Creativity Archives - Page 24 of 26

Dec 29 2015

What can these two ballparks teach us about innovation?

By John Spencer Creativity 2 Comments

The Astrodome was the most relevant stadium of its time. With the largest JumboTron, the trendiest color choice and a very modern, symmetrical design, it embodied the Space Age. It was the anti-Fenway. It was the ballpark of the future. It was relevant. It began with the…

Dec 27 2015

Can boredom make you more creative?

By John Spencer Creativity, Creativity Deconstructed 3 Comments

Right now, I’m sitting on an airplane. I mean, I’m not actually sitting on the airplane. I’m in it. Because, if I were on top of it, I wouldn’t be bored. I'd be terrified. Without access to the interwebz, I have nothing to do. I’ve…

Nov 19 2015

How do we bring wonder back into the classroom?

By John Spencer Creativity, Creativity Deconstructed 2 Comments

A few years ago, I had the chance to teach science in a self-contained classroom (teaching all subjects). I scoured the Internet for examples of great demonstrations that would captivate my students’ attention. It worked at first. I did the typical experiments. You know, add…

Nov 17 2015

The Power of Audience

By John Spencer Creativity No Comments

When I was little, art was a refuge . . . . until it wasn't anymore. It's a story that's better told in video than in writing: Subscribe to YouTube Channel Even then, I hid behind the scenes. I sketched things on this blog until…

Nov 12 2015

Ten Creative Alternatives to Standardized Tests

By John Spencer Creativity No Comments

It's easy to bust on standardized tests. They suck. They're boring. They're virtually meaningless. They kill instructional time. But what's the alternative? If we're not using multiple choice tests, what are we using? If we want a more creative classroom, what types of assessments exist…

Oct 13 2015

The 20-Minute Peer Feedback System

By John Spencer Creativity 4 Comments

I believe that peer feedback is critical for students. Part of this is the nature of peer interactions. Peers are often able to share their thoughts in a more relatable way than teachers. Another part is simply the time limits that teachers have. Even with…

Oct 10 2015

Why Creative Types Hate Selling (And Why This Matters for Teachers)

By John Spencer Creativity, Design Thinking No Comments

Initially, I cringed at the term marketing. I viewed myself as an artist who thought that my work would be discovered. I viewed marketing as trickery. However, over time, I realized that if the initial goal of the design thinking cycle involved solving a problem…

Aug 27 2015

Creative Work Is Slow at First

By John Spencer Creativity, Creativity Deconstructed No Comments

Over the last few weeks, I've enjoyed experimenting with illustrated videos. Here are three of my examples: One of the questions people ask is, "How did you make these?" This is often followed up by a second question, "How long did it take?" That…

Aug 14 2015

Seven Ways to Break the Consumer Mindset in Schools

By John Spencer Creativity No Comments

For the last eleven years, I asked my students to fill out a survey about how they use technology. Although I am now teaching university students, I think I'm going to do a similar survey. The questions are both about technology use (have you ever…

Jul 24 2015