Welcome to the Modern Classrooms Project Podcast. Each week we bring you discussions with educators on how they use blended, self-paced, and mastery-based learning to better serve their learners. In this episode, Toni Rose Deanon is joined by Betsy Potash, founder of Spark Creativity, to discuss the impact of creativity in the classroom. Together, they explore student engagement through the lens of real-world learning.

Here are three key takeaways from this podcast episode:

• Nurturing Creativity: Betsy advocates for fostering creativity in education, encouraging teachers to implement innovative, hands-on approaches that empower students to explore their creative potential.

• Engagement Through Real-World Connections: Betsy highlights the importance of connecting classroom content to real-world scenarios, fostering student engagement. Betsy states, “It makes it more engaging and more relevant for students because then they can connect the dots themselves."

• Interdisciplinary Collaboration: The conversation emphasizes the benefits of interdisciplinary collaboration among educators to create a more holistic learning experience. Betsy shares, “There's a fair amount of crossover, especially between the humanities, so English teachers and history teachers, I think can really collaborate a lot on how they're creating different kinds of opportunities for students."

In addition to the discussion, Betsy included support for helping students create successful one-pagers and the Spark Creativity podcast.

Discussion questions for PLC and PD: 

• How do you currently nurture creativity in your classroom, and what specific activities or projects have you found to be particularly effective in encouraging your students' creative expression?

• How do you strike a balance between leveraging technology for educational purposes and providing opportunities for students to engage in creative, non-tech activities? Share examples of successful integration.

• How can educators collaborate across different subjects to foster a more interdisciplinary and creative learning environment? Share ideas on how you might integrate creative projects that bridge multiple disciplines in your teaching practice.

Our Host

Toni Rose taught MS English for 10 years and will forever identify as a teacher. Toni Rose strives to be the teacher that they never had growing up, so they focus on anti-bias, anti-racist work and wants to create a brave space for everyone around them. As a queer Filipinx, they understand just how important it is to be represented, be valued, and belong. They especially love being a thought partner for and celebrating teachers.

Our Guest: Betsy Potash

• Connect with our guest on Instagram @nowsparkcreativity or on the Spark Creativity website

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