Convergent Thinking Versus Divergent Thinking John Spencer 2024-10-16 | Convergent Thinking Versus Divergent Thinking
Writing Prompt: Your Weakness is Now Your Superpower John Spencer 2024-05-23 | In this writing prompt, you’ll explore the concept of turning your greatest weakness into a superpower. How would your life change if the very thing that held you back became your greatest strength? Unleash your creativity and imagination as you dive into this intriguing writing exercise. Watch as characters conquer obstacles and embrace their newfound powers in this transformational journey. Let your ideas soar as you craft a story that showcases the power of resilience and self-discovery.
When Is it OKAY for Teens to Use AI? John Spencer 2024-05-16 | One of the most common questions I hear is, "When is it okay to use AI? When is it cheating?" The answer actual depends on the context. It depends on the subject area and the standards you are teaching.
Why Apples New Commercial Was a Crushing Failure John Spencer 2024-05-10 | Apple's latest commercial highlights the sleek, compressed perfection of their iPad Pro, but I'd like to push back a bit. In this response video, I dive into the joy of tactile, vibrant, and imperfect experiences that can't be crushed or replaced by tech. From strumming an acoustic guitar by a campfire to hearing a grand piano play timeless tunes, let's decompress and celebrate the expansive, colorful world around us.
The Surprising Science of Human Motivation John Spencer 2024-05-09 | Understanding motivation can unlock so much potential in your personal and professional life. In this video, we dive deep into the nuanced world of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation through the lens of Deci and Ryan's Self-Determination Theory (SDT). It's not a simple binary—it's a continuum that ranges from amotivation to extrinsic motivation and finally to intrinsic motivation.Join us as we explore how motivation shifts along this continuum and uncover where the concepts of controlled vs. autonomous motivation come into play. From amotivation to external regulation, introjection, identification, integration, and finally intrinsic motivation, we break down each stage and provide relatable examples to make these concepts come to life.Discover Kyle's journey from dreading running to genuinely loving it. He transitions through each stage, eventually embracing running as part of his identity. How does your motivation change over time and context? Share your own experiences in the comments below!If you find this video insightful, give it a thumbs up and don't forget to subscribe for more explorations into motivation and personal growth!
A Tiny Tweak I Made in Feedback That Led to Huge Results John Spencer 2024-04-26 | In this video, I share a quick strategy I use for helping change the way we give and receive feedback.
What a Useless Baseball Statistic Taught Me About Student Assessment John Spencer 2024-04-18 | Educators are often asked to be data-driven and data-informed. We use the data to judge teacher performance and pull students for interventions. And yet . . . being data informed requires us to think critically about the data we use. In this short video, I compare it to one of the most useless statistics in baseball.
I Almost Quit Teaching Until My Mentor Said This . . . John Spencer 2024-04-12 | I share a quick story of a time I almost quit teaching. My mentor shared a metaphor that has stuck with me forever.
The shocking truth about student feedback John Spencer 2024-03-14 | Uncover the shocking truth about student feedback in this video. Learn about the importance of critical feedback and assessment in academic settings.
What If PLAY Is Actually Better Than Practice? John Spencer 2023-12-09 | You've probably heard about the famous 10,000-hour rule and its emphasis on deliberate practice for mastering any skill. But what about the concept of deliberate play? Is it just as effective? In this video, we explore the key differences between deliberate practice and deliberate play. Discover which approach could be more beneficial for the skills you're trying to develop. Watch now to enhance your learning strategy and decide the best path for your personal growth and success!
Writing Prompt: Reinvent Fantasy Football John Spencer 2023-11-11 | This writing prompt asks students to reimagine fantasy football so that it actually has elements of fantasy. For more writing prompts, check out my project launchlanguage.org.
How to Design Better AI Prompts John Spencer 2023-10-22 | Prompt engineering is the process of crafting, revising, and implementing queries for generative A.I. systems. It's about asking questions or making requests in a way that helps you maximize the potential of A.I. tools so you can get the best results. The following is a five-step process for prompt engineering I created after interviewing artists, engineers, entrepreneurs, computer scientists, and research librarians to see what their workflow is like when using generative AI. I call it the FACTS Cycle. In the first phase, you formulate the prompt. Ask yourself, "What do I want the AI to do?" This can be a command or a question. It should be clear and focused but also leave room for the AI platform to be creative. You might look at sample questions or use a set of sentence stems. Here's an example from a social studies class and here's an example from a computer programming class. You might even use this rubric to judge the quality of your prompt and revise what you've written. Next, you acquire the A.I. Tool. Here, you analyze the capabilities and limitations of various A.I. platforms and choose which tools works best. Then you create the context. Chatbots can't read body language, understand tone, or feel the emotions of a shared experience. They can't "read the room" in real-time. This is why it helps to give the chatbot a RAFT. This is a modified version of RAFT idea developed by Carol M. Santa, Lynn T. Havens, and Bonnie J. Valdes in their book Project CRISS. Role: What is the role of the chatbot? What are you telling it to do? What is your role? How will you explain it to the chatbot?Audience: Who is the intended audience of what you are doing? Let the chatbot know the specifics.Format: What type of format does this need to be in? A table? A chart? A bullet point list?Tone: Is it formal or informal? Is it simple or complex? Is it approachable or authoritative? Let the chatbot know what to expect.In the fourth phase, you type the prompt. Finally, you scrutinize the answer. You could check for bias, relevance, factual accuracy, text construction, or tone of voice. At this point, you might use the regenerate button or even give the chatbot a quick piece of feedback. Often, you'll cycle back through the phases as you ask follow-up questions. This is simply one framework. You might modify the process to make it your own. Because ultimately, prompt engineering isn't a formula. It's a mindset and a habit to help you think more intentionally, critically, and creatively about the way you use generative A.I.
