Creative Collaboration Archives

May 15 2023

How to Leverage AI for Project Management

By John Spencer Creative Collaboration, Creativity, Podcast, Project-Based Learning 6 Comments

For the longest time, I was the project manager for 30 different projects. I would chart their progress and nag them about getting tasks done. Or I would set specific deadlines for the entire class. Over time, though, I realized that my students could learn…

Mar 05 2021

Four Ways to Boost Collaboration in Student Projects

By John Spencer Creative Collaboration, Creativity, Podcast, Project-Based Learning 5 Comments

Creative collaboration can be challenging at every every level of education. Sometimes the issue is work imbalance, with one student doing the majority of the work while others slack off. The term organizational psychology is "cognitive loafing." In some cases, it can feel like one…

Jun 22 2020

Why Every Teacher Needs a Mastermind Group

By John Spencer Creative Collaboration, Creativity, Podcast, Professional Development 4 Comments

This is my latest article in a series on owning your professional learning. In this series, we explore what it means to own your professional learning. This article focuses on mastermind groups. These groups are self-initiated and democratic. Members meet together to provide accountability, structure,…

Aug 31 2019

The Four Biggest Pitfalls of Collaborative Grouping (And How to Avoid Them)

By John Spencer Creative Collaboration, Creativity, Podcast 4 Comments

We’ve all been there before. You’re working with a few other people and everything just seems to click. It might be on a ballfield or court. Or it might be in a jam session or a rehearsal for live theater. If you’re lucky, it might…

Aug 31 2018

Five Structures for Helping Students Learn Project Management

By John Spencer Creative Collaboration, Creativity, Podcast, Project-Based Learning 13 Comments

If we want students to think like artists, entrepreneurs, and engineers, they need the chance to design real projects. But this also requires students to learn how to engage in project management. The following is a short video on the project management process: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7yZutiwRso&t=26s …

Mar 09 2018

Seven Ways to Boost Collaboration in P.B.L.

By John Spencer Creative Collaboration, Podcast, Project-Based Learning 3 Comments

Over the last month, we have been taking a deep dive into project-based learning. One of the most frequent questions I hear about PBL is "how do we get all of the members to participate in group projects?" Both elementary and secondary education teachers ask…

Nov 04 2017

What a Trip to China Taught Me About Global Collaboration Projects

By John Spencer Creative Collaboration, Creativity, Podcast One Comment

My Trip to China A few days ago I arrived home after a two-week trip to China. We spent a few days doing things that were unabashedly tourist-related, like going to the Great Wall, visiting the Temple of Heaven, and exploring the Forbidden City in…

Oct 14 2017

Ten Things Pixar Can Teach Us About Creativity

By John Spencer Creative Collaboration, Creativity 2 Comments

For the last two decades, Pixar has produced some of the most creative and epic films of this era. But this is the result of a culture of creative collaboration built on ideas of being frank, taking chances, and failing forward. So, what can educators…

Oct 07 2017

Helping Introverts Thrive in Collaborative Projects

By John Spencer Creative Collaboration, Creativity One Comment

We know collaboration is important but it's easy for introverts to get lost in the shuffle. So, how do we honor introverts' identity and build on their hidden strengths and we engage in collaborative projects? Collaboration Isn't Working for Introverts I don't enjoy most collaborative…