The Creative Classroom with John Spencer

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 student staring into a VR headset in isolation. Those experiences certainly have their place (at times). However, some of the most...

The post The Power of Low-Tech Games and Simulations in the Classroom appeared first on Spencer Education.

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 approach, we need something better than desks in rows with students doing worksheets. Listen to the Podcast...

The post The Best Makerspace Might Be Outside appeared first on Spencer Education.

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 grade levels. Much of the reporting has focused on “banning devices,” but as I examined the actual policy, I noticed...

The post Beyond Screen Time: What LAUSD’s New Policy Gets Right and Wrong appeared first on Spencer Education.

Personalized learning has become one of the biggest promises in educational technology, with adaptive learning platforms and AI tutors claiming to tailor instruction to every student. But genuine personalization has to begin with the person. We lose something wen we center it on the algorithm...

The post When Personalized Learning Works Better Than Adaptive Learning appeared first on Spencer Education.

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 concerns about screen time and student engagement continue to grow, more educators are rediscovering the value of low-tech learning....

The post What the Revival of Barnes and Noble Can Teach Us about Gen Z and Technology appeared first on Spencer Education.