took on the challenge to “Escape the Bus” in 30 minutes or less. This unique program challenges students to find clues hidden inside the mobile classroom on wheels. Participants are encouraged to work as a team to go through the stations on the bus to unlock clues and solve the problem in order to “Escape the Bus.”

In the process of finding clues, participants learn about new technology to use in the classroom, the importance of student voice, and the history of the iSchool Initiative. The iSchool Initiative helps schools embrace technology and create a positive culture of lifelong learning. While only about 15 percent of all participants find every clue, the rate of learning and fun along the way was very close to 100 percent.

Mrs. Balachandran (Physics) and Mrs. Taylor (Math) worked together to bring the Escape bus to campus. Partially funded by a PTSA mini-grant, the cross-curriculum exercise captured the imaginations of students and faculty alike. A post experience survey indicated that most students found the activity a fun, challenging, and a collaborative experience calling for critical thinking and team building.

Mrs. Balanchandran, who also serves as the Talented and Gifted Department Chair said, “It was an eye opener as to what learning in the future would look like for both students and teachers with emphasis on developing key problem solving skills and out of the box thinking.”

A video of what the students experienced is available through Vimeo.

Photos courtesy of Riverwood International Charter School