Tag Archives: lifelong learning

Keep Learning

25 Thursday May 2017

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Screen Shot 2017-05-25 at 10.54.26 AMAt Wilmington Montessori School, we have moved slowly but surely from mostly using Microsoft Word documents and Excel spreadsheets to using Google Docs and Sheets. Some embraced the move and did it quickly and rather painlessly. Others, not so much. Recently, I was asked how I learned to use Google Docs. My response was a simple one: “I made myself do it.” You see, if I were given a wishy-washy mandate to change from a familiar and comfortable and manageable system (for me) to one that I found time-consuming to work on and didn’t look the same or respond in the same way, I wouldn’t have done it. I would have elected to stay with the familiar. I knew the change was coming and made myself take the extra time to work in one system while not completely trusting it and also saving things in the one I knew. I doubled up for safety! But I did it.  

Making changes such as these is not easy. There will be questions, unfamiliar interfaces, mistakes and frustration. Help will be needed. It’s there for the asking. As we learn new things, whether by choice or mandate, others are there to help us along the way. There will always be new things to learn and others to guide us and answer seemingly simple questions. Take the leap. Embrace change. Keep learning. You’ll be ready for what happens next.

What do we need to know?

06 Thursday Apr 2017

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What do students need to succeed in school and in life? That is a question that educators have struggled with since societies began offering education to its citizens. Most of us wouldn’t argue with the idea that we all need to read, write and know basic math skills. After that it gets a bit muddier. What content must be “covered” to ensure an educated populace?

If you take a moment to consider your own education, what you loved about it, what you absorbed at the time, and what you quickly forgot and relearned later in life, you will begin to understand the limitations of a singular attempt at becoming an educated person. We have all learned a body of facts about history, geography, varying sciences and more. How many of those facts do you recall? Of those you remember, why do you suppose they are easily recalled? If you happen to have loved learning about Greek mythology as a child, chances are you held onto that information and have added to it throughout your life. If you were not interested in it, the opposite may have occurred; you remembered what was needed for a report or a test, forgot most of it and can perhaps pull up one or two facts years later.

There are national standards for education in all disciplines. Schools and educators throughout our country use those standards to determine what to teach and at what age or grade they should be included in the curriculum. What standards don’t address is how to ignite the interest, curiosity and passion of the children who are the intended learners. Education is much more than sharing facts. Attending school means so much more than being presented information. It is the place where we are inspired by ideas, current and past, by questions that ignite a curiosity and passion to seek answers, and by educators who are learners themselves. It’s imperative that those who call themselves teachers continue to be learners. None of us will ever learn all that is to be learned. Each of us has the capacity to continue to seek knowledge, to ask questions and to ignite curiosity in ourselves and others. Learning for life is preparation for the future and is the best standard we can set for students in our schools.

Seymour Papert

11 Thursday Aug 2016

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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

John Dewey: Education as “a process of living…”

12 Thursday Nov 2015

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Room 15 - Maker Studio 1This week I am compelled to write about John Dewey, who some believe to be the greatest educational thinker of the 20th century.

Dewey wrote about the power and importance of experiential learning… learning by doing. He also viewed the teacher as a facilitator or guide. His pedagogy aligns beautifully with Montessori’s. In considering what school can and should be for children, we cannot neglect Dewey’s work.

Please take a few minutes to read some of his ideas, which ultimately state that, “Education, therefore, is a process of living and not a preparation for future living.” That is the goal. Learning does not begin and end at the school door. It is a lifelong habit. Our work is to set the stage and encourage children to embrace it.

“Joyful Discovery of Self”

08 Thursday Oct 2015

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scienceisawesomeJust the other day I was sent this article about kindergarten in Finland with a note saying that it reminded the sender of Montessori education. I have read many articles about the Finnish education system and look to it as an example of what we can strive for in America’s education system. One of the most interesting things is that children are given ample opportunities to play and explore. They are acknowledged for who they are and presented with opportunities to learn in subtle ways that they can then hold onto and take further as their interest and ability allow. As children enter school learning is presented in playful and joyous ways. In fact, according to an old Finnish saying,”Those things you learn without joy you will forget easily.” Joy is an important aspect of learning in Finland.

