🎙️Building Community with Ice Breakers the First Day (and beyond!)In this episode, Martha Johnson is joined by Dr. Natasha Nurse Clarke, assistant professor at Lehman College and founder of the Online Nurse Educator community. Together, they explore the importance of building meaningful connections in nursing education, especially in online spaces where community can be hard to create. Natasha shares how intentional icebreaker activities have transformed her courses and offers creative ideas to make student engagement more organic and fun.From virtual gaming simulations to community-building discussion boards, this episode is full of strategies for cultivating a more connected, motivated, and resilient group of nursing students, both online or in person. If you're feeling like you want to bring more community and conversation to your classroom, this episode is for you.🔑 3 Key Takeaways:Icebreakers are more than just fun. They foster trust and engagement.Regular, well-designed icebreakers help students feel seen and connected, creating a learning environment where they feel safe enough to ask questions and support one another.Community is essential in online education.Without intentional community-building, online learners can feel isolated and disengaged. Natasha’s strategies help reduce attrition and build authentic connections between students as well as between the student and educator.Gamification is a powerful tool when used to teach, not just assess.Adding gaming elements to simulations and pre-briefing modules improves learning outcomes and student confidence, especially when used to reinforce foundational concepts before assessments.Resources Mentioned:Ready to use this in your own classroom? Get the Creative Ice Breakers Idea Book here: 👉 learninglabrn.comSubscribe to the show: learninglabrn.comJoin the newsletter and explore active learning tools: breakoutrn.comFull transcript: HEREPlease offer your feedback about the show by emailing me!If you listen to this podcast on Apple Podcasts, please take a moment to rate or review the show. This goes a long way toward helping me reach other educators! 😊

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