Blog - Page 45 of 47 - John Spencer

Feb 09 2015

What Makes Project-Based Learning Work?

By John Spencer Project-Based Learning 2 Comments

So, I’m at the Nova Now Conference at Kent Innovation High School and I’m watching the students working on an aquaponics project. At one table, students are debating the aesthetic design. In another area, students are using Sketch Up to work on a framework for…

Feb 05 2015

What If Middle Schools Started Adding Recess?

By John Spencer Creativity 6 Comments

I'm writing this post during recess. It's not really recess. It's lunchtime. However, for this half an hour, students have a break. They can move. They can play. They can socialize. They can be free. I contrast this to my daughter's class. She's in pre-school,…

Jan 20 2015

Eight Reasons My Principal Rocks

By John Spencer Uncategorized No Comments

Our principal walked into a really tough situation this year. The school culture was in serious trouble and we had a mass exodus of teachers who left. We had unfilled positions along with new initiatives that could have been really unpopular. And yet, the school…

Nov 07 2014

I Hid My Art: Why Shame Often Kills Creativity

By John Spencer Creativity, Uncategorized No Comments

Just a few years ago, I would have been mortified for people to see that picture (above). When I was in high school, I decided not to go into Advanced Art, because I was scared. I had created a few pieces that won awards and…

Oct 08 2014

Your First Draft Will Probably Suck — And That’s Okay

By John Spencer Creativity 2 Comments

One of the reasons I struggled with teaching code last year was that the lessons tanked. I felt like I should be able to teach a new concept without struggling. After a decade of teaching, I assumed that I wouldn't have projects that fell completely…

Sep 30 2014

Sometimes innovation involves boldly looking back in order to move forward

From Relevant to Meaningful

By John Spencer Uncategorized 16 Comments

Originally posted 3 years ago, but I think it's still relevant now. I'm at a conference, listening to a technophile gush about the latest available tools that schools need to quit blocking. "What's relevant to kids these days?" "Facebook," the audience cries out in unison.…

Sep 23 2014

We Can’t Predict the Effects of Technology

By John Spencer Future of Learning 6 Comments

I've seen two dominant media narratives revolving around the Apple Watch. The first is a technophiliac, utopian vision of how wearable connectivity will make life better for people. In this vision, we'll use the watch to diagnose diseases, utilize more accurate exercise regiments, and stay…

Sep 22 2014

Six Alternatives to Book Reports

By John Spencer Uncategorized 19 Comments

When I was a kid, I hated book reports. I hated filling out a form describing what I read. I wasn't a fan of artsy crafty alternatives, like cereal box projects or dioramas. What I did love, though, was geeking out on what I read.…

Sep 11 2014

Why “Wasting Time” Is Vital for Creative Thinking

By John Spencer Creativity 11 Comments

When I was a kid, I spent hours drawing pictures. Even when I wasn't supposed to be drawing, I doodled. I sketched cartoons on the back of sermon handouts. I drew characters on the margins of the notes I took in class. For me, drawing…

Aug 27 2014

Seven Shifts in How Students Do Research

By John Spencer Literacy, Uncategorized 7 Comments

When I first began teaching, I viewed research as something separate from the rest of learning. We did research projects or we kept the research as a phase within a project. Since then, I've had some shifts in how we do research: 1. Start with…