The Montessori Message

The Montessori Message

Monthly Archives: March 2016

What should be taught in school?

31 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Learning, making a difference, Montessori Education, Research, Wilmington Montessori School

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Carol Ann Tomlinson, educational leadership, learning, montessori, Montessori education, self-reflection, teaching, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

coverimage_016I used some of spring break to catch up on my reading. I am an avid reader and, as most avid readers know, there are far more books, blogs, publications and news stories to read than can be accomplished in any amount of time. Typically a print magazine falls to the bottom of the pile as it will always be there (whereas online content could be changed or removed at any time). This week, I was fortunate to have read an article by Carol Ann Tomlinson in Educational Leadership. Full disclosure…I am a huge fan of Ms. Tomlinson, having read her books and heard her speak. I eagerly await her column in this magazine each month.

In this article, she poses the question of what she would teach and how would she teach if her goal was to prepare students for the life they live today and will live in the future. In the course of answering this question, she cites the example of the University of Virginia medical school as they struggled with this question. They worked from the fact that “medical knowledge doubles in about every 15 years and about half of that knowledge becomes obsolete every five years.” Given that provocative data, what should the time in school be spent on? What needs to be taught? Continue reading →

St. Patrick’s Day (and the teacher in all of us)

17 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Teachers, Wilmington Montessori School

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American Montessori Society, AMS, learners, leprechaun, Montessori2016, St. Patrick's Day, staff, teachers, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

chuck and friends.JPGLast week I was at the American Montessori Society’s national conference in Chicago. It is an opportunity for Montessori educators from around the globe to come together and share best practices, learn from experts in the field and reconnect in order to further Montessori education when they return to their schools. It also happened to coincide with the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Chicago. This wasn’t intentional, I’m sure, but an interesting coincidence. As the saying goes, everyone has a bit of Irish in them on Saint Paddy’s Day.

At WMS, we have our own leprechaun. He came to WMS a couple of years ago and has added so much to the school. Some know him as our Facilities Manager, others note his friendly year-round smile and twinkle in his eye, and simply smile back. But on this day for the past two years, he is a leprechaun. He greets students, staff and families and welcomes them on this magical day. He visits classrooms and gives the children an opportunity to ask him about the origins of his costume, his Irish heritage and his “real job” at the school. Although he frequently states that he is not a teacher, he is that and more.

Our staff, parents, grandparents, and countless others teach us all each day. We learn from each other and we work together to create the finest school community you can find. You see, though some of us have the title of “teacher,” all of us are dedicated to teaching and learning. We remind each other that our goal is to support our students, which means learning from them as well as teaching them. We are learners. We support each other no matter our role or job description. More than anything, this is what schools need to be.

Teaching 2.0

10 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Learning, Teachers, Wilmington Montessori School

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fractions, graphing, hands-on learning, iPad, montessori, skittles, teaching, technology, upper elementary, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

skittlesI have had the great pleasure of working with a small group of students during the past few weeks. Our focus is on math, specifically fractions. I haven’t been in the classroom full time for a few years and, although I knew that children pretty much remain the same, I wondered how I would adjust to the “new ways of doing business.” I found some constants and some things that made my “work” a bit simpler.

As we gathered for a lesson using Skittles candies, the reception was much as it has been throughout time – utter joy. Children love candy, and nothing is better than participating in a lesson where one gets to eat one’s work product! Skittles were sorted by color and fractions were determined and a graph was created that displayed the data. Next was the part children dislike the most…having an assignment. They were given the work to complete and told the expectations that would need to be met to successfully submit the assignment. This is where things shifted. Continue reading →

The Evolution of Technology

03 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Wilmington Montessori School

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education, innovation, PETE&C, Pete2016, technology, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

DSC_1801
Do you remember when computers took up entire rooms? When information was input using punch cards? Computers were initially developed for industrial and governmental needs and have evolved to be used by everyone for varying purposes. Where would you be without your device(s)? Technology, however, began tens of thousands of years ago with the earliest humans on the planet. People used it to move rocks and build wonders like the Great Pyramids and the Coliseum. They developed technology in order to meet their needs and improve their lives. Continue reading →

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