Seymour Papert

11 Thursday Aug 2016

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Learning, Montessori Education

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21st-century skills, learning, lifelong learning, maker space, maker studio, makerspace, MIT, montessori, Montessori education, Scratch, Seymour Papert, STEAM, technology

learning-powerful-papert

Seymour Papert, a co-founder of the MIT Media Lab passed away last week. His life was spent thinking about learning and how to make it accessible to everyone. Many of his contributions focused on the integration of technology and learning; he was a trailblazer. If you’ve not heard of him, please learn more. His work informs much of what we deem to be leading edge in our schools today: makerspaces, technology integration, teaching Scratch programming and more. He has left us with many writings and a great deal of inspiration. Montessori education focuses on helping children learn how to learn; learning is not stagnant. It is an ever-present goal for all of us. Thank you, Seymour Papert, for your inspiration and innovation.

“So the model that says learn while you’re at school, while you’re young, the skills that you will apply during your lifetime is no longer tenable. The skills that you can learn when you’re at school will not be applicable. They will be obsolete by the time you get into the workplace and need them, except for one skill. The one really competitive skill is the skill of being able to learn. It is the skill of being able not to give the right answer to questions about what you were taught in school, but to what you were taught in school. We need to produce people who know how to act when they’re faced with situations for which they were not specifically prepared.”
– Seymour Papert

Maria Montessori: Trendsetter

26 Thursday May 2016

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

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21st-century, 21st-century skills, communication, critical thinking, education, fashion, hands-on learning, innovation, leadership, Maria Montessori, montessori, Montessori education, teachers, teamwork, tomorrow's leaders, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

What do fashion and a WMS education have in common? On the face nothing. Yes, we have some nice T-shirts in our school store and the design is changed once in awhile, but you may have noted that we are not in the fashion business. However, Montessori education is a bit like fashion in that we set trends. We also adapt and change, remaining relevant in an ever-changing world…just like fashion.

There are buzzwords in every field; education is no different. The interesting thing about the latest buzz in education is that it centers on words and ideas such as innovation, flexible thinking, social skills, leadership, collaboration, communication skills, critical thinking, teamwork, creativity, time management, organization and more. Most, if not all, of these words – and practices – have been a part of Montessori education for well over 100 years, reminding us of the adage, “What is old is new again.” Continue reading →

Are you flexible?

21 Thursday Apr 2016

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Learning

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21st-century, 21st-century skills, adaptability, flexibility

slinky Lately (and honestly most of my life) I’ve had occasion to consider flexibility… and not that of a gymnast or Cirque du Soleil performer. What I have observed and learned over and over again is that those who are the most flexible and adaptable win. Winning isn’t something high on the list of most Montessorians, so why does winning in this instance matter? In schools, in jobs, in families, in friendships, in most everything a person’s ability to adapt and flex pave the way for a more joyful and productive existence; that’s winning. We know this lesson well from examples in the plant and animal kingdom; those that adapt survive and thrive.

It’s no coincidence that two of the life and career skills listed in the “Framework for the 21st Century” are flexibility and adaptability. Things don’t always go our way. It’s a life lesson. Flexing and adapting to the given circumstances allow room for a positive outcome when it may not seem possible. Children have opportunities to learn this over and over again. It’s our job as adults to help them. Things may not work out as they envision. They may be disappointed. Shifting their perspective, adjusting their expectations, adapting to the new situation and being flexible enough to embrace the shift will lead to feeling of success and, yes, maybe even winning.

Reading, Writing and… More

07 Thursday Jan 2016

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

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21st-century skills, brain, curiosity, education, innovation, inspiration, montessori, Montessori education, research, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School, wonder, yong zhao

“Reading and writing should be the floor, not the ceiling.”
– Yong Zhao

Room 19 - Dioramas 2 The past two weeks have brought time to reflect and catch up on some reading. As I’ve done so, I was moved by the statement above. Yong Zhao is the Presidential Chair and Director of the Institute for Global and Online Education in the College of Education at the University of Oregon. I heard Dr. Zhao speak at a Learning and the Brain Conference a few years ago and have been captivated by his thinking ever since. He is not only entertaining; he also understands the challenges our students will face in a rapidly changing world.

“Reading and writing should be the floor, not the ceiling.” Reading and writing are the basis of an educated populace; our goal is that all of our citizens are able to read and write. That is not the end game. If it were, how would we compete in a world market? How would we inspire our students to create and innovate? It is not enough to read and write and, I might add, to compute numbers. We need these skills to be able to do so much more.

