Just a few years ago, I would have been mortified for people to see that picture (above). When I was in high school, I decided not to go into Advanced Art, because I was scared. I had created a few pieces that won awards and…
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Originally posted 3 years ago, but I think it's still relevant now. I'm at a conference, listening to a technophile gush about the latest available tools that schools need to quit blocking. "What's relevant to kids these days?" "Facebook," the audience cries out in unison.…
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When I was a kid, I hated book reports. I hated filling out a form describing what I read. I wasn't a fan of artsy crafty alternatives, like cereal box projects or dioramas. What I did love, though, was geeking out on what I read.…
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When I first began teaching, I viewed research as something separate from the rest of learning. We did research projects or we kept the research as a phase within a project. Since then, I've had some shifts in how we do research: 1. Start with…
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When we think of innovative companies, it's easy to imagine an open-air tech startup with ping pong tables and free drinks and huge windows and chairs so modern you're not sure how you're supposed to sit in them. Sometimes I look at those spaces and think,…
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I'm not a huge fan of most school-based professional development. It's not that the delivery is bad, but that it is precisely that: a delivery. It's something teachers receive rather than create. So, even when the quality is good, there is the risk that it…
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I'm not a fan of traditional staff in-service. I know that people are doing their best. However, it can be hit or miss, because it's often stuck in a format or in a topic that doesn't fit who I am. Here are eight alternatives that…
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The picture above is an example of a game where students have to shoot a soccer ball past the goalie (moved by the opponent). The ball drops down and they get a shot again. It is visually-appealing and fun to play. This was part of…
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It started out with a standardized writing prompt and was never intended to move outside of the small testing window. However, when students finished writing a persuasive text on whether students should be allowed to have cell phones and MP3 players (a student aptly pointed…
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Christy and I are picking orange blossoms. Unlike the desert plants, the blossoms don't affect my allergies one bit. Between the heavy scent and the thrill of dodging bees, it is hard to imagine that anything else exists in our world beyond the moment. We…
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Dr. John Spencer
I’m a professor and a maker. Sometimes I make things. Sometimes I make a difference. On a good day, I get to do both.
