Creativity Archives - Page 17 of 24

Aug 31 2018

Five Structures for Helping Students Learn Project Management

By John Spencer Creative Collaboration, Creativity, Podcast, Project-Based Learning 14 Comments

If we want students to think like artists, entrepreneurs, and engineers, they need the chance to design real projects. But this also requires students to learn how to engage in project management. The following is a short video on the project management process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7yZutiwRso&t=26s …

Aug 13 2018

Five Ways to Boost Metacognition In the Classroom

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast 30 Comments

If we want students to develop into critical thinking, lifelong learners, we need them to develop metacognitive skills. Metacognition is vital for helping students become self-directed learners (both self-managers and self-starters). It will help them navigate the complexities of a changing world and it will…

Aug 01 2018

cardboard arcades from the LAUNCH Academy

Five Key Takeaways from the LAUNCH Academy #launchacademy

By John Spencer Creativity, Design Thinking No Comments

A.J. Juliani and I led our first ever LAUNCH Academy last week. At first, I was nervous and even overwhelmed by the epic feel of the ARC building. Seriously, this looks like something out of Hogwarts. (Picture by Autumn Elizabeth) But if the building was epic,…

Jul 15 2018

The Seven Myths Keeping Teachers from Designing Makerspaces

By John Spencer Creativity, Creativity Deconstructed, Makerspaces, Podcast 9 Comments

In a previous post, I explored this idea that every student deserves a makerspace. In this post, I look at some of the most common myths I see regarding makerspaces. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but you’d like to listen to…

Jun 26 2018

The Difference Between Being Busy and Being Productive

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Teacher Life 12 Comments

I recently wrote about the power of rest to increase productivity and creative thinking. For that reason, I also want to share a phenomenal resource from my friend, Angela Watson, that empowers teachers to make this a reality. She also has a summer planning guide you might want to…

Jun 18 2018

Three Reasons to Try Video Prompts in Your Classroom

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast 2 Comments

Last summer, my son started an online writer's workshop. Although it fizzled by the end of the summer, there was a period where they were all working on a collaborative story and writing their own editorials back and forth. This wasn't a school-sponsored activity. It…

May 25 2018

Seven Strategies for Improving Student Feedback

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast 39 Comments

We know feedback is important. But what happens when students ignore it? In this article and podcast, we explore how to integrate feedback into every part of the learning process so that students can increase in metacognition during their PBL and design thinking projects. …

May 19 2018

Using Design Thinking to Innovate in Your Own Practice

By John Spencer Creativity, Design Thinking, Podcast 5 Comments

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to deliver an opening keynote and closing talk for EdEx, a conference in Eindhoven (in the Netherlands). When Jochem first shared his idea of a weeklong design expedition, I imagined teachers working in a makerspace, designing a…

May 13 2018

5 Myths About Classroom Management in PBL

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

I want to make something clear before we dive into this topic. I made huge mistakes in classroom management as a teacher. I let certain disruptive behaviors go unchecked because I was tired and I didn't want to put out another fire. I had moments…

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…

Dr. John Spencer

As a former middle school teacher and current full-time professor and best-selling author, I’m a big believer in empowering students (and teachers) through the power of creativity. Whether you sign up for one of my online courses, enroll in one of my cohorts or invite me to spend time with your staff, I promise you’ll walk away with a fresh perspective and new ideas to transform your classroom.

Creativity

Five Structures for Helping Students Learn Project Management

Five Ways to Boost Metacognition In the Classroom

Five Key Takeaways from the LAUNCH Academy #launchacademy

The Seven Myths Keeping Teachers from Designing Makerspaces

The Difference Between Being Busy and Being Productive

Three Reasons to Try Video Prompts in Your Classroom

Seven Strategies for Improving Student Feedback

Using Design Thinking to Innovate in Your Own Practice

5 Myths About Classroom Management in PBL

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

Dr. John Spencer

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Dr. John Spencer

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