Read this before rolling out your next innovation! open.substack.com/pub/lauraksp...

having fun playing with tiktok videos on a new acct www.tiktok.com/t/ZP8s9JftP/ if you have an account, let me know and i'll follow! #tiktok #edusky

I've been thinking about relationships.. and how some mistakes are really hard to move past.

back to writing! open.substack.com/pub/lauraksp...

Who is on Substack? I'm dipping my toes in that water. substack.com/profile/4462...

Moving Too Fast to Notice Your Life Sandstone Canyon is easy to miss if you’re moving too fast. It branches off Fish Creek Wash without much announcement. A sign. A turn. If you weren’t already in the mood to slow down, you’d keep going. Once you’re inside, the walls come up quickly. Fifty, maybe…

Adoption Isn’t Impact: The Quiet Failure of Learning Innovation Learning tools are improving faster than learning systems. As AI, XR, and new platforms promise transformation, many organizations are discovering that adoption alone doesn’t translate into impact. This reflection explores why…

How AI Helps Leaders Uncover Blind Spots and Build a Culture of Thinking

How a Simple Thinking Routine and AI Help Leaders Get Clarity After Tough Meetings

Finding Clarity Again: How AI Helps Leaders Breathe, Pause, and Think When the pace of work takes over, leaders stop thinking and start reacting. This post explores how a simple pause, supported by AI, can help leaders reconnect with their values, check their assumptions, and rebuild a true…

What AI Revealed About My Biggest Leadership Weak Spot Stop spreading yourself too thin: learn to say no to tasks that don't move you closer to your goals. It's the first step to intentional success.

When the Waiting Room Becomes an Echo Chamber

#EDUSky #AIEDU come see me speak 👍🏼

interested in VR/XR and live near Los Angeles? Come hear me speak at Meta LA next week. www.knoxlabs.com/pages/event-...

one of my fave writings recently. Would love your input.

Trusting Reality: The Impact of AI-Generated Deception Plato never heard of a deepfake, but he understood the prison it could build for the human mind. I remember reading his Allegory of the Cave my first semester of community college. In the allegory, prisoners are chained to a wall, forced to…

Unlocking Innovation Through Curiosity and Risk It's been a few months, but I’m still processing the lessons I’m taking away after sitting in on the d.school book club chat with Sarah Stein Greenberg about her fantastic book, Creative Acts for Curious People. The entire conversation was a…

Thrilled to release our white paper: "From Teaching to Empowering." It’s a bold call to action for reimagining public edu & the blueprint for our innovative EliteX Fellowship program. A must-read for any educator or school leader. www.prnewswire.com/news-release... #AIinEducation #Leadership

Why Leaders Need Trail Markers When I’m off-roading, there’s a moment every adventurer knows well. You’re deep on the trail, the terrain is uneven, and suddenly, you realize you haven’t seen a trail marker in a while. That’s when doubt creeps in. Am I still on the right path, or am I about to…

Thrive by Lisa M. Lawson: Rethinking How We Support Adolescents in Education Lisa M. Lawson’s book Thrive explores how adolescent brain science can reshape education, support systems, and how we help teens truly thrive.

Designing Belonging: What a Pizza Box Taught Me About Connection I’ve written before about the time I ordered a pizza to reconnect my ex-husband to the outside world. No car. No phone. No internet. A disconnection, both literal and emotional. We used Domino’s delivery notes as our 21st-century…

More Than Content: Why the Future of School Must Be Human Everywhere I turn, people seem exhausted. Not just by the pace of change, but by the growing sense that our systems, especially in education, are still answering the wrong questions. We’re designing for efficiency when what we need is…

Creativity, Failure, and Starting Late There’s a bit of irony in the title of the first book I picked up from the d.school book club: Make Possibilities Happen. Because I joined the club months ago, full of energy and good intentions, and promptly… fell behind. Haven’t made it to a single Zoom…

A crack in a system is a sign that, at least for some people, it is not working. A crack offers a not-yet-realized opportunity to transform the system...

Because I like to buy tech stuff, I’m often asked what’s on my desk so here’s my current WFH setup. #WFHsetup #Techaesthetic #digitalworkspace www.instagram.com/p/DN68i7sCWO...

If your thank-you centers you, it’s not gratitude. It’s PR. Let’s rethink how we show appreciation and put the spotlight where it belongs.