Mr. Rogers Was Punk Rock John Spencer 2023-10-10 | There was something deeply counter-cultural about him.
I Tried the Snailed It Productivity Mindset John Spencer 2023-09-30 | Have you ever felt like you're progressing at a snail's pace toward your goals? 🐌 Do you ever feel guilty for not moving faster or getting as much done? What if going slower might actually be the better route? A few years ago, a simple phrase, "Snailed It," printed on a t-shirt, turned into a significant mindset shift for me. It's a reminder that success isn't just about speed; it's about faithfulness, showing up, and embracing the journey, even when it feels messy and confusing.In a world that often glorifies hustle and grind culture, "Snailed It" celebrates the importance of slowing down, recharging, and focusing on the process, not just the end product. Rest is a critical component of the creative process, and "Snailed It" reminds us that life is not a race.So, if you're ready to stop comparing yourself to others and embrace collaboration, "Snailed It" might just be the mindset you need. Join me on this journey of slowing down and enjoying the process of teaching, learning, and creative work.Don't forget to like, subscribe, and share this video with anyone who could use a reminder that success is a marathon, not a sprint. 🐌 #SnailedIt #SuccessMindset #EmbraceTheJourney
Writing Prompt: Will we ever have flying cars? John Spencer 2023-05-12 | Here's my latest video writing prompt.
Why I Quit Calling It Self-Care John Spencer 2023-04-27 | Here's why I've changed from calling it "self-care" to "teacher care." We need to focus on changing systems.
Secrets of Assessment Revealed Through Skate Parks John Spencer 2023-04-22 | A quick thought about assessment and skate parks.
Never Compare Yourself to Others John Spencer 2023-04-17 | One of the best pieces of advice I got as a new teacher was to avoid comparing myself to others. This could lead to either shame or arrogance.
Creativity Is Like Working Out John Spencer 2023-04-16 | In this short video, I describe why creativity is like working out.
Why AI Wont Replace Teachers John Spencer 2023-03-25 | Artificial Intelligence futurists are predicting that AI will provide students with an entirely personalized educational experience - one that has the potential to replace teachers. In this video, we explore the distinction between personalized learning (human-driven) and adaptive learning (AI-driven). Adaptive learning is algorithm-driven, with students progressing through pre-set curriculum and the AI making adjustments to their skill level based on their answers. Personalized learning, by contrast, is human-driven, with a focus on authentic, real-world problem-solving and collaboration. Both approaches have their place, but personalized learning is ultimately a more human-centered approach.
AI Explained Using Ice Cream John Spencer 2023-01-22 | Embrace your human advantage. In an age of AI, your voice is what will stand out. In this short sketch video, I explore this idea with an ice cream metaphor.
What My Greyhound Taught Me About Life and Learning John Spencer 2023-01-13 | Here's a more personal video. It's a little different from most of my videos but I thought I would share it.
How Will Schools Respond to the A.I. Revolution? #chatgpt #artificialintelligence John Spencer 2023-01-10 | The AI Revolution is already here. But how will schools respond? Traditionally, schools typically default to one of two extremes: embrace tech uncritically (techno-futurism) or block it entirely. But there's a third way. This sketch video explores the big ideas around how schools will respond to AI in the future.
How to Use #chatgpt in a High School Math Class John Spencer 2022-12-13 | In this video, I explore how I would use ChatGPT if I were a math teacher. We tend to focus a lot of the conversation about AI and ChatGPT around cheating but I that misses the powerful way that AI can help improve conceptual understanding of a hard math concept. Will it replace direct instruction? No way. Is it the ultimate solution? Nope. But it is yet another powerful tool that we can use for personalized learning.
The Surprising Reason Students Tune Out Lectures John Spencer 2022-11-15 | Ever noticed that your students don't seem to retain most of what you share in a lecture? Ever noticed that even when it's well-crafted and highly engaging, students seem to tune out at some point? It turns out there's a surprising scientific reason for this. It has nothing to do with our ability to convey information and everything to do with how much information students can handle at any given time. Our brains can only handle so much information. This is explained by something called Cognitive Load Theory. In this video, we go beyond just the lecture and into other areas of teaching to explore how to reduce cognitive load in the classroom.
