future of learning Archives - Spencer Education

Apr 22 2025

In a World of AI, Content Curation Is More Important Than Ever

By John Spencer Artificial Intelligence, Creativity, Podcast, Technology and Media Literacy One Comment

Content curation is a vital part of the creative process. In this blog post and podcast, we explore why curation matters and how we can help students learn how to engage in the curation process. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but…

Oct 30 2024

Why Focused Work Has Become an Essential Skill in a Distracted World

By John Spencer Depth Advantage, Mindsets, Podcast 4 Comments

It's no secret that students are distracted. When I conduct workshops and deliver keynotes, I like to ask teachers about their successes and their current challenges. Overwhelmingly, teachers describe the challenge of teaching to a distracted generation of students. I see a similar pattern when…

Dec 09 2022

Human Skills in a World of Artificial Intelligence

By John Spencer Artificial Intelligence, Podcast, Technology and Media Literacy, Vintage Innovation 13 Comments

Three years ago, I stood in a high-tech lab at a technical university and stared at the giant flat screen monitor. The professor asked me, "Can you tell me which of these samples was generated via Artificial Intelligence?" At the top, a student had asked…

May 18 2021

Getting Started with Content Curation in the Classroom

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast, Technology and Media Literacy 37 Comments

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…

Jan 08 2020

4 Myths About the Future of Education

By John Spencer Podcast, Vintage Innovation One Comment

A decade ago, I watched a local school district purchase hundreds of interactive whiteboards. Hailed as the ultimate solution for student achievement, teachers attended flip chart trainings. The school district purchased packaged curriculum promising huge results. Specialists observed classrooms to see if teachers were implementing…

Dec 30 2019

Why Journalism Might Actually Be the Class of the Future

By John Spencer Creativity Deconstructed, Future of Learning, Podcast 4 Comments

This is my latest article on the topic of Vintage Innovation. Look for the book to come out soon. When we imagine the future of learning, we often hear about STEM and STEAM and things like robotics or coding. But I'd argue that one of…

Apr 02 2019

The Future Belongs to the Makers

By John Spencer Design Thinking 14 Comments

This is the first in a month-long series on design thinking. This is an elaboration of an article I wrote in 2015. My Maker Journey When I was in the eighth grade, my entire goal was to go unnoticed. Fly under the radar. Keep away…

Sep 30 2016

10 Tips for Global Collaboration Projects

By John Spencer Future of Learning, Innovation 2 Comments

Two years ago, I had the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of speaking at the White House and sharing the story of a global collaboration project. It was part of the Future Ready initiative and I spoke about the need to leverage the connective and creative power of technology…

Sep 22 2016

Critical Questions for Making Sense Out of a Connected World

By John Spencer Technology and Media Literacy No Comments

A few days ago, I noticed people sharing a few random articles from Atlas Obscura. I noticed a few of their tweets rising to the top of my Twitter feed as well. As I drove to work, I caught a part of an NPR story with one…