This Week, I Get to Do What I Love Leading three days of in-person professional learning with our virtual staff is pure joy. We’re focusing on relationships, community, and culture—because tech is only as powerful as the people behind it. Months of planning lead to that first hallway hug, and…

Forgotten Dreams and Quiet Reminders The author reflects on their unroadworthy 1973 Land Rover, recognizing it as a symbol of dreams for others while they overlook its significance. A comment on social media prompts a deeper appreciation for their own life and the joys often taken for granted.…

Trying to get my first session accepted for SXSW EDU but they do a whole weird voting thing... so I know it's pain but can you create an account so that you can click on the heart for me on this session? participate.sxsw.com/flow/sxsw/sx...

Why Strong Systems – not Just Big GoalS – Are the Key to Effective Leadership Most leaders don’t fail because they lack vision—they fail because their systems don’t support their goals. I learned this the hard way, in both military and education leadership roles. And while we love to throw around…

Are You My Leader? Insights from Classic Stories What can a lost baby bird teach us about leadership and the future of AI? In this reflection on Are You My Mother?, Laura K Spencer, Ed.D. explores how belonging, recognition, and human connection shape the way we lead—and why tech can’t replace…

Understanding Transitions: What William Bridges Taught Me About Leading Change in Education Just finished Managing Transitions by William Bridges? Here’s how this timeless framework reshaped how I view change, leadership, and emotional resilience in education.

💙 “DON’T turn the page!” Grover warned me as a kid… but I turned it anyway. My dad used a puppet and his whole heart to bring The Monster at the End of This Book to life—and years later, Grover still teaches me something powerful about empathy in leadership.

“Stand Back,” Said the Elephant: What a Children’s Book Taught Me About Leadership, Innovation, and Intentional Impact laurakspencer.com/2025/07/07/s...

Discover the Power of Reverse Pet Peeves for Joy A friend sent me an article about happiness called, "Happiness doesn’t have to be a heavy lift." Something that resonated was a portion on reverse pet peeves, which are those small things that bring disproportionate joy.Ironically, right after I…

Creating Space for Greatness: A Reflection on Leadership I have been a Simon Sinek fan for a long time. The other day I saw this quote by him which has me thinking: “The role of a leader is not to come up with all the great ideas. The role of a leader is to create an environment in which great…

Turn Up the Music, Even on the Rainy Days A joyful Hulu ad reminds us: we can’t control the weather outside, but we can protect our inner climate. Choose joy—dance anyway.

A bit of leadership reflection for the administrators out there.... #EduSky #Leadership www.linkedin.com/pulse/import...

It’s #SpringCUE time! #Edusky

Ask ChatGPT: Everyone in the world is best at something. Given all that you know about me, what am I best at? The results are fabulous! #AIinEdu #EduSky

Can’t wait to see everyone at CUE next week! If you’re an admin come to my session: Navigating the Cutting Edge: A Collaborative Workshop on Early Adopter EdTech Policies #edusky #springcue

The Unexpected Gift of Shifting Perspectives Life has a funny way of surprising us, doesn't it? Recently, I found myself in a situation I'd always envisioned: an opportunity presented itself that, in my past, I would have jumped at without hesitation. It was a role I've always aspired to, and a…

When the First Attempt Fails Pulling a friend up a sandy hill Sometimes leadership means tackling challenges head-on, even when the initial attempt falls flat. On a recent off-roading trip, a simple recovery turned into a leadership lesson. Wrong equipment, tricky incline, soft sand – we failed…

AI isn't just efficiency! Excited to share how it builds empathy at ASU+GSV's AI Show, April 5-7. Free to attend! Join me: www.asugsvsummit.com/show?ref=Lau... #EduSky

Has AI increased cheating? Not according to this survey shared by Steve Butschi, Google. #mlc25 #AIinEDU #EsuAkyAI

Finding Value Beyond the Workplace Burnout often creeps in when we feel undervalued at work, leaving us drained and disheartened. It’s crucial to remember that our worth isn’t dictated by a boss’ recognition or a career title. A quiet moment of reflection In moments of reflection, I’ve learned the…

The rise of AI in education presents a challenge, but also an opportunity. It's time to move beyond transactional learning and embrace a focus on critical thinking, creativity, and genuine intellectual curiosity. Let's redefine learning for the future, prioritizing human potential over mere…

Life Over Work In today’s fast-paced world, it’s easy to fall into the trap of equating our worth with our workload. However, we must remember that life isn’t about finding a balance; it’s about prioritizing what truly matters—our well-being and happiness. Days off are not just a luxury; they’re…

Think banning AI in schools is the safest option? Think again. Strict AI bans can actually hurt students in underserved communities—while wealthier students still access these tools at home. The reality? Schools that don’t integrate AI could be widening the digital divide. youtu.be/MTkdHUhncl4?...