The Creative Classroom with John Spencer

By John Spencer

What's The Creative Classroom with John Spencer about?

John Spencer is passionate about seeing schools embrace creativity and design thinking. In this podcast, he explores the intersection of creative thinking and student learning.

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The Creative Classroom with John Spencer episodes:

04.16.2024
How to Prevent AI from Doing All the Thinking
Cognitive atrophy happens any time we lose the ability to engage in a mental process due to inactivity. In a world of Artificial Intelligence, we need to be cognizant of the dangers of cognitive atrophy so that we can continue...
04.09.2024
Grace Hawthorne on How to Make Possibilities Happen
In my latest episode, Grace Hawthorne, author of Make Possibilities Happen, shares practical insights into how to spark creativity in students. She has a wealth of knowledge and shares key insights throughout this episode. Listen to the Podcast If you...
04.03.2024
Rethinking Information Literacy in an Age of AI
Terms like “game-changing” and “disruptive” have become cliche in technology circles. As educators, we’ve seen the hype of 1:1 devices, paperless classrooms, interactive whiteboards, and a host of different education fads. However, AI feels different. We are living in a...
03.26.2024
Making Time for Project-Based Learning (PBL)
When I was in my second year of teacher, I wanted so badly to implement PBL. This, despite the fact that I didn’t know the term “project-based learning.” I simply knew that I wanted students to engage in meaningful projects...
03.13.2024
What Are the Bay Leaves of Education?
A few years ago, I met a chef and asked him, “So, bay leaves? Do they even have a point? You can’t taste them. You have to take them out. They seem to get in the way.” He shook his...
02.20.2024
Deliberate Practice or Deliberate Play?
Deliberate practice and deliberate skill are two different approaches to developing skills. One is more structured and the other is more connective. One is more targeted and efficient while other other is more connective and holistic. While it’s easy to...
02.08.2024
When Should Students Use Artificial Intelligence? Seven Keys to Consider
The explosion of generative AI has created significant challenges and sparked new opportunities for our students. So, how do we decide when students should and should not use AI? In this article and podcast, I explore seven key areas you...
01.30.2024
Understanding Neurodiversity: An Empowered View of Learning Differences
In this article and podcast, we explore what it means to shift from a focus on learning disabilities to focusing on learning differences. What does it mean to embrace neurodiversity and help students find their hidden potential connected to their...
01.22.2024
Sam Marsden on the Value of Improv Games to Spark Creative Thinking
In my latest podcast episode, I interview Samantha Marsden, who shares how drama and improve strategies can help students gain creative confidence, improve their communication skills, and engage in iterative thinking. Her new book Acting Games for Improv is out...
01.13.2024
Ian Clawson on the Power of Co-Creation and Creativity
In this week’s podcast episode, I talk to Ian Clawson about creative collaboration. In this interview, I ask him about tools for co-creation and what it looks like to create a culture where people give one another vital creative feedback....
01.09.2024
7 Tips for Getting Started with Student Choice in the Classroom
Our students will inhabit an unpredictable world. With machine learning and other advanced forms of AI, students will need to become really good at what AI can’t do and really different with what can do. They will need to be...
01.06.2024
Betsy Potash Shares How to Use Hexagonal Thinking to Improve Discussions
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...
12.06.2023
Getting Started with Student Portfolio Projects
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...
11.29.2023
Beyond the Audience: Why Students Need to Embrace Self-Initiated Creativity
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...
10.26.2023
Cara Zelas on SEL, Emotional Support Dogs, and the Big World of Little Dude
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...
10.22.2023
The FACTS Cycle for Prompt Engineering
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...
10.06.2023
Ten Strategies to Crush Self-Doubt in Creative Work
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...
09.29.2023
Katie Novak on How to Make Universal Design for Learning (UDL) Work in Your School
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...
09.20.2023
How to Use Generative A.I. to Design Better Scaffolds and Supports
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...
09.12.2023
Kristina A. Holzweiss on How Librarians Can Leverage AI to Reach All Students
In this latest podcast episode, I talk to an expert in technology, information literacy, and education. Kristina Holzweiss shares her insights into how machine learning can improve outcomes and increase equity if we leverage it the right way. Listen to...
08.08.2023
Sal Khan on A.I. and Personalized Learning
A.I. is changing learning in profound ways. In this week’s podcast episode, I interview Sal Khan from Khan Academy. He shares his thoughts on how A.I. will impact personalized learning and what they are doing at Khan Academy with Khanmigo....
08.04.2023
Students Need to Explore the Nature of A.I.
In 2014, Microsoft launched a hugely successful A.I. bot named Xiaoice in China. With over forty million conversations, users often described feeling as though they were interacting with a real human. Microsoft founder Bill Gates described it this way, “’Xiaoice...
07.27.2023
Jessica Lander on Innovative Approaches to Immigrant Education
In this podcast episode, I interview educator and author Jessica Lander. I really enjoyed her book Making Americans and the many lenses she uses in thinking about innovation within immigrant education. More than anything, she is human-focused and centers the...
06.27.2023
5 Ways to Leverage A.I. for Student Supports and Scaffolds
Generative A.I. has created some very real challenges with academic integrity. Schools have been scrambling to create systems and policies that address the potential for cheating. In the past, I’ve written about how we might redefine the essay in an...
06.08.2023
Angela Daniel on Deeper Learning in the Age of A.I.
In this podcast episode, I interview Angela Daniel who works at the MIT Step Lab. In this in-depth interview, Angela discusses AI, deeper learning, and the need for students to think about the nature of the technology itself. Listen to...
05.31.2023
Mending the Tears in a Super Suit (A Short Story)
The following is a short story I wrote about AI, teaching, learning, heroes, and superpowers. This is a pretty sharp departure from my typical blog posts but I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I enjoyed writing...