How I Designed an Inclusive Socratic Seminar (and You Can Too!) John Spencer 2022-10-02 | In this sketch video, I explain the benefits of Socratic Seminars and share a process for how to conduct one. For a longer exploration, please check out my blog post here: spencerauthor.com/socratic-seminarsTranscript:A Socratic seminar is a democratic, student-centered, approach to class discussions. It can work at any grade level with any subject area. In a Socratic Seminar, students ask and answer the questions while the teacher quietly observes. Typically, students sit in a circle (or more likely an oval, because, let's be real, perfect circles are next to impossible to create). Here they face one another. There is no need to raise hands or call on names. This is an open dialogue. Unlike a traditional classroom discussion, where most questions and answers run through the teacher, a Socratic Seminar is interconnected. Here students are empowered to own the discussion process,They gain empathy and learn how to see multiple perspectives.they become better listeners while also finding their voice,They engage in information literacy Often, they participate in systems thinking They improve critical thinking as they use evidence to support claimsAlong the way, they make connections between ideas and connect the subject area to their world, This helps them grow in awareness as they engage in democratic dialogueand discover that truth is often nuanced. They grow more curious and intellectually humble.Socratic Seminars can take many forms in the classroom. Here are a few of them. You might do the Giant Circle Approach: Students sit together in a large circle. Desks are pushed all the way back so that there is no physical barrier between students. Or you could do the "Fish Bowl" Approach: Arrange an inner circle where students have the Socratic Seminar discussion and an outside circle with observers who take notes. Another option is the Round Table Approach: Unlike the fishbowl, students gather around a singular round table where they can lean in and discuss ideas. This works well for smaller class sizes. You might also break it into Multiple Socratic Seminars so that more students can speak up in smaller groups. Or you could offer an online Socratic Seminars with the use of a text-based chat. So, what does a Socratic Seminar look like? Here's an example. In phase 1, you explain the process. In phase 2, you set the parameters by reviewing norms. Note that these first two phases are often fast. In phase 3, you prepare for your students for the Socratic Seminar. You might do a concept attainment mini-lesson, run an experiment, and review vocabulary. Your students might do some reflective writing, watch a video, listen to a podcast or engage with a mentor text In phase 4, you start the Socratic Seminar. You might have a series of sample questions or sentence stems students can use to get started. If you start with a mentor text, here are some questions you might ask:• What is the main idea?• What stands out to you?• How does this text relate to your experiences?• Was there anything confusing? What would you like to clarify?• Where can you find evidence to back up the main premise of the text? What evidence might contradict it?• What is the relevance of the text? But then, they'll shift naturally into phase 5, where they broaden the discussion and take it in different directions. This is typically the longest phase of the Socratic Seminar. Finally, in phase 6, students clarify and close the Socratic Seminar. Here they end the conversation. A few guiding questions might be:• Are there any questions you still have?• Is there anything that still feels unsettled or unclear?• What was a key take-away?When it's over, students might reflect on the experience.• What was this experience like for you?• Did you feel understood by your peers?• How did the group communicate?• What were some points that challenged your thinking?• Are there any new ideas that you have based on the discussion?While this process might seem messy and even chaotic, it allows students to learn the content at a deeper level while developing critical skills they will need to be democratic citizens that shape our future.
We Found A MAGIC Fountain! (Writing Prompt) John Spencer 2022-08-09 | It's a lazy afternoon on a blazingly hot Saturday, so you and your friends decide to go to a mall to cool off. Once you arrive, you notice a water fountain where people are tossing coins and making wishes. You know it seems silly but you close your eyes, make a wish, and toss all the change in your pocket into the fountain. It turns out the 23 cents is the precise amount needed for the wish to come true based on inflation. Everyone is throwing in single coins but the fountain requires exact change. As the coins float the bottom, the ground shakes and the water turns black. A slip of paper floats up to the top. It reads, "If you want to proceed with this wish, set the paper back in the water." You crumple up the paper and drop it in.As you walk away you realize you made an awful mistake and you can't take it back. There's a daily limit of one wish per person. Now you must undo this wish. So, what was the wish? What was the fatal flaw in this perfect wish? What are the negative consequences and who will this affect? What do you need to do to stop this wish from happening? Now tell this story in first person from start to finish.
The SECRET to crafting Project-Based Learning that Actually Work John Spencer 2022-04-01 | This video explores the overlap between project-based learning and design thinking.Transcript:What happens when teachers design projects that empower students with voice and choice? Students embrace a maker mindset. They define themselves as inventors and creators. They learn to take creative risks. Here they experiment and engage in iterative thinking. When this happens, they embrace a growth mindset and grow resilient. They become problem solvers and systems thinkers. They become divergent thinkers -- thinking outside the box. They use creative constraint to find original uses for materials. Here, they discover it's okay to be different. Often students embrace curiosity and wonder. They become explorers seeking out new information and thinking critically. They grow more empathetic as they design meaningful products that they launch to the world. On an academic level, students are more engaged and the information sticks. There's often an increase in student achievement. Meanwhile, they learn key skills like project management, collaboration, and communication. True,these projects will prepare students for the creative economy. But more importantly, they empower students for a creative life. Here, they see that making is magic. We know that there's a time crunch in schools. Materials can be scarce. Sometimes you're stuck with a tight curriculum map. But when you, as a teacher, empower your students with voice and choice, they become the makers who change the world.But how do we make the most out of project-based learning when we have tight time deadlines, a set of standards to teach, and limited resources? One solution is to combine project-based learning with design thinking. You can think of PBL as a pedagogical framework and design thinking as a creative framework. When this happens, you end up with PBL by Design. Design thinking is a human-centered approach to creative problem-solving. It is used in the arts, in engineering, in the corporate world, and in social and civic spaces. While there are many design thinking models, the LAUNCH Cycle is a student-centered framework you can use in any subject with any grade level.It starts with Look, Listen, and Learn. The goal here is awareness. It might be a sense of wonder a process, an understanding of a problem, an observation of a natural phenomenon, or an awareness of a social issue. But it also includes empathy with a community. Sparked by curiosity, students move to the second phase, where they ask tons of questions, which leads to understanding the process or problem through an authentic research experience. They might do needs assessments, conduct surveys, watch videos, listen to podcasts, conduct experiments, make observations, analyze data, do a video chat with an expert or engage in online research. Students apply the newly acquired knowledge to potential solutions. In this phase, they navigate ideas. Here they not only brainstorm, but they also analyze ideas, combine ideas, and generate a concept for what they will create. From there, they Create a Prototype, whether it's a digital work, a physical product, a service, a system, or an event. Next, they Highlight What's Working and Fix What's Failing. Here, they view the revision process as an experiment full of iterations where every mistake takes them closer and closer to success. Then, when it's done, it's ready to launch to an audience. In this launch phase, they send their work to the world. Then, based on the audience feedback, they move into a new iteration, where they're able to Look, Listen, and Learn all over again. When you combine design thinking and project-based learning, students engage in authentic projects that lead to deeper learning.
