In this latest podcast episode, I interview Manuel Herrera on the idea of visual thinking and how to make it a reality in the K-12 classroom. Manuel shares specific strategies and key insights to help you on your visual thinking and sketchnoting journey. Listen to... The post Manuel Herrera on How to Use Visual Thinking for Deeper Learning appeared first on John Spencer.

There are so many different ways we can empower students to own the learning; from owning the assessment process to doing choice menus and choice boards to having students engage in project-based learning. In this article, we explore how Geek Out Blogs allow students to... The post Geek Out Projects: My Approach to Genius Hour and 20% Time in the Language Arts Classroom appeared first on John Spencer.

It’s easy to remember the highlight reels of the project-based approach I used when I taught eighth grade. I think about the moment we finished our second mural and my students were so excited they started spontaneously cheering or the moment students asked thoughtful questions... The post How Do You Teach to the Standards When Doing Project-Based Learning? appeared first on John Spencer.

In this podcast episode, I interview Clement Townsend about the importance of journalism and multimedia composition in the classroom. Clement Townsend has valuable real-world experience in journalism as well as teaching and mentoring experience at the K-12 level. In this episode, he shares practical insights... The post Clement Townsend on How Video Journalism Can Empower Students with Voice and Choice appeared first on John Spencer.

Years ago, my friend Chad (who tragically passed away from cancer last year) started the 21st Century Classroom initiative in our district. Teachers would be part of six-person teams where they would attend professional development, receive state-of-the-art technology, and have a learning coach who would... The post Every Student Deserves Access to Project-Based Learning appeared first on John Spencer.

In this episode, I interview Dr. Lorea Martinez about social-emotional learning. Dr. Martinez is the author of Teaching with the HEART in Mind: A Complete Educator’s Guide to Social Emotional Learning. She is a true expert in SEL and provides important ideas and key insights... The post Dr. Lorea Martinez on How to Implement Social-Emotional Learning with the Heart in Mind appeared first on John Spencer.

Social-emotional learning has become a bit trendy lately. However, it’s more than merely a trend. SEL is a critical part of student soft skill development. In my latest article, I explore the relationship between project-based learning (PBL) and social-emotional learning (SEL). It’s an idea that... The post The Powerful Combination of PBL and SEL appeared first on John Spencer.

I’ve been at the college level for nearly six years and every time I visit one of my college students in the midst of their practicum, I am struck by how fast time moves in a classroom. It’s easy as a professor to forget the... The post Making Time for Project-Based Learning appeared first on John Spencer.

Project-based learning can feel overwhelming. It can seem like an entire transformation in your teaching practice. However, it doesn’t have to require a massive overhaul. Often, it’s more like an evolution. In my latest podcast episode, I interview Dr. Melissa Deutsch about her PBL journey.... The post Dr. Melissa Deutsch on the PBL Journey appeared first on John Spencer.

We know that creativity is vital for student learning. We also know that we tend to value the things we assess. However, when we assess creativity, we can unwittingly cause students to become risk-averse. So, how do we assess creativity in a way that encourages... The post We Want Students to Be Creative, But How Do We Assess This? appeared first on John Spencer.