As we begin 2016 and I consider the goals of students at Wilmington Montessori School and at every school, what I know is that the children are at the center of what we do and why we are here. Children are eager to learn, to ask questions, and to play with materials and ideas. They are naturally curious and willing to try and try again. They are thrilled when they unlock the squiggly lines that make up the words they learn to read and write. They can’t get enough.

Our responsibility is to keep that wonder alive. We must create a strong and sturdy foundation of those skills in order for them to apply them to increasingly challenging and interesting work. We cannot simply pat ourselves on the back when we can prove through test scores or other measures that our children can read and write. We must challenge ourselves to do more. The “more” is creating an atmosphere where learning is valued and everyone is a learner. That is what we strive for each day and each new year at WMS.

Learning is at our core, and learning is not defined by a grade, an age or an ability. It is defined by the very children in our midst. What is it that each child needs to remain engaged and inspired and wanting more? That is the question we ask ourselves each day as we greet the children at WMS.

Work is like preschool.

19 Thursday Nov 2015

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Montessori Education, Wilmington Montessori School

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21st-century skills, grace and courtesy, kinder, montessori, Montessori education, preschool, primary, social curriculum, social skills, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School, workplace skills

Room 13 - BeeBot One of the best things about sending your child to a Montessori school is the social curriculum that is embedded in every aspect of the day. Whether children are playing together, sitting on circle to greet one another, working on an assignment or choosing what work to do, our classrooms are filled with what Maria Montessori called grace and courtesy – teaching children to be kind, caring and work together. When my son entered his first Montessori classroom, I was struck by the courteous manner of not only each adult I encountered but also by the children. They greeted classroom visitors in a polite manner. They interacted with each other, noting differences but also embracing them. Yes, they may have also been a bit mischievous at times, but they also respected and cared for one another.

In this article the author notes the similarities between the social curriculum in the Primary Program and what is demanded in the modern workplace, stating that the skills learned in preschool are essential in our changing world. The job sectors that are growing are those that demand social skills. Machines replace the non-human element; they can’t replace a friendly smile or a conversation. At Wilmington Montessori School we know that children cannot learn until they feel accepted and safe. Our social curriculum is central to all that we do; it is not an “add-on.” If there is a problem it is addressed. Sometimes that can be messy… especially with children involved as they learn to deliver and accept a well-placed apology. As humans we are all works in progress, learning and growing along the way. At WMS the opportunities to refine these skills are available all day every day.

Purpose of Education

15 Thursday Oct 2015

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

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21st-century, 21st-century skills, alumni, chris lehmann, cosmic education, education, first plane of development, global citizens, Maria Montessori, montessori, Montessori education, primary, to educate the human potential, toddler, wonder

Last week, I had the incredible opportunity to hear two speakers who shared ideas that cause me to reflect on the value and purpose of education today. There is inspiration in learning from others.

Chris Lehmann is the founding principal of the Science Leadership Academy in Philadelphia. He is a bundle of energy and dares us all to think more deeply about what we need from schools. He shared his “biggest” idea early in his presentation. He views the primary goal of education as creating citizens of the world, people capable of making informed decisions that benefit others. Where have we heard that before?

In To Educate the Human Potential, Maria Montessori says, “Children in the first plane of development (birth to 6 years old) have already absorbed the immediate environment and the restricted society they and their families have dealings with. You must try to give the child what he now longs for: the understanding of the world, how it functions and how it affects the life and behavior of humanity.”

The purpose of cosmic education, which she proposes is the task of the child in the second plane of development (6 to 12 years old), is to help us understand ourselves and relate to the world in which we live. We do this by learning about and understanding others; this prepares children for the future.

Schools, educators, parents and the general public worry about the skills being taught in schools. Public education began as a way to make sure that we had a literate populace. That continues to be the general goal of school today. However, it is not the primary goal. Our children have access to facts in more ways than ever before. They can learn and practice skills in so many ways that we could never have imagined. What they need is to learn to think, to wonder, to question, and to consider what has been done and what is possible. They need to understand facts that are presented and consider how they have evolved over time.

If, as Chris Lehmann and Maria Montessori propose, fostering engaged citizens to make responsible decisions for our world is the purpose of education we are well on our way at WMS.

Motivating Learners

13 Monday Jul 2015

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

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21st-century, 21st-century skills, collaboration, connections, critical thinking, curiosity, hands-on learning, lifelong learning, montessori, Montessori education, motivation, teachers, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

Many of us never “take a break” from learning. We continue to ask questions, wonder and play with ideas. For others, it can be more challenging to engage in learning. The questions that they ask might be more along the lines of, “How or when will I use this?” or “Why do I need to know this?” or “Will it be on the test?” All of these questions and the questions that every learner asks have to do with motivation. What motivates us to learn and what keeps us engaged in the learning process?