You Woke Up Inside of a Video Game (Writing Prompt) John Spencer 2022-02-23 | Here's a writing prompt you can use in your classroom free of charge. If you enjoy these writing prompts and use them in your classroom, please consider subscribing to my channel and click the like button on the video. Prompt Written Out:You slowly wake up one morning and notice something strange. You are living inside of a video game. You reach for your face, thinking maybe it’s a VR headset. But it’s not. You are stuck. You look around to see if there’s an explanation. A note perhaps? But it turns out you must discover everything on your own. What do you notice at first? What is the goal of the game? And how do you find out the rules? Are there any levels, a point system, or challenges you must complete as you progress through the game? Are there dangers to avoid? What kind of a game is it? A creative game? An old school 80’s game? A multi-player battle game? A sports game? Where does it take place? And what is this world like? Is there a map you can access? What items or tools do you have? How do you obtain those items? Who are the characters in your game? What do they say to you? Do you run into Non-Player Characters (NPCs)? And most importantly, how do you ultimately get out of the game and make your way home?
The Secret to Better Learning in the Classroom John Spencer 2021-12-11 | In this video, I explore what Vygotsky's Zone of Proximal Development is and how it works. I also share how educators have built on this with Bruner's idea of scaffolding.Transcript:You've probably noticed that there are things you can do on your own and things that are impossible to do. But there are also certain things in a middle zone that you can't do on your own quite yet but you can accomplish them with the a little help. That help might help from a teacher, from a parent or guardian, or from a peer. But it might also be a resource like a book, a video, or a podcast. This is true not only of gaining new skills but also learning new information or understanding new concepts. In 1962, American's translated the Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky's work and referred to this space the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). He developed this idea as a criticism of psychometric testing in education, which viewed intelligence as permanent and fixed. Here's how ZPD works. At the center, you have the things you can do on your own. On the outside, you have the things you cannot do. But in this middle zone you have the Zone of Proximal Development, which are the things you can do with guidance and support. In 1976, Jerome Bruner applied Vygotsky's theory to the educational setting with the concept of scaffolding. Here, educators provide supports, called scaffolds, to help students master the learning. Then, like the scaffolds in a building, teachers pull back the scaffolds as students master the knowledge and the supports become unnecessary. At this point, the ZPD grows outward as students master new knowledge with new scaffolds. With scaffolds, you tap into prior knowledge and build on it with key supports. These might be tutorials, videos, and visual aids. They might involve sentence stems and front-loaded vocabulary for language.You might provide leveled reading, graphic organizers, and additional think time. Or it could mean breaking directions into smaller tasks. However, scaffolding can be challenging. It takes time and energy, which is a struggle with large class sizes. But when it works, it can lead to better learning and deeper thinking.
