The Creative Classroom with John Spencer

Why Constraints Make Us More Creative

We often assume that creativity requires freedom. Remove the rules, open up the possibilities, and let students run with their ideas. But sometimes the opposite is true.

5 Myths About Creativity

Sometimes our biggest creative failures reveal what we actually believe about creativity. In fifth grade, a disastrous California Mission project forced me to rethink wha

The Power of Routine Creativity

We often picture creativity as something big and bold. It’s the ambitious project that draws in the entire community. It’s the big project that kids remember years later.

Beyond Screen Time: The Low Tech Learning Matrix

For years, the conversation around educational technology centered on one question: How can we get more technology into classrooms? Today, we’re facing a different challe

The Power of Low-Tech Games and Simulations in the Classroom

When people hear the term game-based learning, they often picture students staring at computer screens while navigating elaborate virtual worlds. Or perhaps a lone studen

The Best Makerspace Might Be Outside

We want students to be makers and designers. But there’s a surprising source of inspiration for design: the natural world. As we think about moving toward a low-tech appr

Beyond Screen Time: What LAUSD’s New Policy Gets Right and Wrong

The Los Angeles Unified School District has adopted one of the nation’s most restrictive classroom screen time policies. It will dramatically limit technology use across

When Personalized Learning Works Better Than Adaptive Learning

Personalized learning has become one of the biggest promises in educational technology, with adaptive learning platforms and AI tutors claiming to tailor instruction to e

What the Revival of Barnes and Noble Can Teach Us about Gen Z and Technology

For years, educational technology has promised to make learning faster, more personalized, and more efficient. On some respect, it has delivered on those promises. But as

Embracing the Low Tech Revolution

This is the first in my summer series I’m calling Low Tech Learning. In today’s podcast and article, I explore the negative aspects of a tech-centric environment and the

Q&A: The Big Questions We’re Asking About AI in Education

This week, I’m doing something different with my blog and my podcast. I’ve compiled a list of the most common questions I get about AI when I’m teaching courses and leadi

When Should We Avoid Implementing PBL?

If you have followed my blog for any amount of time, you’ll know that I am a huge proponent of project based learning (or PBL for short). I have a PBL hub with articles a

Contextual Thinking is Becoming Vital in the Age of AI

Authentic learning has always required a connection to a real context. However, in a generative age, where AI cannot “read the room,” contextual thinking has become more