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Stages of Curiosity

28 Thursday May 2015

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

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21st-century, 21st-century skills, 3-6 classroom, authentic Montessori, curiosity, hands-on learning, Maria Montessori, montessori, Montessori education, stages of curiosity, teachers, three period lessons, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

Reading this blog entry reminded me of the wisdom of Maria Montessori. The entry posits four stages of curiosity: process, content, transfer and self. “This has changed me” is the defining sentence of this fourth stage, self. Dr. Montessori did not identify four stages of curiosity or refer to it as directly as may be found in today’s writings about learning and education. What she did was create an educational system that utilizes what she termed ‘three-period lessons.’ From the youngest children to the oldest, this is a defining principle of Montessori practice, one that can be found in authentic Montessori schools, such as WMS, throughout the world.

Three-period lessons consist of stages:

“This is…” Information is presented, named and shown step by step. The teacher demonstrates the materials to show a child what is possible.
“Show me…” The student is asked to show the teacher things, to recognize and associate an item. For example, if a lesson were done on triangles, a student would be asked to show the teacher the equilateral triangle. At this point a child is not asked to name the triangle, but to demonstrate her understanding of the concept by correctly identifying the triangle when asked.
“What is this?” The student is asked to name an object or idea that has been presented in other lessons. As children learn to name items, they also begin to associate them with previously learned ideas and thus begin to creatively associate concepts and ideas.

What the aforementioned blog entry on the stages of curiosity and Montessori’s three-period lessons have in common is the understanding that children need someone nearby to help them negotiate the beginnings of their learning, no matter the topic. The first stages of learning require a patient and knowledgeable teacher to provide the information and help the student define his or her world. As the child gains more information, he associates it with previous knowledge and begins to wonder, to make sense of what he is learning. Finally, the child assimilates this learning into his world and extends his definition of the world and his part in it. The student begins to create, and to seek knowledge for knowledge’s sake. This is the pinnacle of learning, and it is guided by curiosity.

Once again, Montessori’s understanding of children and how they learn is brought to bear when considering the 21st-century skills touted in education today. Wilmington Montessori School, a school with strong and tested Montessori principles, leads the way in educating children for their future.

Montessori Roots and Self-Management: Alumnus Brad Wason Reflects on Lessons Learned at WMS

18 Monday May 2015

Posted by Lisa Lalama in Research, Wilmington Montessori School

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21st-century, 21st-century skills, alumni, Brad Wason, Bradford Wason, Frederic Laloux, management, montessori, Montessori education, preparation for life, Reinventing Organizations, self-management, Teal, tomorrow's leaders, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School, Zappos

Alumnus Brad Wason, who recently started working for Zappos, wrote the following blog post about how Wilmington Montessori School has helped him deal with the changes that are happening in his work life today. His words serve as yet another example of how WMS prepares students for their future – both in school and in life.

Growing up Teal.
by Bradford Wason

If the title of this post is perplexing to you, I assure you, that you’re not alone. Only recently have I been enlightened to the meaning and it provided a bit of context to my life up to this point. For the past few weeks I’ve digested a mountain of information and ideas from concepts presented in Frederic Laloux’s book: Reinventing Organizations. I’ll admit my first pass of the book was tough, though I blame that on the subtext of my perspectve at the time. I had just found out that the new job I had started nine weeks ago would be evaporating in a sense as of May 1st. I work for Zappos and if you haven’t heard, we’re going Teal. Hello self-management and goodbye managers (that’s me).

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21st-Century Skills (Part 8)

02 Monday Mar 2015

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

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21st-century, 21st-century skills, artistry, arts, creativity, engaged learners, hands-on learning, innovation, montessori, self-expression, STEAM, teachers, Wilmington Montessori, Wilmington Montessori School

Creativity, Artistry, Imagination, Innovation, Personal Expression

As we wind up this series on 21st-century learning, it is time to consider the skills at the forefront of discussion when most people think about this topic – the goals of innovation and creativity. Employers want them, and schools work hard to “teach” these skills. Montessori education leads the way in this respect. At WMS, classrooms are set up to allow personal expression to flourish and creative experiences abound. Learning is student directed, not teacher directed.

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The Montessori Message

Tag Archives: 21st-century skills

Seymour Papert

Maria Montessori: Trendsetter

Are you flexible?

Reading, Writing and… More

Purpose of Education

Motivating Learners

Stages of Curiosity

Montessori Roots and Self-Management: Alumnus Brad Wason Reflects on Lessons Learned at WMS

21st-Century Skills (Part 8)