How to Start a Student Blog John Spencer 2021-11-30 | This is an overview of blogging for students who have never created a blog before. Transcript:Student Blogging PromptBlogging is a popular way for people to share their thoughts and ideas with the world. While they originally started in the 1990's as weblogs, they grew in prominence over the next two decades, as it became easier to edit, add multimedia, and leave comments. So, how does a blog work?A blog can be broken down into a series of blog posts. Most bloggers create new posts on a regular schedule – either daily, weekly, or monthlyBlog posts go in a reverse chronological order with the newest posts at the top and the older posts at the bottom. Most blog post have a compelling title that is capitalized. They often have shorter paragraphs and even bulleted points or lists. Many bloggers break information down using headings and they also include a few visuals or videos. They tend to use tags or categories that connect to other posts.Unlike a journal, which you write for yourself, or an essay you typically send to your teacher, a blog is a platform for sharing your voice with a larger audience. So, where do you start as a new blogger? A great first step is to spend some time exploring blogs. It might be a fashion blog, a foodie blog, a gamer blog, a hobby blog, a movie blog,a music blog, a sports blog; you get the idea.Ask yourself, "What are they doing well?" and "Where could they improve?" From there, you will figure out your overall topic for your blog. What interests you? What do you geek out on? What expertise do you have? What questions do you want to answer?Next, you'll determine your blogging approach. Some bloggers write personal reflections and engage in storytelling. Others advocate for things they care about. Still others share ideas. Or you might give practical help and show people how to do thingsYou'll also want to determine your audience. Who are they? What do they like? What do they want to know?It can help to think through the layers of privacyLevel 1 is where you keep your posts privateLevel 2 is where you share it with a small group, including your teacher, a classmate, and your familyLevel 3 is where you share it with your whole class or even the whole schoolLevel 4 is where you share your work with the whole worldNext, you'll want to create your actual blog. Some people use their names, but others choose to have a title, like you would in a book or a newspaper. You might also choose a theme and a visual aesthetic. Then, start blogging! In this early stage, you might take some time to jotting down ideas for blog posts. You might want to start with a list of questions you can answer or ideas that you have. Consider doing a listical using the prompt "Seven Fascinating Facts About ______" or you might do a how-to post with, "Step-by-Step directions for __________." Or maybe come up with a few Q&A ideas. You might also need to set up some norms for yourself regarding what you will and will not do as a blogger. Finally, engage with your audience by responding to comments.Remember that it's an experiment. Some posts will work well and others won't. But that's okay. What's important is that you're sharing your voice with your world.
Blooms Taxonomy: The Most Useful Tool for Learning? John Spencer 2021-10-22 | Here is a basic overview of Bloom's Taxonomy. If you like this video, please consider subscribing to my channel. Description:In the 1950's, educational psychologist, Dr. Benjamin Bloom, led a team of researchers and educators who developed a model for educational learning objectives. Their goal was to create a taxonomy to help improve critical thinking in schools. The end result was the Taxonomy of Educational Objectives in 1956. More commonly referred to as Bloom's Taxonomy, this model breaks learning objectives down into three domains. The first was cognitive domain, which focused on the acquisition of knowledge. The second was the affective domain, which focused on emotions and attitudes and tends to tie into student engagement. The final domain is psychomotor, which focuses on actions and motor skills. The most prominent is the cognitive domain, which is what many educators use when crafting objectives and learning targets, constructing questions, and designing assessments. Bloom's Taxonomy is often represented as a hierarchy, though it was never explicitly meant to treat lower levels as "less than" or higher levels as "better than." Instead, the bottom levels are foundational and build up progressively to higher levels. Here is the original Bloom's Taxonomy, which goes from knowledge to comprehension to application to analysis to synthesis to evaluation. More recently, scholars have updated Bloom's Taxonomy by taking knowledge out of the cognitive domain and making a new knowledge domain with factual knowledge, conceptual knowledge, procedural knowledge, and metacognitive knowledge. They have also revised the cognitive domain. Let's take a look. The first level is remember, which focuses on the recall or retrieval of information. Students might be able to list the order for classifying organisms, define the symbols on a map, recall how to shoot a free throw, or identify how to search for information online. The second is understand, which focuses on comprehension rather than just recall. Here students engage in organizing, translating, and generalizing information. Students might summarize the key events in a novel, classify governmental systems given case studies, clarify the steps in playing an instrument, or explain how they solved a problem. Next is apply, where a student uses the prior knowledge in a new situation. It might involve practicing a skill in a new context. Or students might provide advice given a scenario, use a rhetoric technique in a speech, apply a strategy to a new problem, or carry out a test in a science experiment. The fourth level is analyze, where students examine and breakdown information. Here, they might identify causes and effects in a historical event or a scientific phenomenon, compare and contrast ideas or ideologies, make inferences, look for trends in mathematical data, or find evidence to support generalizations. The fifth level is evaluate, where students defend opinions, make judgments and assess information. Students might rank inventions for their impact on history, draw conclusions from an experiment, judge the validity of data, or assess the quality of a theater performance or a work of art. The sixth and final level is create, where students generate something new based on prior knowledge. It might be a new idea, a new solution, or a new system. However, there are some criticisms of Bloom's Taxonomy. First, it treats learning as sequential. However, learning isn't always linear. For example, a teacher might start with an evaluation-based question to pique students' interest or do a hands-on application activity. A second criticism is with the use of a hierarchy. This implies specific levels that are dependent on each other as building blocks. However, learning might be more of a sliding continuum. Furthermore, Bloom's Taxonomy relies on a clear distinction of categories. However, mental processes are complex, connective, and idiosyncratic making categories seem kind of arbitrary. Finally, it's outdated. Bloom's Taxonomy is a product of its time – a Cold War USA. This was a solid decade before the first humans landed on the moon. This is why some critics argue that a more accurate model of mental processes should be built on our current understandings of neuroscience.And yet, for all these criticisms, Bloom's Taxonomy remains prevalent at both the K-12 and higher education levels. Perhaps Bloom's Taxonomy is less of a learning theory and more of a framework, albeit flawed, that reminds us to incorporate critical thinking in the classroom and take learning to a higher level.