05.23.2023
5 Ways Artificial Intelligence Might Transform Assessment Practices
When I do workshops on student-centered assessment practices or teach the Assessment Design course as a professor, I’ve noticed that people feel strong emotions about assessment. As educators, all of our assessment practices come from a set of values and...
05.15.2023
How to Leverage AI for Project Management
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...
04.26.2023
The Surprising Science of Project Fatigue (And How Teachers Can Help Prevent It)
I’m struggling with work right now. It’s not a toxic culture. I work with an amazing team of educators. It’s not the work itself, either. I’m not falling into the “busy” trap of doing tedious work that doesn’t fit my...
04.12.2023
Ben Farrell’s Surprising Approach to Students Using ChatGPT
In this episode, I interview Ben Farrell, who shares the counterintuitive approach his school took with ChatGPT. Farrell is the assistant head of school at New England Innovation Academy, the nation’s first human-centered design middle and high school. At NEIA,...
04.04.2023
Will AI Cause More Harm Than Good?
Last week, a friend of mine asked me, “Do you have any concerns about AI destroying the world and being the worst thing ever and then having people know that you were an early proponent of it?” This led to...
03.27.2023
Interview with Shark Tank Star and Entrepreneur Daymond John
I recently had the honor of interviewing Shark Tank star and entrepreneur Daymond John. He just released a children’s book that I’m really excited about. In this podcast episode, he talks about rethinking financial literacy and entrepreneurship for children. Check...
03.24.2023
Jennifer Lagarde on the Future of Information Literacy in a World of Smart Machines
In this podcast episode, I interview information literacy expert Jennifer Lagarde. We explore what it means to navigate the everchanging media landscape in a world of AI. I’m a huge fan of the books that she co-wrote with Darren Hudgins....
03.18.2023
Mark Schneider on the Role of Data and AI in the Future of Learning
In this podcast episode, Dr. Mark Schneider (during of the Institute of Education Sciences) shares how data and AI are changing education. We explore future trends that we may see in the upcoming years. There were some fascinating things I...
03.13.2023
Dr. Alec Couros on Redefining Information Literacy In An Era of AI
With the emergence of generative AI, we now have newer concerns around deep fakes and misinformation. Older, more traditional approaches simply won’t work given the new media landscape. In this podcast episode, I interview an educational technology expert and professor...
03.07.2023
What Does Personalized Learning Look Like in an Age of Smart Machines? #ChatGPT
Eight students stood in line whispering to one another and fidgeting in excitement. A few of them had peeked into the windows to see what was new. One girl had a tiny notebook with a list. Most of the students...
02.04.2023
We Can’t Predict How A.I. Will Change Learning #ChatGPT
“What do you think all of this means for the future?” a friend asks. We’d been talking about ChatGPT for nearly an hour but suddenly it starts to hit closer to home. “I don’t know,” I answer. “I mean, our...
01.23.2023
Donalyn Miller Shares How to Empower Readers with Voice and Choice
In my latest podcast episode, I interview Donalyn Miller on what it means to take a student-centered approach in English Language Arts. Donalyn is one of my education heroes, so I totally nerded out in getting to interview her on...
01.14.2023
What Our Adopted Greyhound Taught Me About Life, Learning, and Creativity
Four years ago, we adopted Jasmine, a retired racing greyhound. We knew we wanted a dog that was lower energy, more introverted, and less likely to bark. We had done our research ahead of time and we knew she would...
01.02.2023
Launching Into the New Year
Each year, I choose a single word to focus on as my “one word.” I realize this might sound cheesy but I find it helpful. Having a single word helps me stay focused on a general theme for the year....
12.09.2022
Human Skills in a World of Artificial Intelligence
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...
12.06.2022
Always Teach in Beta
In my first year of teaching, my mentor said something I’ll never forget. I taught a lesson that tanked. It was awful. I literally did everything wrong. It was the cringiest of cringe and I shared every detail with him...
11.17.2022
Designing PBL to Decrease Cognitive Load
It’s 4:25 p.m. and I’ve been working nonstop since 7:00 a.m. this morning. Actually, that’s not entirely true. On three separate occasions, I close my laptop, lace up my running shoes, and head for a walk in the brisk fall...
11.01.2022
Scott Witthoft on the Curious Craft of Prototyping
In my latest podcast episode, I interviewed Scott Witthoft, who shared an expanded view of what it means to prototype. I’ve written extensively about design thinking but his latest book This is a Prototype? challenged my thinking while also providing...
10.20.2022
The Power of Student Conferencing
If we want to empower students to own the assessment process, we need to incorporate meaningful self-assessment and peer assessment into our lessons. However, students still need guidance from their teachers. This is why I love five-minute conferences. Unlike a...
09.24.2022
Designing Socratic Seminars to Ensure That All Students Can Participate
Socratic seminars are a democratic, student-centered, approach to class discussions. They can be used at any grade level with any subject area. In a Socratic Seminar, members meet in a circle (or more likely an oval, because, let’s be real,...
09.01.2022
Taking a Gradual Release (GRR) Approach to Student Choice
Over the last month, I have been sharing practical ways that we can empower our students to own the learning from day one. This is the core idea that AJ Juliani and I wrote about in our book Empower. It’s...
07.18.2022
Creative Habits Versus Creative Momentum
I stare at the blinking cursor — an apt term for the blank page rhythmically lulling me into a curse of nothingness, slowly gaining inertia with every passing second. It’s a silent metronome counting down the time I haven’t written....
07.11.2022
Elena Aguilar on Coaching for Equity
In my latest episode, I interviewed Elena Aguilar about coaching, equity, and transforming teacher practice. She asked me a question that had me thinking about my own answer for days — and question what that means for my teaching practice....
07.05.2022
Sprints, Mini-Projects, and Project-Based Learning
This would be the year. I would be a fully project-based social studies teacher. After reading every PBL book I could read and attending PBL sessions at a few summer conferences, I had a vision for a new way of...

