Podcast Archives - Page 18 of 28

Jun 29 2020

Make Something Awesome This Summer

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Professional Development One Comment

This is my latest article in a series on owning your professional learning. Genius Hour (or 20% Time) projects begin with a simple idea: give students a dedicated period of time to pursue their passions, interests, and questions in a creative way. Made famous by…

Jun 22 2020

Why Every Teacher Needs a Mastermind Group

By John Spencer Creative Collaboration, Creativity, Podcast, Professional Development 4 Comments

This is my latest article in a series on owning your professional learning. In this series, we explore what it means to own your professional learning. This article focuses on mastermind groups. These groups are self-initiated and democratic. Members meet together to provide accountability, structure,…

Jun 15 2020

How to Use Book Clubs for Deeper Professional Learning

By John Spencer Podcast, Professional Development 8 Comments

This is my latest article in a series on owning your professional learning. This is the second in a series on owning your professional learning. Book clubs can be a powerful way to learn new skills, find new ideas, and experience paradigm shifts. Book studies…

Jun 08 2020

16 Ways to Own Your Professional Learning

By John Spencer Podcast, Professional Development 11 Comments

This is the first in a summer series on owning your professional learning. I created a sketch video as a preview. If you enjoy the video, would you click the "like" button and consider subscribing to my channel? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pw53uRedr5U&feature=youtu.be Right now, teachers all over the…

Jun 02 2020

Making Anti-Racism a Priority (Lessons from My Former Principal)

By John Spencer Podcast, Teacher Life 15 Comments

It was my sixth of teaching but everything felt new. I was in a new position (photojournalism) at a new school. So, when I heard the words, "we need talk," from my new principal, I panicked. "John, I think the morning announcements have been working…

May 18 2020

Seven Teacher-Tested Ways to Find Renewal During Distance Learning

By John Spencer Distance Learning, Podcast, Teacher Life 5 Comments

Last week, I created the following goofy video as a reminder about the differences between teaching in-person and teaching from home: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adrezHg-Aj0&t=97s Subscribe to YouTube Channel While this video is a little goofy, it points to a reality that teaching from home is vastly different…

May 11 2020

Seven Reasons to Pilot Genius Hour Projects

By John Spencer Creativity, Empowering Students, Podcast, Student Choice 7 Comments

Genius Hour (or 20% Time) projects begin with a simple idea: give students a dedicated period of time to pursue their passions, interests, and questions in a creative way. In this blog post and podcast, we explore the benefits of doing Genius Hour projects. This…

May 06 2020

4 Ways to Craft Choice Menus in Distance Learning Classes

By John Spencer Creativity, Distance Learning, Empowering Students, Podcast 13 Comments

I have three kids ranging from older elementary to high school. Each one of them is handling distance learning differently. My daughter, who is also the youngest, initially felt overwhelmed at the list of assignments that popped up each Monday and the scheduled meetings twice…

Apr 28 2020

Empowering Students in Distance Learning Environments

By John Spencer Distance Learning, Podcast, Technology and Media Literacy 9 Comments

Student engagement can be a real challenge in this sudden shift toward distance learning. But one way to improve engagement is by empowering students. In this article, we explore how to improve equity and access and how to shift toward student ownership. Listen to the…

Apr 18 2020

5 Ways to Boost Attendance in Virtual Class Meetings

By John Spencer Distance Learning, Innovation, Podcast 34 Comments

I have a friend who is a phenomenal teacher. She has been making a positive impact on middle schoolers' lives for 20 years. I used to go into her classroom during my prep period and take detailed notes so I could refine my class. She…