The AMS Montessori conference was several weeks ago in LA. I didn't get to attend as many workshops as I would have liked to do, but I went to several and I'm glad that I spent money to buy the presentations of others on CD's.
"The religion of my training school and I'm orthodox!" by Marlene Barron in a session about observation. I loved this. We have to do it the way we learned... Never mind that other training centers are different, and might have a different approach. Never mind that in other parts of the world they might do it differently. Outside of the US, children often learn to carry weight on their heads- maybe we should put the pink cubes in a basket. Why do we always stack them up? We put the geometric solids in a basket. What about observing the child? What about properly preparing the environment to meet the child's needs?
Maybe we should actually place the pink cubes in a basket. Maybe it will actually allow the children to carry WEIGHT to work their developing bodies. Children love the ability to carry "heavy" objects. What if we did put the pink cubes in a basket? The youngest children might have to carry the objects one at a time. The oldest children might work on the strength of their bodies or work with a friend to carry the basket. Would it be an interesting and challenging work to place all the blocks on the floor? Would they still see the control of error built into the material when they accurately built the pink tower?
Bee Pape talked about math GAMES and patterning and sorting of the knobless cylinders. "Always present a material more than one way. That way they learn that they can explore." I know some of the work she looked at. Math researchers- Constance Kamii who used the work of Piaget and developed it. Other ideas and theorists besides Maria Montessori, but everything that we need can exist in a Montessori classroom.
There was another talk by Jonathan Wolff. It was about classroom management. "Let's tell the children that they may not work with a material. Why don't we just call them a sociopath right now while we're at it?" The list was long... many teachers can generate a lot of behaviors that do not help a child develop. Some solutions for off task children included exhibiting excitement and a "may I watch?" behavior. He was hilarious. ( I want to listen to the CD, and come back to this one.)
I was frustrated to hear of the amount of dissatisfaction with AMS or the AMS/AMI division. It seems to be a continuing problem for everyone that AMS doesn't seem to have strong standards but that many AMI schools and teachers have concerns hiring teachers that are not AMI trained. It's possible that we need an individual certification process at some level. The initial training can be high quality but variable. Subsequent training can offer many benefits and individuals can learn many things. However, what I've seen is that AMI schools will shut their doors to teachers from any background that is not AMI. This may be an area that I want to get personally involved in.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Dr. Montessori's Handbook
I started rereading this book recently and found that I was unable to put it down for many reasons.
With both my AMI and AMS background and observation in many classrooms, I've developed my own reasons for what I believe works well and why and what doesn't. This book was authentically going back to what Maria did in many individual instances and fit with my own observations.
In my own mind, the necessity between a child needing a "lesson" before the ability to use a material has been answered. At least for practical life and sensorial - the exact conclusion that I initially reached although that has practical difficulties for classroom management.
"These lessons are not necessary for all the children, as they learn from one another, and of their own accord come with great patience to analyze the movements, performing them separately very slowly and carefully." (Montessori, 1965, p. 54)
and
"Such intervention, however, is almost always found to be unnecessary, for the children see their companions at work, and thus are encouraged to imitate them" (Montessori, 1965, p. 69)
Very important. I've often felt that even the youngest children need access to all of practical life and most of sensorial very early. Observation is the key to when they need a small or complete lesson.
She introduces the knobbed cylinders prior to the pink tower, and brown prisms. Her reasoning is very interesting here. "As a matter of fact, it is more difficult, as there is no control of the error in the material itself. It is the child's eye alone which can furnish the control." (Montessori, 1965, p. 76) A good point, but the materials them-self can be used to demonstrate when they are correctly placed. The pink tower when not built from largest to smallest is more unstable, and when very accurate the smallest cube will go around the edge of all others... (I have yet to see a child interested in building to that accuracy though!)
In many books, Maria Montessori is very clear about the need to treat the materials with care and without undue roughness. However, she is very clear that part of what will attract the child to building with the pink cubes is the ability to knock them over. "As soon as he has built the tower, the child, with a blow of his hand, knocks it down, so that the cubes are scattered on the carpet, and then he builds it up again." (Montessori, 1965, p. 72) WOW! Yet, I can see the attraction, and desire of this with young children. I've also watched young children build the tower incorrectly not aware of their errors, but friends rather insistently wanting to correct them.
My assessment skills and mathematical knowledge play a lot into what is going on when children are unable to correctly order any of the sensorial materials. It gives me a good insight into what they need practice in. I have also watched many teachers intervene to help the child. This is the best quote that I've read this morning, and in so many ways sums up Montessori.
