Category Archives: STEM

Building Bridges

01 Friday Dec 2017

Posted by in community service, Learning, Montessori Education, STEM, Wilmington Montessori School

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Bridge - group.jpgA long line of children walked by the window, each carrying a board, following their teachers like ducklings. What were they doing?

These Upper Elementary students worked worked long and hard on a bridge project. Last year, through a study of engineering, they arrived at the idea of building a bridge across the creek in the woods. They worked with the facilities manager, parent engineers and their teachers to determine how they could cross the creek without hopping from rock to rock. Their initial project was lofty indeed, the Golden Gate Bridge over Perkins Run Creek. As it became clear this was an engineering marvel and beyond the scope of their expertise, they adjusted the scope of the project to one more manageable by 9- through 12-year-olds. Two weeks ago, they built a bridge that will be used by our students and campers throughout the year. They achieved their goal. Continue reading →

21st-Century Skills (Part 6)

12 Thursday Feb 2015

Posted by in community service, making a difference, Montessori Education, STEM, Wilmington Montessori School

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Environmental and Conservation Literacy/Ecosystems Understanding

Owl visitor - blogAs you wander through the classrooms at WMS on these winter days, it is interesting to observe how much of the curriculum is focused outside, beyond the school walls. Though Punxsutawney Phil saw his shadow only a week ago, our students are keenly aware of our outdoor environment and how much it matters to all the species living within it. Birds are being fed, houses are prepared for returning birds, and gardens are being planned to provide food for us and for visiting butterflies, birds and other animals.

Through this work children are learning to care for those that live within our 25-acre campus and also those who drop by for a visit on their way to other places. WMS students are building the 21st-century skill of environmental literacy and gaining an understanding of ecosystems. They know that what we do matters to not only our immediate neighbors, but to the world at large. Continue reading →

21st-Century Skills (Part 1)

15 Thursday Jan 2015

Posted by in Learning, Montessori Education, Research, STEM, Wilmington Montessori School

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3-6 Maker Faires19Education is all abuzz around 21st-century skills. What are they? Will children have them in place when they graduate? Will they lead to gainful employment? What can I expect to see in my child’s classroom where 21st-century skills are part of the learning?

The next several blog entries will focus on Wilmington Montessori School and 21st-century learning. We hear that term bandied about and agree that we all want children to be well prepared to enter the workforce when they complete their education. We even agree on some language around what those skills may be. However, what we know is that many schools are waiting to prepare students until they are older, even as old as college age. That is much too late. In order to build on these multi-faceted skills, a strong foundation needs to be put into place as early as possible. And where is the best place to begin educating children at such an early age? Nowhere but a Montessori environment, and specifically WMS.

Creating Lifelong Learners

30 Thursday Oct 2014

Posted by in Learning, Montessori Education, STEM, Wilmington Montessori School

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pedagogy-first-technology-second

Click the image above to view full-size graphic.

Technology changes constantly. As you read this blog entry, new things are being created, connections are being made, and once commonly used apps or hardware are becoming obsolete.

At WMS, we have made a commitment to integrate technology as part of our 2014-16 Strategic Plan and are well on our way. However, our primary commitment continues to be to learning. As we work with children each day, our goal remains the same: creating lifelong learners.

When Montessori education began, Maria Montessori could not have imagined the tools available to us today. However, she created tools that continue to guide, support and ignite passion for learning.

Whether children and teachers are using a pink tower, language materials, the checkerboard, an iPad or laptop, learning is the goal. Connecting ideas, collaborating with others, getting feedback that encourages further questioning and learning are the foundations of a robust learning environment and continue to be the foundations of learning at WMS.​

Who Says Math Has to Be Boring? (New York Times)

11 Wednesday Dec 2013

Posted by in Montessori Education, Research, STEM

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This week, the New York Times began a series on math and science education. In this week’s article, Who Says Math Has to Be Boring?, the NYT editorial board discusses the rapid increase in jobs related to science, technology, engineering and math (known collectively as STEM) while the number of college students who choose to pursue STEM-related careers is decreasing. The key to increasing the qualified workforce in these fields is engaging students at a young age:

A new study, by researchers at the University of Missouri, showed that the most important factor that predicted math success in middle school and upward was an understanding of what numbers are before entering the first grade. Having “number system knowledge” in kindergarten or earlier — grasping that a numeral represents a quantity, and understanding the relationships among numbers — was a more important factor in math success by seventh grade than intelligence, race or income. Full Article

Montessori math materials engage students in hands-on learning, beginning with concrete examples of mathematical principles and eventually becoming more abstract as children move through their elementary years. Once again, current research confirms what Montessorians have known for more than a century! 

STEM Beyond School Hours

02 Wednesday Oct 2013

Posted by in Camp Montessori, Extended Day Programs, Home School Program, Montessori Education, STEM

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by Cass Winner, Director of Extended Programs at Wilmington Montessori School

“Why didn’t my marble go into the bucket?”

Home School CircuitEvery traditional classroom has one child who is so full of questions that some teachers may consider him or her to be annoying. In this educational model (the one most of us grew up with), information is transferred from teacher to student; teachers are supposed to ask the questions, and the children are supposed to answer them.  In a Montessori classroom, questions are the engine of education.  Not only do we welcome questions from the children, but we help them to find the answers.

At Wilmington Montessori School, the adventure does not end at 3 p.m. The hours traditionally seen as “out-of-school time” — before school, after school and days on which regular classes are closed — provide more opportunities to ask great questions and find real answers.  The first response of a good teacher is often, “Why do you think the marble didn’t go into the bucket?  What are your ideas?”

In Maribeth Low’s after-school room, second- through fourth-graders — a mix of WMS students and local public school students — spent the afternoons building electric circuits, creating 3-D sculptures with recycled materials, and playing math and strategy games.  If they learned about gases in school that day and wondered how they behaved, they could mix baking soda and vinegar and watch a balloon blow itself up before their eyes. Continue reading →