Blog - Page 12 of 48 - Spencer Education

May 02 2022

Five Reasons Students Should Own the Assessment Process

By John Spencer Creativity, Distance Learning, Empowering Students, Mindsets, Podcast 2 Comments

For years, I held a very teacher-centered view of assessment. I would grade student work and use that to modify lessons and pull small groups. Students would receive a grade, which would then motivate them to work harder. Later, I started realizing that my feedback…

Apr 27 2022

The Seven Types of Creative Teachers

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast 25 Comments

When I was a new teacher, I railed against boxed curriculum. I felt like a chef being forced to use Hamburger Helper or an artist forced to paint by number. It felt like they had taken the creativity out of the profession and I was…

Apr 18 2022

Dr. Susie Wise on the Power of Designing for Belonging

By John Spencer Design Thinking, Podcast No Comments

A few weeks ago, I had the chance to interview Dr. Susie Wise on the big idea of designing for belonging. Dr. Wise is a true design thinking expert who asks hard questions about the intersection of design and equity. I have followed her work…

Apr 04 2022

PBL by Design – Exploring the Overlap of Project-Based Learning and Design Thinking

By John Spencer Creativity, Design Thinking, Podcast, Project-Based Learning 2 Comments

Project-based learning and design thinking have both become buzzwords in the educational landscape. But beyond the buzz, both PBL and design thinking have rich histories that span decades. Both approaches also offer practical frameworks for teachers who are crafting authentic projects for their students. So,…

Mar 21 2022

Daniel Lewer On the power of student-centered, authentic, creative social studies

Daniel Lewer on the Importance of Student-Centered Social Studies

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast No Comments

In this week's podcast, I interview social studies expert Dan Lewer on the power of student choice and authenticity in history classes. Check out the interview below. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but you’d like to listen to it on the…

Mar 10 2022

Life is a Vapor (My Birthday Reflections)

By John Spencer The Epic Life No Comments

"Cross out the word 'vanities' and replace it with 'vapor.' It's a vapor of vapors. Life is temporary. Nothing lasts," my professor explained. I waited for him to continue the lecture but instead he said, "Go on, do it. Now. Everyone. Find the mis-translation and…

Feb 21 2022

Dominique Foster On Designing a Creative Classroom for Early Learners

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast 2 Comments

In this podcast, Dominique Foster shares practical strategies for designing a creative classroom for early childhood students. She talks about instructional design and physical space design. She also shares ways we can partner with stakeholders to help them see the vision for a creative classroom…

Feb 07 2022

What Happens When Teachers Take Creative Risks?

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast 3 Comments

When I was a first-year teacher, my mentor teacher observed me teaching a lesson. Afterward, we met up during my prep period and she said, "John, your lesson was outstanding but I want to talk to you about how you're treating someone in your class."…

Jan 24 2022

Trevor Muir Answers Key Questions About PBL

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast 2 Comments

I had the honor of interviewing PBL expert Trevor Muir on what it means to get started with PBL. Check out the podcast below. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but you’d like to listen to it on the go, just click…

Jan 17 2022

Why I’m Not Too Worried About Learning Loss

By John Spencer Creativity, Empowering Students, Podcast 5 Comments

All three of my kids have missed a significant number days because of the need to quarantine. The Omicron variant is sweeping through our neighborhoods and our local school district recently created a no-contact day this last Friday. Many caregivers and community members are concerned…