Blog - Page 33 of 49 - Spencer Education

Sep 16 2017

Collaborative Projects Can Work in Any Subject

By John Spencer Creative Collaboration, Creativity, Podcast, Project-Based Learning 10 Comments

If we say we want students to become critical thinking life-long learners, we need to provide projects that encourage them to engage in creative collaboration. But what does this look like in each subject area? How do turn this idea into a reality? We'll be…

Aug 26 2017

6 Student-Centered Projects for the First Week of School

By John Spencer Creativity, Empowering Students, Podcast 10 Comments

Don't Wait to Innovate! Teachers often begin the school year with team-building activities or a review of the rules and procedures. But what if we began with student-centered projects? The following is an exploration of six student-centered projects you can launch in your first month…

Aug 21 2017

On Eclipse Day: 5 Ways Natural Wonders Make Us More Creative

By John Spencer Creativity One Comment

In a few hours, we will begin observing the eclipse. No handouts. No close reading exercises. Just a bunch of families in the neighborhood gathering together to break bread, eat bacon, and then see the shadows change and the stars appear and the temperature drop.…

Aug 04 2017

Because of Teachers (A Short Tribute Video)

By John Spencer Creativity, Teacher Life 4 Comments

I consider myself incredibly fortunate to work with pre-service teachers who will enter the classroom in the next few years. Teachers are awesome. So, with that in mind, the following is a video I created as a back-to-school video. You can check it out on…

Jul 31 2017

Turning Problems into Solutions

By John Spencer Creativity, Creativity Deconstructed 2 Comments

When teachers view themselves as systems architects, they are able to view potential problems as design challenges. What I Learned from Watching People on a Plane Yesterday, on a flight from Portland to Minneapolis, the flight attendant asked the passengers to check their seats…

Jul 21 2017

What do maker projects look like in each subject area?

By John Spencer Creativity, Design Thinking, Makerspaces 4 Comments

If you're interested in designing your own makerspace, check out the Makerspace Master Course. It’s a self-paced, week-long course that you can do from anywhere at any time. Making Can Happen in Every Subject Recently a friend of mine said, "When I think of makerspaces,…

Jul 16 2017

The 3 Big Mistakes I Made When Trying to Design a Makerspace

By John Spencer Creativity, Makerspaces 3 Comments

I first heard of makerspaces over a decade ago. It was around 2005, not long after Make Magazine came out and people were talking about things like fab labs and maker faires. It was a part of the do-it-yourself culture that I found intriguing, even if I…

Jul 10 2017

Why Every Classroom Should Be a Makerspace

By John Spencer Creativity, Creativity Deconstructed, Innovation, Makerspaces, Podcast 12 Comments

This is the first post in a week-long series on makerspaces. I once taught an eighth-grade student who had written four novels online, despite the fact that she had only been learning English for three years. She spent her free time in class looking up…

Jul 05 2017

Seven Ways to Help Students Embrace an Entrepreneurial Mindset

By John Spencer Creativity, Empowering Students 2 Comments

This post is loosely based on a chapter from my latest book Empower. Thank you to everyone who has helped make it a number one best-seller on Amazon! Thank you to anyone who has left a review on Amazon and spread the word on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram,…