Blog - Page 22 of 49 - Spencer Education

Mar 23 2020

I’m Releasing a Free Audio Book for Middle Grade Students

By John Spencer Creativity, Literacy, Podcast 35 Comments

Before getting started, I just want to point out that teachers have been amazing over the last few weeks. I've watched entire districts mobilize to provide online and long-distance instruction while also providing a safe way for kids to get breakfast and lunch. Someone tweeted…

Mar 17 2020

Providing Spaces of Permission in the Midst of Uncertainty

By John Spencer Podcast, Teacher Life 4 Comments

I spent hours on Saturday putting together a 3,500 word blog post, an eBook, and a toolkit. Given the stress of the previous days, I knew that sitting down for six hours and doing creative work would allow me to do something I loved while…

Mar 16 2020

7 Big Ideas as You Shift Toward Online Teaching

By John Spencer Creativity, Technology and Media Literacy 97 Comments

A few days ago, we found out that all of the schools here in Oregon will be off until the start of April. Many of the universities have asked professors to switch their courses from face-to-face to online. This is a move that school districts…

Mar 10 2020

Reflections on Turning Forty Today

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Teacher Life 2 Comments

A quick confession. I love birthdays. I am not great at wishing folks a happy birthday online. This is mostly because I don't know what part of it is supposed to be capitalized (Happy Birthday, Happy birthday, happy birthday). However, I love birthdays because they…

Mar 02 2020

Seven Reasons to Geek Out on Educational Theory

By John Spencer Innovation, Podcast 4 Comments

I haven't written a new article in nearly month. After getting back my data, I plugged away at writing Chapters 4 and 5 of my dissertation, followed by a few revisions. I will likely defend it next week or the week after. One of the…

Feb 20 2020

What Our Adopted Greyhound Taught Me About Life, Learning, and Creativity

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast 2 Comments

This year, I decided my mantra would be "Be More Greyhound." This was my reminder to rest and to play and to find joys in things like walks. It was a reminder that I have the permission to be an introvert. For the last month,…

Feb 03 2020

How PBL Helps Students Become Better Consumers and Better Creators

By John Spencer Project-Based Learning No Comments

I'm sitting in my office next to a dozing dog, staring at the cursor on my computer. This is it. I'm in the final leg of my dissertation. I've outlined chapters four and five and now I simply need to write it all out. This…

Jan 27 2020

Join the Vintage Innovation Book Club

By John Spencer Creativity, Vintage Innovation One Comment

Earlier this month, I published Vintage Innovation. This has been a labor of love over the last two years. I have interviewed hundreds of teachers, read all kinds of research, and spent time thinking deeply about this topic. Vintage Innovation is a big idea book.…

Jan 19 2020

Empowered Teachers Empower Students

By John Spencer Creativity, Empowering Students, Podcast 3 Comments

I have a bobble head of myself on the bookshelves in my office. It's a bit of an Easter egg that you can find in some of my videos. On the surface, this item seems arrogant and excessive. And yet, I didn't buy the bobble…

Jan 15 2020

Vintage Innovation is Here!

By John Spencer Creativity, Vintage Innovation One Comment

I have some great news! My newest book Vintage Innovation is officially open to purchase! This has been a labor of love over the last two years. I have interviewed hundreds of teachers, read all kinds of research, and spent time thinking deeply about this…