Blog - Page 30 of 48 - Spencer Education

May 01 2018

Who Owns the Learning in Your Classroom?

By John Spencer Empowering Students, Student Choice 8 Comments

It took me years to transform my instruction toward a more student-centered approach. This is my story where I share my journey toward student ownership through student choice. Note that this is a revision of a post I wrote last year. I'm taking a few…

Apr 15 2018

Ten Vintage Ideas to Spark Innovation in Your Classroom

By John Spencer Innovation, Podcast 6 Comments

The Astrodome was a modern miracle, a Space Age wonder, with a glass dome, high-tech air-conditioning, and the world’s biggest scoreboard. When it opened in 1965, reporters dubbed it the “8th Wonder of the World.” (Wilson, 1965) This was the future. No more bad weather…

Apr 07 2018

Research Should Be Fun (Why Research and PBL Are a Great Combination)

By John Spencer Creativity, Project-Based Learning 3 Comments

I remember the first time we did a PBL unit and I asked students to fill out a survey on their favorite and least favorite parts. Overwhelmingly, students described dreading the research process. Similarly, when we first used design thinking, students asked me why we…

Mar 23 2018

What can food trucks teach us about project-based learning?

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Project-Based Learning 5 Comments

When we think of innovative companies, it's easy to imagine an open-air tech startup with ping pong tables and free drinks and huge windows and chairs so modern you're not sure how you're supposed to sit in them or look at them. Sometimes I look at…

Mar 09 2018

Seven Ways to Boost Collaboration in P.B.L.

By John Spencer Creative Collaboration, Podcast, Project-Based Learning 3 Comments

Over the last month, we have been taking a deep dive into project-based learning. One of the most frequent questions I hear about PBL is "how do we get all of the members to participate in group projects?" Both elementary and secondary education teachers ask…

Mar 02 2018

Students Need to Solve Real Problems

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Project-Based Learning 4 Comments

In the 1980s, somebody decided that haircuts were way too messy. So, they combined a hair trimmer with a vacuum cleaner and we ended up with the Flowbee. I remember begging my parents for a Flowbee and they said "no," because they thought I would…

Feb 25 2018

How Does Assessment Work in a P.B.L. Unit?

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Project-Based Learning 5 Comments

Assessment is everywhere. Visit a basketball court or a skate park or a rock climbing gym and you might just miss something happening all around. Assessment. The same is true of that group of kids huddled around their devices building a shared world in Minecraft…

Jan 30 2018

What the Netherlands Taught Me About Design Thinking

By John Spencer Design Thinking, Podcast No Comments

Last week, I stepped off the train and walked into the bustling streets of Eindhoven. I had never been to the Netherlands, much less Europe, so I became the obnoxious American taking quick snapshots, attempting to soak up the feel of the city. My first…

Jan 20 2018

The Seven Biggest Lies that Keep Teachers from Implementing Project-Based Learning

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Project-Based Learning 6 Comments

We know that kids learn at a deeper level when they do meaningful projects. We've seen how it increases engagement and creates memorable experiences. However, let's be real. Project-Based Learning can feel daunting at first. How do you make it fit within the standards? How do…

Jan 15 2018

How Nature Inspires Better Design (and What This Means for Students)

By John Spencer Design Thinking, Future of Learning, Podcast 4 Comments

We want students to be makers and designers. But there's a surprising source of inspiration for design: the natural world. This is the key idea behind biomimicry, which encourages engineers to pay close attention to nature in order to improve their designs. The following post…