What the Revival of Barnes and Noble Can Teach Us about Gen Z and Technology Blog Post

For years, educational technology has promised to make learning faster, more personalized, and more efficient. On some respect, it has delivered on those promises. But as concerns about screen time and student engagement continue to grow, more educators are rediscovering the value of low-tech learning….

Embracing the Low Tech Revolution Blog Post

This is the first in my summer series I’m calling Low Tech Learning. In today’s podcast and article, I explore the negative aspects of a tech-centric environment and the movement toward going low tech. I also want to provide some nuance and balance to set…

The Power of Silent Discussions for Deeper Collaboration Blog Post

There’s a strange tension in most classrooms. We say we value discussion. We say we want depth. But often the loudest voice wins and the fastest thinker sets the pace. The result can feel energetic and engaging on the surface while quieter students fade into...

The Five Biggest Fears that Kept Me from Empowering Students Blog Post

Student engagement is harder than it used to be, but the answer is not more control or better entertainment. It is helping students move from compliance to true ownership, where they have voice, choice, and responsibility for their learning. This post explores what happens when...

How Will AI Transform Creative Thinking? Blog Post

As AI becomes becomes more pervasive in our daily work, we often wrestle with a big question: what should we automate and what should we protect as deeply human? We experience this profoundly in creative work. We are drawn to the speed and efficiency of…

How Compacting Can Lead to Deeper Learning Blog Post

In my latest article, I explore how we can use compacting to spark deeper learning in students. We dive into why compacting matters, how it works, what models to use, and how we can incorporate assessment into it. The Need for Compacting When my son…

A Few Years In: The Unintended Consequences of Generative AI Blog Post

With the widespread adoption of generative AI, we need to explore how these platforms are changing our world. In my latest article and podcast episode, I share six unintended consequences that are beginning to emerge. We Can’t Predict How AI Will Change Our World As…

Spencer Education: Spark Curiosity. Ignite Creativity. Page

Spark Curiosity. Ignite Creativity. I'm a former middle school teacher and a current full-time professor who is passionate about seeing teachers transform their classrooms into bastions of creativity and wonder. Over the last twenty years, I have written articles, recorded podcast episodes, crafted sketch videos,...