Dr. John Spencer is an assistant professor of education technology at George Fox University who focuses on project-based learning and design thinking. He is a former middle school teacher who taught at an urban, Title One school in Phoenix, Arizona for twelve years. He is the co-author of the books, Launch and Empower and the author of Vintage Innovation. In 2013, he spoke at the White House, sharing a vision for how to empower students to be future-ready through creativity and design thinking. At the 2021 Transformational Teaching and Learning Conference, Dr. Spencer shares this same vision with faculty, encouraging instructors to expect engagement and offering practical tools to cultivate it.
We live in a world of constant change. What was once the corporate ladder is now a maze. So, how can we help students develop the transferable skills needed to navigate this maze? How do we help them become problem-solvers and collaborators? How do we help them learn project management, iterative thinking,
and flexibility? How do we cultivate a growth mindset at the university level?