"As the aim of the exercise, however is not that the rods be arranged in the right order of gradation, but that the child should practice by himself, there is no need to intervene." (Montessori, 1965, p. 76)
(The beginning of that quote is "The reason is that the mistakes which the child makes, by placing, for example, a small cube beneath one that is larger, are caused by his own lack of education, and it is the repetition of the exercise which, by refining his powers of observation, will lead him sooner or later to correct himself. Sometimes it happens that a child working with the long rods makes the most glaring mistakes." (Montessori, 1965, p. 76) )
With both my AMI and AMS background and observation in many classrooms, I've developed my own reasons for what I believe works well and why and what doesn't. This book was authentically going back to what Maria did in many individual instances and fit with my own observations.
In my own mind, the necessity between a child needing a "lesson" before the ability to use a material has been answered. At least for practical life and sensorial - the exact conclusion that I initially reached although that has practical difficulties for classroom management.
"These lessons are not necessary for all the children, as they learn from one another, and of their own accord come with great patience to analyze the movements, performing them separately very slowly and carefully." (Montessori, 1965, p. 54)
and
"Such intervention, however, is almost always found to be unnecessary, for the children see their companions at work, and thus are encouraged to imitate them" (Montessori, 1965, p. 69)
Very important. I've often felt that even the youngest children need access to all of practical life and most of sensorial very early. Observation is the key to when they need a small or complete lesson.
She introduces the knobbed cylinders prior to the pink tower, and brown prisms. Her reasoning is very interesting here. "As a matter of fact, it is more difficult, as there is no control of the error in the material itself. It is the child's eye alone which can furnish the control." (Montessori, 1965, p. 76) A good point, but the materials them-self can be used to demonstrate when they are correctly placed. The pink tower when not built from largest to smallest is more unstable, and when very accurate the smallest cube will go around the edge of all others... (I have yet to see a child interested in building to that accuracy though!)
In many books, Maria Montessori is very clear about the need to treat the materials with care and without undue roughness. However, she is very clear that part of what will attract the child to building with the pink cubes is the ability to knock them over. "As soon as he has built the tower, the child, with a blow of his hand, knocks it down, so that the cubes are scattered on the carpet, and then he builds it up again." (Montessori, 1965, p. 72) WOW! Yet, I can see the attraction, and desire of this with young children. I've also watched young children build the tower incorrectly not aware of their errors, but friends rather insistently wanting to correct them.
My assessment skills and mathematical knowledge play a lot into what is going on when children are unable to correctly order any of the sensorial materials. It gives me a good insight into what they need practice in. I have also watched many teachers intervene to help the child. This is the best quote that I've read this morning, and in so many ways sums up Montessori.
"As the aim of the exercise, however is not that the rods be arranged in the right order of gradation, but that the child should practice by himself, there is no need to intervene." (Montessori, 1965, p. 76)
(The beginning of that quote is "The reason is that the mistakes which the child makes, by placing, for example, a small cube beneath one that is larger, are caused by his own lack of education, and it is the repetition of the exercise which, by refining his powers of observation, will lead him sooner or later to correct himself. Sometimes it happens that a child working with the long rods makes the most glaring mistakes." (Montessori, 1965, p. 76) )
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Making Landforms
On one of the yahoo groups there has been a discussion of landforms. Having tried this once and watched it not work, I followed the discussion carefully.
"Oil based sculpting clay" (plasticine) is the key.
I also love the idea of cutting out one shape to have the match. That's just perfect.
This write-up includes is fantastic and more detailed than I ever want to duplicate! I love how her's turned out.
"Oil based sculpting clay" (plasticine) is the key.
I also love the idea of cutting out one shape to have the match. That's just perfect.
This write-up includes is fantastic and more detailed than I ever want to duplicate! I love how her's turned out.
Sunday, October 4, 2009
About ready...
I quit my job last week. I realized that my best efforts would only result in failure. More there was no way that I would be allowed to do anything that would benefit the children. I'm not sure why she hired me when it was clear that I was a strong individual capable of many things when she does not want to use my skills.
That's ok. I have plans.
It starts with a basic cleaning of the house and finishing of my thesis. Too many things haven't been put away in too long.
I will put my name out as a substitute and work hard to set that up. It will give me a chance to observe in many schools.
More... I will develop my own school.
