Student Choice Archives - Spencer Education

Jan 09 2024

7 Tips for Getting Started with Student Choice in the Classroom

By John Spencer Empowering Students, Podcast, Student Choice 6 Comments

Our students will inhabit an unpredictable world. With machine learning and other advanced forms of AI, students will need to become really good at what AI can't do and really different with what can do. They will need to be adaptable as they navigate the…

Dec 06 2021

Ending the Semester with a Student Blogging Project

By John Spencer Creativity, Literacy, Podcast, Student Choice 10 Comments

December is exhausting for teachers. The days are shorter. The weather grows colder and (at least here in Oregon) wetter. Students are anxious — whether it’s a buzzing excitement for vacation or a sense of dread that some kids feel in homes that are unsafe…

May 04 2021

Geek Out Projects: My Approach to Genius Hour and 20% Time in the Language Arts Classroom

By John Spencer Creativity, Literacy, Podcast, Student Choice 8 Comments

There are so many different ways we can empower students to own the learning; from owning the assessment process to doing choice menus and choice boards to having students engage in project-based learning. In this article, we explore how Geek Out Blogs allow students to…

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…

Mar 18 2019

Making The Shift from Student Engagement to Student Empowerment

By John Spencer Empowering Students, Student Choice 15 Comments

We often focus on student engagement, but student empowerment is a step further. Here, we focus on the seven shifts toward student empowerment. Two years ago, I was a chaperone for my son's fourth-grade field trip to a hands-on pioneer museum. Students learned how to…

May 01 2018

Who Owns the Learning in Your Classroom?

By John Spencer Empowering Students, Student Choice 8 Comments

It took me years to transform my instruction toward a more student-centered approach. This is my story where I share my journey toward student ownership through student choice. Note that this is a revision of a post I wrote last year. I'm taking a few…

Jun 14 2017

Why Science Says the Average Student Doesn’t Exist (And What This Means for Student Ownership)

By John Spencer Empowering Students, Student Choice 2 Comments

For years, we have set up a tiered system of differentiation to go beyond the one-size-fits-all model. But what if there's another way? How can we redesign the systems so that student ownership becomes a reality? The Problem with Average The notion of average is…

Jun 02 2017

The Five Biggest Fears that Kept Me from Empowering Students

By John Spencer Empowering Students, Podcast, Student Choice 4 Comments

Moving Toward Student Empowerment s I Wanted to Empower My Students But I Was Afraid Show Visuals I'd like to explore some of these fears a little more in-depth. Fear #1: Classroom Management Might Suffer I was terrified that students would turn their freedom…

May 27 2017

Fidget Spinners Aren’t the Issue (The Real Issue Is Student Ownership)

By John Spencer Empowering Students, Podcast, Student Choice 3 Comments

The debate about fidget spinners often misses the bigger issue of student ownership. When we focus on student distractions and student engagement, we miss out on student empowerment and student ownership. Listen to the Podcast Just click on the audio below to listen to this…

Aug 13 2016

What Three Ice Cream Shops Can Teach Us About Choice and Differentiation

By John Spencer Empowering Students, Podcast, Student Choice One Comment

Baskin Robbins offers 31 flavors. The rotation changes each month, so I'm guessing there are probably hundreds if not thousands of flavors that they create. If you're looking for choice, this is place is it. And there's a good chance you'll find something that you…

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.

Student Choice

7 Tips for Getting Started with Student Choice in the Classroom

Ending the Semester with a Student Blogging Project

Geek Out Projects: My Approach to Genius Hour and 20% Time in the Language Arts Classroom

Seven Reasons to Pilot Genius Hour Projects

Making The Shift from Student Engagement to Student Empowerment

Who Owns the Learning in Your Classroom?

Why Science Says the Average Student Doesn’t Exist (And What This Means for Student Ownership)

The Five Biggest Fears that Kept Me from Empowering Students

Fidget Spinners Aren’t the Issue (The Real Issue Is Student Ownership)

What Three Ice Cream Shops Can Teach Us About Choice and Differentiation

Dr. John Spencer

My Newest Book

Best-Selling Books

Contact me

Dr. John Spencer

JOIN OVER 90,000 EDUCATORS WHO ALREADY GET THE NEWSLETTER