What's The Creative Classroom with John Spencer about?

Download our free app to listen on your phone

The Creative Classroom with John Spencer episodes:

How to Prevent AI from Doing All the Thinking

Grace Hawthorne on How to Make Possibilities Happen

Rethinking Information Literacy in an Age of AI

Making Time for Project-Based Learning (PBL)

What Are the Bay Leaves of Education?

Deliberate Practice or Deliberate Play?

When Should Students Use Artificial Intelligence? Seven Keys to Consider

Understanding Neurodiversity: An Empowered View of Learning Differences

Sam Marsden on the Value of Improv Games to Spark Creative Thinking

Ian Clawson on the Power of Co-Creation and Creativity

7 Tips for Getting Started with Student Choice in the Classroom

Betsy Potash Shares How to Use Hexagonal Thinking to Improve Discussions

Getting Started with Student Portfolio Projects

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

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

The FACTS Cycle for Prompt Engineering

Ten Strategies to Crush Self-Doubt in Creative Work

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

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

Kristina A. Holzweiss on How Librarians Can Leverage AI to Reach All Students

Sal Khan on A.I. and Personalized Learning

Students Need to Explore the Nature of A.I.

Jessica Lander on Innovative Approaches to Immigrant Education

5 Ways to Leverage A.I. for Student Supports and Scaffolds

Angela Daniel on Deeper Learning in the Age of A.I.

Mending the Tears in a Super Suit (A Short Story)

5 Ways Artificial Intelligence Might Transform Assessment Practices

How to Leverage AI for Project Management

The Surprising Science of Project Fatigue (And How Teachers Can Help Prevent It)

Ben Farrell’s Surprising Approach to Students Using ChatGPT

Will AI Cause More Harm Than Good?

Interview with Shark Tank Star and Entrepreneur Daymond John

Jennifer Lagarde on the Future of Information Literacy in a World of Smart Machines

Mark Schneider on the Role of Data and AI in the Future of Learning

Dr. Alec Couros on Redefining Information Literacy In An Era of AI

What Does Personalized Learning Look Like in an Age of Smart Machines? #ChatGPT

We Can’t Predict How A.I. Will Change Learning #ChatGPT

Donalyn Miller Shares How to Empower Readers with Voice and Choice

What Our Adopted Greyhound Taught Me About Life, Learning, and Creativity

Launching Into the New Year

Human Skills in a World of Artificial Intelligence

Always Teach in Beta

Designing PBL to Decrease Cognitive Load

Scott Witthoft on the Curious Craft of Prototyping

The Power of Student Conferencing

Designing Socratic Seminars to Ensure That All Students Can Participate

Taking a Gradual Release (GRR) Approach to Student Choice

Creative Habits Versus Creative Momentum

Elena Aguilar on Coaching for Equity

Sprints, Mini-Projects, and Project-Based Learning