I'm fixing all the little things that bother me on this blog, and it's about ready to be announced. An accumulation of good points from others and will be the thoughts about want I want to work on. A very good resource for links though. Also thinking of asking others to be involved in the quote blog. I need some help on it. Sharon's document is fantastic, but it needs people to build it.
I think I want to make a wishlist link/page. That will help people who want to buy stuff for me.
That's ok. I have plans.
It starts with a basic cleaning of the house and finishing of my thesis. Too many things haven't been put away in too long.
I will put my name out as a substitute and work hard to set that up. It will give me a chance to observe in many schools.
More... I will develop my own school.
I'm fixing all the little things that bother me on this blog, and it's about ready to be announced. An accumulation of good points from others and will be the thoughts about want I want to work on. A very good resource for links though. Also thinking of asking others to be involved in the quote blog. I need some help on it. Sharon's document is fantastic, but it needs people to build it.
I think I want to make a wishlist link/page. That will help people who want to buy stuff for me.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Literature and Fantasy
Although I try really hard to use only reality based books, I have to honestly say that I am not 100%.Once in a while a book with animals talking sneaks its way in! For picture books I look for beautiful illustrations and interesting stories. I do read The Kissing Hand the first day of school basically because I have never found a book that is better than that on the subject of transition.
Books of the popular culture like Thomas the Train and Dora are not in my class and if children bring them in, they show their favorite page on the circle and out the book in their cubby. I am careful that what I read aloud to children has educational value...... When a child asks why.... I explain honestly that it will not help our learning.
I have never thought so much about exaggerations but I think a lot about offering a multicultural view of the world and people in it through the literature!
Posted by: "Cathie Perolman"
We had a HUGE discussion about this on this list last year or so and it gave me the motivation to "clean out" my class library. I took out all books that had animals portrayed as people, talking animals and in animate objects, etc. The children have never missed them. There are other books that seemed too fantasy based where it was quite confusing to the children. My feeling is that I am the teacher who the children look up to, and although parents are probably reading fantasy books, sharing fantasy stories, etc, the children know that they can count on me to help them sort out what is real and what is not real. I do have a section of fiction books, although small and non commercial, they passed my inspection years ago and remain on the shelf. To tell you the truth, the children rarely choose one of those books for me to read to them. They usually choose reality books about transportation(current), the seasons, planets, animals, plants and other people and places around the world.
2. If you have a "reality" only policy for books, do you believe that children are not influenced by outside literature or television programming. (Thomas the Tank, Dora Explorer)
Sure they are influenced but just like they know there are different rules at home then at school(it's ok to climb up slides at home, but not at school), they know without reminders what conversations will be at school. That doesn't mean that a cartoon character does not come up among friends, but the influence is not that major in the classroom. Of course, we have in our parent handbook, talk about such things (our classroom is reality based and what that means) so we tend to attract families that share that way of thinking. It is a family value. We still have occasional child that seems obsessed with a cartoon character from home, but I have noticed less children coming from homes that use tv as babysitters like I did at my last school.
Maureen
I don't think that the schools that I worked for had a "policy" about literature. I think that they left it to our descretion. My job before I was trained and was working as an assistant was to bring library books that I selected to school. This was a lesson for the children that the library is an interesting place full of wonderful books to borrow. I had a couple real lapses where I didn't read the books and brought them in and my teacher gave me a look. One was about a man dying of aids. This is a great tool for a parent to child situation but hardly appropriate for a class of thirty preschoolers. My other one was about a boy who fantasized turning himself into a monster and eating his enemies. She started to read this one before we both realized what the plot entailed. Needless to say I "always" read the books that I brought in from then on.
Posted by: "marie.hopkinson@comcast.net"
Books of the popular culture like Thomas the Train and Dora are not in my class and if children bring them in, they show their favorite page on the circle and out the book in their cubby. I am careful that what I read aloud to children has educational value...... When a child asks why.... I explain honestly that it will not help our learning.
I have never thought so much about exaggerations but I think a lot about offering a multicultural view of the world and people in it through the literature!
Posted by: "Cathie Perolman"
We had a HUGE discussion about this on this list last year or so and it gave me the motivation to "clean out" my class library. I took out all books that had animals portrayed as people, talking animals and in animate objects, etc. The children have never missed them. There are other books that seemed too fantasy based where it was quite confusing to the children. My feeling is that I am the teacher who the children look up to, and although parents are probably reading fantasy books, sharing fantasy stories, etc, the children know that they can count on me to help them sort out what is real and what is not real. I do have a section of fiction books, although small and non commercial, they passed my inspection years ago and remain on the shelf. To tell you the truth, the children rarely choose one of those books for me to read to them. They usually choose reality books about transportation(current), the seasons, planets, animals, plants and other people and places around the world.
