In a previous post, I explored this idea that every student deserves a makerspace. In this post, I look at some of the most common myths I see regarding makerspaces. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but you’d like to listen to it on the go, just click on the audio below […] The post The Seven Myths Keeping Teachers from Designing Makerspaces appeared first on John Spencer.

When I was a kid, I used to spend hours playing Tetris. I would zone out everything else and hit a state of hyperfocus. I was fully engaged. I could spend hours playing Tetris. Over the years, the trending games have changed. I may or may not have created my own fair share of Sonic […] The post What Can Video Games Teach Us About Instructional Design? appeared first on John Spencer.

I recently wrote about the power of rest to increase productivity and creative thinking. For that reason, I also want to share a phenomenal resource from my friend, Angela Watson, that empowers teachers to make this a reality. She also has a summer planning guide you might want to check out. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this […] The post The Difference Between Being Busy and Being Productive appeared first on John Spencer.

When I was a kid, I loved to doodle. It’s how I took notes in class, how I made sense out of ideas, and how I kept busy when I slipped into boredom. I kept journals and notebooks with scrawling sketches all over the place. Now, as an adult, I do the same thing. I […] The post Using Video Prompts to Spark the Love of Writing, Making, and Creative Thinking appeared first on John Spencer.

Teaching is an exhausting gig and when teachers take the time to rest during the summer, they able to find a place of renewal and restoration. Research has demonstrated that rest is vital for maintaining our passion and reaching our creative potential. However, it’s easy to go through the summer without finding any true restoration. […] The post Making Rest a Priority in the Summer appeared first on John Spencer.

 Schools often hold a narrow view of creativity, relegating it to the art room and maybe some fun crafts in class. Sometimes “creative type” is used in a derogatory way. It’s the teacher with the messy desk or the craft supplies scattered all over the room. Or it’s the opposite. You know the type […] The post The Seven Types of Creative Teachers appeared first on John Spencer.

We know feedback is important. But what happens when students ignore it? In this article and podcast, we explore how to integrate feedback into every part of the learning process so that students can increase in metacognition during their PBL and design thinking projects.   Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but […] The post Seven Strategies for Improving Student Feedback appeared first on John Spencer.

A few months ago, I had the opportunity to deliver an opening keynote and closing talk for EdEx, a conference in Eindhoven (in the Netherlands). When Jochem first shared his idea of a weeklong design expedition, I imagined teachers working in a makerspace, designing a product that would mirror the type of work they might […] The post Using Design Thinking to Innovate in Your Own Practice appeared first on John Spencer.

I want to make something clear before we dive into this topic. I made huge mistakes in classroom management as a teacher. I let certain disruptive behaviors go unchecked because I was tired and I didn’t want to put out another fire. I had moments when I shamed a student or yelled at a class. […] The post 5 Myths About Classroom Management in PBL appeared first on John Spencer.

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 the most relevant subjects for developing a maker mindset is actually journalism. Here’s why.  Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but you’d like to listen to […] The post Why Journalism Might Actually Be the Class of the Future appeared first on John Spencer.