Blog - John Spencer

Apr 08 2025

We Want Students to Be Creative, But How Do We Assess This?

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast 8 Comments

We know that creativity is vital for student learning. We also know that we tend to value the things we assess. However, when we assess creativity, we can unwittingly cause students to become risk-averse. So, how do we assess creativity in a way that encourages…

Apr 02 2025

Centaurs, Cyborgs, and Coffee-Bearded Logos – Seven Ways AI Is Changing Creativity

By John Spencer Artificial Intelligence, Creativity, Podcast No Comments

About a week ago, ChatGPT rolled out a major update to its image generation and suddenly my feed was flooded with AI-generated images in the style of Studio Ghibli. While the results are impressive (yes, it finally gets hands and text right) but also pretty…

Mar 26 2025

Ten Ways to Use AI for Deeper Learning and Mastery

By John Spencer Artificial Intelligence, Podcast No Comments

We often hear about AI and student cheating. This is a valid concern. But I'd like to highlight ways that we can use AI for deeper mastery. In this post (and podcast), I explore how we can move beyond using AI for quick answers and…

Mar 20 2025

Ten Traditional Teaching Practices that Still Belong in a PBL Unit

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Project-Based Learning No Comments

While it's easy to reject traditional teaching practices as "less authentic" in PBL, we explore why these ten strategies actually belong in PBL unit plans. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but you’d like to listen to it on the go, just…

Mar 13 2025

Lynn Cashell on How She Integrated AI into Genius Hour

By John Spencer Artificial Intelligence, Podcast One Comment

In this latest episode, Lynn Cashell shares how she integrated AI into her student Genius Hour projects. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but you’d like to listen to it on the go, just click on the audio below or subscribe via iTunes/Apple…

Mar 06 2025

Taking a Beta Approach to Teaching and Innovation

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Teacher Life 6 Comments

This week, we explore the concept of "teaching in beta"—a mindset that embraces imperfection and experimentation in the classroom. Learn how veteran teachers are innovating with new strategies, taking creative risks, and continually iterating on their lessons to foster resilience and growth in both students…

Mar 02 2025

Jed Dearybury on the power of play for all ages

Jed Dearybury on the Power of a Playful Mindset (Interview)

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast No Comments

In my latest podcast episode, I interview Jed Dearybury. He's a deep thinker and a creative spirit. As the co-author of The Playful Classroom, Jed advocates for integrating play into every aspect of school; from curriculum and instruction to assessment to the classroom culture to…

Feb 26 2025

The Six Biggest Mistakes I Made with Genius Hour (and How I Fixed Them)

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast 6 Comments

Student voice and choice can be challenging. There are so many variables at work and it’s okay if it doesn’t work perfectly. In this week’s article, I share my big mistakes I made with Genius Hour and how I changed things through multiple iterations. Listen…

Feb 12 2025

A Continuum for Using AI in Schools

By John Spencer Artificial Intelligence, Podcast One Comment

In my latest article and podcast, I share a continuum for how we can think about AI integration in our educational institutions. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but you’d like to listen to it on the go, just click on the…

Feb 03 2025

Avoiding the Astrodome Effect with AI

By John Spencer Artificial Intelligence, Podcast, Vintage Innovation No Comments

Artificial Intelligence has some very real promise. But in this week's article and podcast, we explore the danger of the Astrodome Effect and focus, instead, on a blended approach to AI integration. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but you’d like to…