When You Design for Everyone, EVERYONE Benefits from the Design John Spencer 2021-08-25 | Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an inclusive pedagogical framework. In this video, I share the basics of UDL and a few practical ideas for implementing it.Transcript:In the early 1960s, visionary architect Selwyn Goldsmith designed the initial curb cut or dropped curb to encourage people with limited mobility to have access to city sidewalks. It was part of a larger movement (led by disability advocates) toward universal access in the built environment by changing policies, systems, and structures to promote full inclusion. In the last few decades, architects, product developers, and UX designers have embraced this philosophy of universal design. Coined by architect Ronald Mace, universal design is built on the core belief that we should design environments to be useable by all people, "without the need for adaptation or specialized design."This inclusive approach allows everyone to benefit from such designs. Hence, caregivers pushing strollers benefit from curb cuts. Similarly, viewers use closed captioning on videos regardless of hearing. In other words, when you design for everyone, everyone benefits from the design. Universal Design for Learning (UDL) applies this same philosophy of universal design to every aspect of learning, from learning spaces to materials to instruction and assessment to classroom culture and behavior management. Built around cognitive neuroscience, UDL is an inclusive educational framework that seeks to remove barriers while also keeping the learning challenging for all students. A UDL approach includes a paradigm shift from -from a deficit mindset to neurodiversity-from singular accommodations to universally accessible scaffolds and supports-from a teacher-centric view to a student-centered approach centered on student agencyIn the 1990's, Dr. David Rose and the Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST) articulated the three UDL principals:#1: Multiple means of engagement which focuses on the affective networks or the Why of Learning #2: Multiple means of representation which focuses on the recognition network or the What of Learning #3: Multiple means of action and expression which focuses on the strategic networks or the How of LearningSo what does this actually look like in the classroom? Well, there is no set prescriptive way but here are some ideas. When it comes to the why of learning, teachers can focus on student interests, agency, and motivation. This helps students become self-directed, meaning they are self-starters and self-managers. It starts with student choice. This might include choice menus, launching a Genius Hour, letting students select what they read or what problem they solve in math. They can also pursue their questions with a Wonder Day activity or an inquiry-based learning project which starts with a provocation, which leads the students to ask their own questions, engage in research and data gathering where they then analyze the data and share their insights with others. As educators, we can build interdependency into student collaboration so that every student has a voice in the learning community. Interdependence is that overlap where students work independently but still depend on each other. This sense of ownership can help promote student self-regulation. Students can see their progress toward mastery as they set goals, monitor their progress, and reflect on their learning.When it comes to what students learn, we can provide learners multiple methods for accessing the learning content. This might include using multiple font sizes, closed captioning, text-to speech technology, or the ability to change speed in audio and video. It's also what happens when we front-loaded vocabulary and provide sentence frames that any students can access. It might also include incorporate graphic organizers or visuals to help process information as well as providing slideshows in advance.When it comes to how students learn, we can provide learners with multiple methods for demonstrating what they are learning. They might include flexibility on timing and due dates for assignments and projects but it also might mean additional think time or more opportunities for practice and retrieval during a lesson. We can provide calendars and checklists as well as project blueprints that break down tasks for students. We can provide choices for the methods students use to solve problems or the media format of their finished products. Universal Design for Learning embraces the diversity of all learners so that all students are empowered to become self-directed problem-solvers and lifelong learners.
Tired vs Injured: A Teacher-Tested Self-Assessment Framework John Spencer 2021-07-02 | Here's a continuum that I developed to make sense out of whether you are tired or injured. This year has been a marathon for teachers. They've faced constant changes and big challenges at every turn. It's been hard to teach into the abyss of black screens and muted microphones or navigating the hybrid landscape with our attention split between students at home and in person at the same time. Or the challenge of keeping students socially distanced with the constant reminders to keep their masks on. We miss the little things like fist bumps and high fives and the smiles on students' faces when they have that "aha" moment. Teaching has been a marathon. However, at the end of this marathon, there are different levels of tired. Some people are simply exhausted. They have crossed the finish line and they are placing their hands over their head with a mix of gratitude that it's over and a sense of pride over facing a huge challenge. These teachers are worn out and need rest.Other teachers are injured. These teachers have finished the marathon but they're hurting. They have experienced is genuine injustice and it has shaken them to core. Many have faced trauma. These teachers need more than just rest. They need healing. I made this continuum for myself to think through whether I'm tired or actually injured. This isn't scientific or research-based. It's just a tool I made for myself years ago and I thought I'd share it: Here's how it works. In some cases, you need rest. Rest is a chance to recharge. Here, you need a break but you're also ready to learn. So, you might take a vacation, go on a few hikes, spend time with friends, read a book, spend a day baking, or binge-watch tv shows. But you might also engage in professional learning and work on some planning for the next year. Next, there is recovery. Here, you might need a longer break with deeper processing. You might still have a vacation and spend time engaging in hobbies and being with loved ones. You might engage also engage in professional learning. But you might also need some time to reflect and journal or have coffee with a friend to process this past schoolyear. You might need restoration. Here, you recognize that something was taken from you this year and you need to recover it. In this phase, you still need to rest and recharge with time off. But you might also need affirmation. You might re-read old thank you notes from students or meet up with a colleague who will remind you that you are a great teacher even if this school year was a dumpster fire. This might even be a chance to celebrate the fact that you get to be in the same space as your students. It's a chance to look forward to the little things you've missed – like Socratic Seminars or hands-on maker projects. Restoration is a chance to return to normal but also a chance to redefine the new normal and advocate for changes in the system based on things you learned this year. Finally, there's rehabilitation. In this place, things feel truly broken. You are truly hurting and need healing. You might need to talk to a professional counselor and maybe even find a support group as you process the year and move toward health. It's important that we recognize where we are in this continuum but that we also recognize where our colleagues are as well. We all need the permission to be in our own place in the journey of rest and recovery after a hard year.
