Podcast Archives - Page 20 of 28

Dec 19 2019

Finding Renewal on Your Winter Break

By John Spencer Podcast, Teacher Life 7 Comments

Originally written on December 18, 2015. Each year, I expand on this. I still remember my first winter break in my first year of teaching. I scratched out Christmas Eve and Christmas as true "days off," but then I worked the rest of the time.…

Dec 16 2019

The Best Way to Prepare Students for the Future Is By Empowering Them in the Present

By John Spencer Podcast, Vintage Innovation No Comments

The future is unpredictable. We know that. So, when we try to design learning experiences that "prepare students for the future," we have to recognize that we don't always know what they'll need. In this article, I explore the counterintuitive reality that the best way…

Dec 10 2019

Twelve Creative Alternatives to Showing Movies Before the Break

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast 31 Comments

Don't forget to scroll down to the bottom of this post to download the Creative Ways to End the Semester Resource Pack. This is a post I first wrote a decade ago, when I was teaching middle school. Each year, I have revised it and…

Dec 03 2019

Designing Innovative Projects Despite the Time Crunch, the Curriculum Map, and the Lack of Technology

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Vintage Innovation 4 Comments

This is my third article in the series on vintage innovation. Last week, I mentioned the Astrodome Effect and the idea of embracing both vintage tools and vintage designs in a mash-up with newer technology and new ideas. I mentioned Camden Yards as a place…

Nov 26 2019

Nine Vintage Ideas to Spark Innovation in Your Classroom

By John Spencer Innovation, Podcast 2 Comments

The Astrodome was a modern miracle, a Space Age wonder, with a glass dome, high-tech air-conditioning, and the world’s biggest scoreboard. When it opened in 1965, reporters dubbed it the “8th Wonder of the World.” This was the future. No more bad weather or quirky…

Nov 19 2019

The Power of Vintage Innovation

By John Spencer Innovation, Podcast 4 Comments

When I was in middle school, one of my teachers called the entire class up to the front of the room. He held up a shiny golden disc in wild excitement. “This will change education forever,” he said, eyes gleaming. “Someday, you’ll be able to…

Nov 05 2019

How Student Journals Can Spark Curiosity and Inspire Creativity in the Classroom

By John Spencer Creativity, Creativity Deconstructed, Podcast 5 Comments

When I was in the fifth grade, I kept a journal for class. My teacher would give us fifteen minutes to write whatever we wanted. I pretty much only wrote about baseball -- and the Giants, in particular. For me, those fifteen minutes felt like…

Oct 28 2019

The Goal of Education Isn’t Simply a Better Job

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast 3 Comments

Before I went to Hong Kong, people would ask me, "What about the protests?" and I almost always answered with "I hear you can avoid those." And that statement is absolutely true. The beauty of living in a pluralistic democracy is the freedom to avoid…

Oct 14 2019

It Might Be Hands-on Learning, But Is It Minds-on Learning?

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast One Comment

It was the first Friday of the first week of my first year as a teacher and I was determined to have students engage in a hands-on learning activity. My students were going to solidify their understanding of the five themes of geography by creating…

Sep 16 2019

Five Ways Humor Boosts Creative Thinking and Problem-Solving in the Classroom

By John Spencer Creativity Deconstructed, Podcast 13 Comments

When we think about creativity and innovation, the words "humor" and "goofiness" don't typically come to mind. But I'd argue that this is a critical piece of what it means to cultivate a climate of creativity. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog…