When I was a new teacher, I had a goal of differentiating instruction for every student. I would provide additional directions, project sheets, tutorials, and small group instruction for any student who needed help. I kept a list of specific strategies I would use in... The post Empowering Students to Self-Select the Scaffolds appeared first on Spencer Education.| Spencer Education
In 2014, Microsoft launched a hugely successful AI 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| Spencer Education
Student inquiry is at the heart of student choice. When students are able to ask their own questions, they can chase their curiosity and tap into their own interests. They can build on their prior| Spencer Education
If we want students to think like artists, entrepreneurs, and engineers, they need the chance to design real projects. But this also requires students to learn how to engage in project management. The following is| Spencer Education
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| Spencer Education
With the widespread adoption of generative AI, we need to explore how these platforms are changing our world. In my latest article and podcast episode, I share six unintended consequences that are beginning to emerge. We| Spencer Education
Helping K-12 teachers unleash the power of creativity through project-based learning & design thinking. Download your free PBL blueprint today!| Spencer Education
In my latest article and podcast, I share a continuum for how we can think about AI integration in our educational institutions. Listen to the Podcast If you enjoy this blog but you’d like to listen to| John Spencer
We keep talking about AI in schools like it is either a miracle or a menace, and that either-or mindset steers us into two dead ends. One path hands the wheel to the tool and| John Spencer
Collaboration is one of the most powerful forces in learning. Yet it can also be one of the hardest things to cultivate. Too often, students struggle to share ideas, listen to one another, or take| John Spencer
As the year begins, we are all thinking about the idea of building a classroom community. Although I am no longer at the K-12 level, I am reminded of the power of community as I| John Spencer
Every year, we hear news reports about the "summer slide," or the summer learning loss. Students arrive to school behind where they left off in May or June. This is a real challenge. But there's| John Spencer
Machine learning is changing our world in profound ways. It will impact the way we learn and the way we teach. In today's article and podcast, I want share a few big ideas on what| John Spencer
Throughout this summer, I've had the opportunity to lead professional development on ethical AI integration throughout the United States. In some cases, it's been a keynote and customized sessions. In other cases, it's been a| John Spencer
My friend George Couros once said, "If students leave school less curious than when they have started, we have failed them." I tend to agree. I've never heard of a cosmologist who says, "I'm done| Spencer Education
Project-based learning and design thinking have both become buzzwords in the educational landscape. But beyond the buzz, both PBL and design thinking have rich histories that span decades. Both approaches also offer practical frameworks for| Spencer Education
When AJ Juliani and I co-wrote the book Empower, we focused on the ways that students could own the learning process. It's the core idea of shifting from being teacher-centered toward being more student-centered. We| John Spencer
When I was a student, I thought I was a top tier reader. My teacher didn't do numbers for our reading groups. She chose large cats. But I knew that it was better to be| John Spencer
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| Spencer Education
Teaching has always been challenging, but right now it feels heavier. In this piece, I share a conversation with Mike, a fifth-grade teacher who’s feeling the weight of tech distractions, AI-written essays, student apathy, and| John Spencer
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| John Spencer
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| John Spencer
The Artificial Intelligence revolution is here. That might sound like hyperbole. After all, the world looks the same. The revolution didn’t arrive with Skynet and robots or with Blade Running cyborgs. It’s been subtle. Auto-correct| John Spencer
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| John Spencer
"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| John Spencer
About a week ago, ChatGPT rolled out a major update to its image generation and suddenly my feed was flooded with AI-generated images in the style of Studio Ghibli. While the results are impressive (yes,| John Spencer
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| John Spencer
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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| John Spencer
Back in December, I showed ChatGPT to a friend of mine who is also a professor. "I'm not worried about AI in my humanities courses," she said. "Not at all?" She shook her head. "I know of colleagues| John Spencer
