Blog - Page 18 of 49 - Spencer Education

Jan 25 2021

Want Students to Be More Creative? Try Adding More Play.

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast 8 Comments

It's supposed to snow this week, which reminds me of a moment four years ago when it snowed. We were from Phoenix, which meant our children had spent their lives experiencing the two seasons of blazingly hot and nice. The only thing that changed color…

Jan 19 2021

Using a Wonder Day Project to Spark Student Inquiry

By John Spencer Creativity, Project-Based Learning 13 Comments

My friend George Couros once said, "If students leave school less curious than when they have started, we have failed them." I tend to agree. I've never heard of a cosmologist who says, "I'm done with the universe. No more questions here." I've also never…

Jan 11 2021

Treat Each Genius Hour Project as an Experiment

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast No Comments

Last year, I began creating stickers, sweatshirts, and t-shirts with my own sketches on them. I figured it would be fun to give some t-shirts and stickers away when I do keynotes or workshops. But honestly, it wasn't really about professional development. It was about…

Jan 04 2021

The Power of Visible Thinking in Virtual Learning

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast 4 Comments

It's easy for a virtual class session to slip into a talking head approach. You turn on the camera and students see your face. At times, you might toggle back and forth between a slideshow and your camera but it can easily slip into something…

Dec 31 2020

A Different Type of New Year’s Resolution

By John Spencer Creativity One Comment

I created a sketch video about a different type of New Year's Resolution. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jknTxjyw_8g It’s a new year which means it’s a chance for new beginnings. So when we think of New Year’s Resolutions, we often imagine starting something new. Start a new habit or…

Dec 28 2020

A Different Way to Set Goals for the New Year

By John Spencer Podcast, Teacher Life 7 Comments

With the new year coming up, there's a good chance you're coming up with some resolutions. Personally, I like the idea of coming up with a few really easy New Year's Resolutions just to make it easier when I bomb in another area. I think…

Dec 08 2020

You’ve Done Enough This Semester

By John Spencer Podcast, Teacher Life 2 Comments

At the start of this semester, I made a goal of meeting with each student one-on-one. I believe in the power of check-ins and I wanted to make sure my students felt known. I could tell you all about Anderson and Garrison's research showing the…

Dec 04 2020

7 Ways to Build Creative Confidence in Students

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast 5 Comments

Sometimes I wish I could go back in time to visit my 9-year old self and say, "Dude, you got this. Right now, it’s hard but someday you'll be using your voice to make art. Trust me, it gets better. Way better." I was in…

Nov 20 2020

What happens when students launch their work to an audience?

By John Spencer Design Thinking 3 Comments

Right now, I'm feeling the effects of social isolation. My social circle is essentially my wife and my kids. I'm only going out when necessary to go to the grocery store. This Thanksgiving will be the first in years that I don't see friends or…

Oct 29 2020

Building an Empowered Community in Distance Learning Courses

By John Spencer Distance Learning, Podcast 4 Comments

During this pandemic, many students have described feeling lonely and isolated as they shifted into online environments. This disconnect is amplified when distance learning courses are designed with only individual work in mind. This occurs when students access an asynchronous class and watch videos, read…