Writing Prompt: The Mysterious Train John Spencer 2021-03-15 | Tell this story. You have a train ticket to visit a friend. However, when the train pulls up and you step inside, you notice that the car is filled with various versions of you at each year of your life. Some younger than you and some older than you. The train ride lasts for only two hours. The ride consists of places that you have been in the past and places that you will be in the future. While the train can stop, all passengers must remain inside at all times as you watch a scene from your life unfold. So, where does the train take you? What key events will you visit? Will you focus more on memories from the past or scenes from the future? How much of the time will you spend observing the key locations versus talking to the various versions of yourself? Which versions of yourself will you talk to? What adv vice will you give your younger self? What questions will you ask your future self? Now, write this out as a short story. Describe the places you visit using vivid imagery but don’t forget to focus on what happens inside the train as well. Focus on critical details like the items each person is holding and the clothing they are wearing. Be sure to make the dialogue realistic and representative of each person’s actual age.
The Creative Classroom: Thom Gibson on How Student Jobs Can Empower a Classroom Community John Spencer 2021-02-26 | Earlier this week, I interviewed Thom Gibson, who shared ideas on how to design student jobs for your classroom community. I'm a huge fan of Thom's work. You should check out his YouTube Channel at youtube.com/channel/UCv1u0z5whMUyp6oSaTp-Prw
Stop Making New Years Resolutions. Try This Instead. John Spencer 2020-12-31 | ► Please Subscribe to My Channel Here - http://bit.ly/spencervideosThere is value in creating maintenance goals. Here's why. It's a new year which means it's a chance for new beginnings. So when we think of New Year's Resolutions, we often imagine starting something new. Start a new habit or break a bad habit. Pursue a big accomplishment. Run your first marathon. Save more money. Write that epic novel. Learn how to play a new instrument. Work out each day. While new goals are great, there is value in choosing to maintain current systems and habits. Maintenance is proactive. It helps us prevent problems before they surface. By focusing on maintaining, we also stay more grateful. It reminds us that the epic life is often found in the mundane and the ordinary. We begin to internalize the idea that we are already okay in our present state without doing more or being more. However, we tend to view maintenance as boring. We have ribbon cutting ceremonies for new bridges but traffic cones to maintain existing ones. We watch home improvement shows with bold renovations but no one is watching a show about cleaning out gutters. Universities name new buildings after patrons but nobody asks for the naming rights to the custodial crew. This is why it helps to create a maintenance goal. Choose a current habit, system, or relationship that you might neglect in the next year. Then, create a goal to maintain it. Set aside time in your calendar to make it happen. It could be having coffee with a friend you no longer work with or it could be the habit of reading each day or spending time with loved ones. Track your progress along the way. It could be a streak that you keep or a running tally. Create benchmarks and celebrate when you reach key milestones. Maintenance isn't as fun as starting something new. But it is absolutely vital to living a better life.
Teachers, You Have Done Enough This Semester John Spencer 2020-12-11 | It's easy to get pulled into guilt and fixate on our mistakes. This video is a call to redefine success to focus more on faithfulness and less on flashy results. It's a reminder that you are enough and you've done enough.
Writing Prompt: You Discover a Smart Phone for Dogs John Spencer 2020-12-04 | Here's my latest writing promptTranscript:Tell this story. You’re going on a walk one day when you discover a smartphone for pets with a secret suite of apps that dogs and cats use when humans aren’t around. Consider their map app.What key locations do they have within a typical neighborhood? Think of significant sights, smells, and sounds this app would highlight. What shortcuts would it recommend? What dangers would it warn others about? What kinds of video apps does it have? What shows would they binge-watch? Perhaps Barking Bad or the Great British Bark-Off? What happens when they press paws?Does the phone have photo sharing apps? What types of pictures do the pets take? What paw-dcasts do the pets listen to? Do they have a music app? If so, what songs do they listen to? What audiobooks do they listen to? What types of food apps do they have? What do they buy? Maybe a catpaccino or a pupcake? What kinds of social media do they have? What do they share? And how do they chat without written language?What kinds of games do they have? What specialty apps do they have that no human would need? Meow after thinking through the scenario, write the story using vivid imagery and description.
