Blog - Page 45 of 46 - John Spencer

Mar 11 2014

12 Alternatives to Boring Professional Development

By John Spencer Uncategorized 2 Comments

I'm not a huge fan of most school-based professional development. It's not that the delivery is bad, but that it is precisely that: a delivery. It's something teachers receive rather than create. So, even when the quality is good, there is the risk that it…

Jan 27 2014

When Creativity Isn’t Fun

By John Spencer Creativity One Comment

I used to believe that creativity would lead to fun. I thought that if I crafted the right project and included a high level of creativity, students would enjoy every lesson. I was crushed, then, when I saw students getting bored, angry, anxious and confused.…

Oct 30 2013

Five Keys to Collaboration

By John Spencer Creativity 3 Comments

"Collaboration" is a great word for Buzzword Bingo. It's often listed as a 21st Century Skill (as if somehow the people in past centuries didn't have to work together). It's included in project descriptions and even mission statements. What was once called "a meeting" is…

Sep 19 2013

Eight Alternatives to Boring Staff Development

By John Spencer Uncategorized One Comment

I'm not a fan of traditional staff in-service. I know that people are doing their best. However, it can be hit or miss, because it's often stuck in a format or in a topic that doesn't fit who I am. Here are eight alternatives that…

Sep 05 2013

Raising Children Who Love Reading

By John Spencer Literacy 12 Comments

I love to read. So do all of my siblings. Someone asked me what my parents did to get us into reading. I'm still not sure how to answer that, but here's a thought. Reading wasn't rewarded at our house. We never had word walls…

Aug 09 2013

What If It Is About the Tech?

By John Spencer Technology and Media Literacy One Comment

I’m not a fan of the “75 Ways to Use __________” blog posts. I’m pretty sure that I’ve said things like, “It’s about the learning and not the tool” or “Kids should be blogging to learn and not learning to blog.” On some level, I…

May 29 2013

Ten Things I’ve Learned About Creativity

By John Spencer Creativity 5 Comments

Creativity needs to be real to the person engaged in it. Someone challenged me to "curate" my blog posts on a subject and link it into one post. I'm still not sure what to think of it, but I found it interesting to get a…

May 09 2013

Ten Things I’ve Learned About Student Design Projects

By John Spencer Uncategorized 3 Comments

The picture above is an example of a game where students have to shoot a soccer ball past the goalie (moved by the opponent). The ball drops down and they get a shot again. It is visually-appealing and fun to play. This was part of…

Apr 05 2013

Ten Myths About Technology

By John Spencer Technology and Media Literacy 9 Comments

some of the best moments are low-tech Sometimes my view on technology seems paradoxical and messy. Sometimes it feels like cognitive dissonance. I hang with Luddites and Technophiles. I join #chats and write blogs and yet I frequently criticize technology. So, this list might seem…

Mar 05 2013

When Kids Craft BYOD Policies

By John Spencer Uncategorized 10 Comments

It started out with a standardized writing prompt and was never intended to move outside of the small testing window. However, when students finished writing a persuasive text on whether students should be allowed to have cell phones and MP3 players (a student aptly pointed…