2. If you have a "reality" only policy for books, do you believe that children are not influenced by outside literature or television programming. (Thomas the Tank, Dora Explorer)
Sure they are influenced but just like they know there are different rules at home then at school(it's ok to climb up slides at home, but not at school), they know without reminders what conversations will be at school. That doesn't mean that a cartoon character does not come up among friends, but the influence is not that major in the classroom. Of course, we have in our parent handbook, talk about such things (our classroom is reality based and what that means) so we tend to attract families that share that way of thinking. It is a family value. We still have occasional child that seems obsessed with a cartoon character from home, but I have noticed less children coming from homes that use tv as babysitters like I did at my last school.
Maureen
I don't think that the schools that I worked for had a "policy" about literature. I think that they left it to our descretion. My job before I was trained and was working as an assistant was to bring library books that I selected to school. This was a lesson for the children that the library is an interesting place full of wonderful books to borrow. I had a couple real lapses where I didn't read the books and brought them in and my teacher gave me a look. One was about a man dying of aids. This is a great tool for a parent to child situation but hardly appropriate for a class of thirty preschoolers. My other one was about a boy who fantasized turning himself into a monster and eating his enemies. She started to read this one before we both realized what the plot entailed. Needless to say I "always" read the books that I brought in from then on.
Posted by: "marie.hopkinson@comcast.net"
Music recommendations
If you are looking for songs written by a Montessori teacher, try Frank Leto. He has also given some wonderful workshops at Montessori conferences in the U.S. His music is rhythmic and calming and I find the approach of singing a line and then having the children echo it is perfect for children who are learning English as a second language.
Elaine
Burchie and I are two long-time teachers at the Montessori School of Northampton, MA (USA) and have created an album of songs inspired by Maria Montessori's method and materials. Our CD is called "Taking My Dog to Dinner", a song of grace and courtesy. You can listen to our songs at
http://www.burchiemusic.com/index.html
Our goal is an album of songs catchy and sing-able enough that children are going to want to learn them and 'adult' enough for grown-ups to enjoy them over and over (and over) as well. And, of course, to flow from Montessori classroom ideas.
Our songs tap into all areas of our classrooms, and many forms of music, from the bluesy "Walkin' on the Line " and the gospel-rock sound of "One Pink Tower" (Sensorial) to the jazz of the "Monarch Butterfly's Blues," and a "Fishes' Song" (science), to "Picnic Basket" (math) and "Metal Insects" (language).
Out of the strata of the geography area comes "Get My Continental Drift? (The Continents Song)" and from everyday living: "My Work is Practical Life" and the "Water-table Blues." We set a brisk pace that we temper with lullabies "While You Were Sleeping" and "Owls and Lullabies," and Burchie's anthem, " My Montessori Classroom ."
And we stout-heartedly maintain "I Wanna Bring My Dog to Dinner" is a study in grace and courtesy.
- Matt Levin
Elaine
Burchie and I are two long-time teachers at the Montessori School of Northampton, MA (USA) and have created an album of songs inspired by Maria Montessori's method and materials. Our CD is called "Taking My Dog to Dinner", a song of grace and courtesy. You can listen to our songs at
http://www.burchiemusic.com/
Our goal is an album of songs catchy and sing-able enough that children are going to want to learn them and 'adult' enough for grown-ups to enjoy them over and over (and over) as well. And, of course, to flow from Montessori classroom ideas.
Our songs tap into all areas of our classrooms, and many forms of music, from the bluesy "Walkin' on the Line " and the gospel-rock sound of "One Pink Tower" (Sensorial) to the jazz of the "Monarch Butterfly's Blues," and a "Fishes' Song" (science), to "Picnic Basket" (math) and "Metal Insects" (language).
Out of the strata of the geography area comes "Get My Continental Drift? (The Continents Song)" and from everyday living: "My Work is Practical Life" and the "Water-table Blues." We set a brisk pace that we temper with lullabies "While You Were Sleeping" and "Owls and Lullabies," and Burchie's anthem, " My Montessori Classroom ."
And we stout-heartedly maintain "I Wanna Bring My Dog to Dinner" is a study in grace and courtesy.
- Matt Levin
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