Teachers Were a Lifeline During the Pandemic John Spencer 2020-11-24 | Dear teachers, Last spring, you made the shift from face-to-face teaching to pandemic pedagogy. In a matter of days, you found innovative solutions to huge challenges. You designed virtual lessons with limited time and resources. There was no roadmap or blueprint. It wasn't perfect. There were some mistakes along the way. But you were there for your students. Every. Single. Day. You've proven that social distance doesn't mean relational distance.Despite the roadblocks, you have built a classroom community on empathy and kindness where students engage in meaningful collaboration. You've done check-ins and partnered with families. You helped find resources for students who were struggling. You've experimented with new approaches and taken creative risks. You've continued to learn. You're reading books, watching videos, listening to podcasts, and reading articles. You're curating content and engaging in professional discussions. You're crafting meaningful lessons that empower students with voice and choice, like that awesome scavenger hunt or the maker project or the blogging project or that choice menu or the game-based learning activity. 2020 has been hard. We've seen wildfires and natural disasters and an economic downturn. Oh and apparently murder hornets. Seriously. Murder hornets. Meanwhile, teaching is especially challenging right now. It can feel draining when you have a barrage of emails to answer or when you do a video conference and face a wall of black screens. Meanwhile, some of the social media comments about teachers have been downright toxic. But know this, you are impacting lives. Right now, there's a student who feels known and heard because of you. There's a student who is passionate about learning because of you. There are students who will remember you forever, as someone who was there for them in these dark times. You are changing the world, even when you can't see it. So, thank you.
When Students Launch Their Work to an Audience John Spencer 2020-11-21 | Traditionally in school, students turn in their work for their teachers and no one else. It might end up in a backpack and maybe on a refrigerator. And that’s okay. But at some point, students might want to share their work with a larger audience. So what happens when students launch their work to the world?Often, students work harder because the work has a deeper meaning. There’s higher engagement because students can see the connection between the learning and their world. Students often grow more empathetic as they think about their audience. They can gain new perspectives and might even build long-term partnerships. This can help them embrace constructive criticism as they receive authentic feedback. Students also engage in iterative thinking, where they improve incrementally with each revision. They’re able to learn from their mistakes. This can help students take creative risks. They become bold and fearless in their creative work. Along the way, they develop a growth mindset. But it’s more than that. An authentic launch can help affirm students in their creativity and help them develop their creative voice. They grow more confident as learners and as makers. They become a part of a participatory culture. And ultimately, they can change the world.
5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Student Portfolios John Spencer 2020-11-13 | When we think of assessment, it's easy to imagine a test or a rubric attached to a score and letter grade. However, in many industries, from art to engineering to marketing to programming, people demonstrate their proficiency with portfolios. Similarly, students can craft portfolios to showcase their work, reflect on their learning, and set goals for the future. Here are five ways to get the most out of student portfolios. #1: Let students choose the platform. Some might prefer a blog. Others might prefer a website, a podcast, or a series of videos. #2: Encourage students to own the organizational structure. They might organize things topically or chronologically. Or both.#3: Have students reflect on both the learning process and the final products. #4: Choose a variety of work, including their best work, their favorite work, and the work that demonstrated the most growth. #5: Don't wait until the end of the year to start the portfolio process. Integrate the portfolio project into your unit plans. Take time out on certain days to have students select work and create reflections.When portfolios are an everyday part of the learning process, students can showcase their best work, reflect on their growth, and set new goals for learning targets. Here, students improve their metacognition as they determine where they are in their mastery and what steps they need to take in the future. Ultimately, this leads to deeper thinking and better learning.
Writing Prompt: Super Snail Detectives John Spencer 2020-11-04 | Here is the prompt transcript:Tell the story of a pair of crime-fighting, mystery-solving, snail detectives. What is their backstory? Does it involve radioactive ooze? A strange genetic mutation in a lab? A weird biproduct of evolution? Where do they live? Are they part of a snail city or do they live among humans? What is each snail’s personality like? What skills do they have? And how do they solve crime without having any arms or legs? What kinds of technology do they use? Who do the snails work for? Is there a super snail signal the agency uses to get their attention? Do they have a human boss or a snail boss? How do the snails save the world? What kinds of cases do they handle? What kinds of villains do they face? Perhaps an arach-nemesis? What do they do when they’re not on the case? Just hang around a garden? Play some kind snail sport? Binge-watch snail TV or waste their time on snailchat? Go to snail dance parties? What is their theme song like? Quick to the crime but they might leave some slime. It’s the super snail detectives!Now tell the story of a crime they solved.
Writing Prompt: Create a Utopian Society (That Becomes a Dystopia) John Spencer 2020-10-28 | Please subscribe at bit.ly/spencervideosSee more writing prompts at videowritingprompts.comWriting Prompt Text:You need to imagine the ideal society. What are the values that define your society? How are these values rewarded?How does your society define justice? And what are the laws or rules that govern this society? How does the government work? What is the process for passing a law? How are leaders chosen? Who has the power? What is the education system like? Describe the schools. What subjects do they teach? Describe the economy. What products can people buy? What do people do for work? How does the tax system work? What are the social classes like? Where would this society be located? What does the physical environment look like? What is the geography like? How are the cities organized? What are the homes like? What are the shops like? What does the architecture look like? What is the health care system like?What type of technology do they have? What are their tools like? What type of energy source do they use? How do people communicate? How do they share ideas? How does the transportation work? How do people move around? What is the culture like? What type of food do people eat? What type of music do they listen to? What holidays do they celebrate? What sports do they play? What do people do for entertainment? Describe this utopian society as if you were writing a brochure trying to convince people to move there. Then, consider what it would take for this utopia to become a dystopia and describe it from the dystopian perspective warning people not to move there.
