Mashin' up some learning magic with words with friends

​To say that the month of March has been surreal is an understatement. I had a lot planned that I was looking forward to. Two conferences. A trip to Disneyland with my bestie. Spring Break with my boys. Heading into the month, I had every intention of making it all happen. Tickets booked, plans made, I couldn’t wait. And then…Coronavirus hit the United States and everything changed. 23 days into the month all my plans have come to a halt, school is closed, and I’m scrambling to help my district create plans for anywhere learning. I feel like I’m on some type of parallel universe trying to make sense of it all. There is so much that is uncertain; so many questions I don’t have answers to.  However, one thing I do know is that beginning April 1st our district will begin educating our students in a way that is completely foreign. No classrooms, no bells, no face to face interaction. Everything has changed, yet I know we will rise to the challenge. We will adapt, innovate, and explore new possibilities. Because, we must. Our kids are depending on us.

I was watching television with the family during spring break when I received a text from my college daughter asking, “Do you still have the Words with Friends app on your phone?”. It had been quite awhile since I’d played; in fact I didn’t have it on my phone anymore. But, anytime my sweet girl asks me to play a game I’m all in. I quickly downloaded the Words with Friends game app and before I knew it I was hooked. I had found a way to connect with my daughter across the miles. Before I knew it, I was finding other friends and family members who were connected to this game app too and I had multiple games going. By downloading a free game app I had found a new way to socially connect in a world that was socially disconnecting. 
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It wasn’t long before I began to make connections between this rediscovered game app and learning. Engagement. Connection. Vocabulary Acquisition. So much potential for this new digital landscape that we’re living in.

Let me introduce you to the Words with Friends Mash Up...

Do you have other Magical Mash-up ideas? Share and tag me @tishrich on Twitter @tishrichmond on Instagram using the #MLmagical hashtag. We're all in this together!

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