Blog - Page 5 of 46 - John Spencer

Jan 05 2024

Betsy Potash Shares How to Use Hexagonal Thinking to Improve Discussions

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast One Comment

In this episode, Betsy Potash shares how to use hexagonal thinking to improve classroom discussions. She walks you through some of the potential applications at various grade levels with different subject areas. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but you’d like to…

Dec 14 2023

12 Ways to End the Semester on a Creative Note

By John Spencer Creativity One Comment

Let's just put it out there. 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…

Dec 06 2023

Getting Started with Student Portfolio Projects

By John Spencer Authentic Assessment, Podcast, Project-Based Learning 15 Comments

When I was a senior in high school, our AP Government teacher chose not to give us a final exam for the end of the first semester. Instead, we would create our own portfolios. Our portfolios had to include what we had learned and what…

Nov 28 2023

Beyond the Audience: Why Students Need to Embrace Self-Initiated Creativity

By John Spencer Creativity, Podcast One Comment

I've often written about the power of a launch. However, there's also a place for self-initiated creative work where students engage in creativity with an "audience of one." Here, they experience the permission to try experiment and work through multiple iterations. They find their creative…

Nov 02 2023

Ten Surprising Truths About Creativity

By John Spencer Creativity 4 Comments

While we tend to think of play as spontaneous, I've learned that I need to schedule longer extended periods of creative play. I put these dates on my calendar weeks in advance and treat them like a work meeting or a training. No matter how…

Oct 26 2023

Cara Zelas on SEL, Emotional Support Dogs, and the Big World of Little Dude

By John Spencer Podcast, Teacher Life No Comments

In this week's episode I interview Cara Zelas, the founder of Big World of Little Dude. Together we explore the crucial topics of emotional support dogs in schools, social-emotional learning, and enhancing student soft skills. Join us as we delve into practical strategies and the…

Oct 22 2023

The FACTS Cycle for Prompt Engineering

By John Spencer Artificial Intelligence, Creativity, Podcast 4 Comments

Over the last year, I've had the opportunity to work with educators who are incorporating generative A.I. into their classroom practice. Whether it's working with the pre-service teachers at my university or in working with current teachers in the workshops and professional development I lead,…

Oct 05 2023

Ten Strategies to Crush Self-Doubt in Creative Work

By John Spencer Creativity, Creativity Deconstructed, Podcast 2 Comments

Embarking on a creative journey often feels like a leap into the unknown, with self-doubt lurking at every corner. In this article and podcast, we explore the gritty reality of learning a new creative skill. I share my own story of starting an apparel project…

Sep 29 2023

Katie Novak on How to Make Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Work in Your School

By John Spencer Podcast 2 Comments

In this week's episode, I interview Dr. Katie Novak. She shares the basics of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and how to make it work in a K-12 setting. I gained so many key insights from this interview and I hope you find it as…

Sep 20 2023

How to Use Generative A.I. to Design Better Scaffolds and Supports

By John Spencer Artificial Intelligence, Creativity, Podcast 4 Comments

For all the talk of students using Artificial Intelligence to cheat, we can easily miss the reality that A.I. has made differentiated instruction more feasible for educators. In this week's article and podcast episode, I explore how we can leverage A.I. tools for differentiated instruction.…