At WMS our mission statement includes “the joyful discovery of self.” What we know and what we strive to do is engage children fully in learning and in making it their learning, not the teacher’s learning or the learning mandated by particular standards for a child of a particular age. We recognize that children come to us with various experiences and interests. We work to provide experiences that will allow them to learn with joy and to continue to ask questions and wonder what else there is to consider, grapple with and learn.

It is the space between activities that often leads to learning and gives one pause for thought. It is the time that is unscheduled and unplanned that gives our brains time to play with ideas. It is the Montessori three-hour work time that lays the foundation for learning – for Maria Montessori knew what others are coming to understand: Children are naturally born explorers who want to make sense of the world and will do so given an environment that is prepared for them and allows exploration and exposure to more than one teacher’s idea of learning. The materials, the prepared classrooms, the other students and ample time to explore provide the impetus to learn in a joyful manner. Joy is a critical component of learning if we want children to learn for life.

Montessori classrooms foster lifelong learners.

Preparing for the Future

28 Friday Aug 2015

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Reading this article once again reminds me of the hard work we are doing at Wilmington Montessori School – the work of igniting curiosity and wonder and of keeping alive so that when our students graduate they will take advantage of opportunities to learn, to make mistakes and to discover. Writing as a parent and educator, Jessica Lahey says it much better than I can:

Maybe it’s time to share some truths with her as I figure out where I went astray, and together we can help our kids rediscover their intellectual bravery, their enthusiasm for learning, and the resilience they need in order to grow into independent, competent adults. With a little luck, they will look back on their childhood and thank us; not just for our unwavering love, but for our willingness to put their long-term developmental and emotional needs before their short-term happiness. For our willingness to let their lives be just a little bit harder today so they will know how to face hardship tomorrow.

As we get ready for another school year, let’s work together to allow our children the opportunity to struggle and develop the “bones” needed to face their future.

Motivating Learners

13 Monday Jul 2015

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scienceisawesome
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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Summer – A Time for Renewal

02 Thursday Jul 2015

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Summer is a time that school children everywhere look forward to – a time to relax, play and take part in new experiences. The same can be said for the adults in our community.

This summer has begun with an increased feeling of freedom for many of us. It has also begun with opportunities to learn and grow. In the past three weeks, we have had more than 10 staff members attend a variety of professional development workshops. Of course, each workshop has a focus. We will learn skills that help us enhance our classroom community, refine our teaching practice, understand the benefits and challenges of independent school education, network with fellow Delawareans in the nonprofit sector and more. However, what the brochures and websites for these events doesn’t tell us is that we will be re-energized and reinvigorated as a result of attending. We will leave these workshops with ideas that came from talking to other participants. We will begin to wonder anew about how to accomplish our goals. We will sit back, take in the information, participate in the dialogue and reflect… on our school, ourselves, our past and our potential.

Summer is a time for renewal. It gives us the space to wonder and learn, to hit refresh, and move forward with energy and enthusiasm.

Education for Life

07 Thursday May 2015

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When percussionist Tony Vacca visited WMS, staff enjoyed learning from him almost as much as the students did!

When percussionist Tony Vacca visited WMS, staff enjoyed learning from him almost as much as the students did!

One of our core values at Wilmington Montessori School is “education for life.” When reading this on our website or simply considering those three words, one tends to think about the students, for they are our focus. Lately I have been doing a bit of reading that reminds me to consider each member of our community when reflecting on this core value.

To be the best educators we can be, we need to be the best learners. This doesn’t mean we learn the most difficult concepts or excel at everything we try, but that we embrace the process of learning and move beyond the comfort of knowing to the uncertainty that comes with learning. From a baby taking her first wobbly steps to a child hesitantly reading his first words, the unsteadiness of the learning process is a part of our lives. As we move through school, we experience of the challenges and wonder of learning.

At WMS, our teachers spend most of their time as learners. They learn through professional development workshops, meetings with colleagues, researching topics to teach a concept or to guide a student, reading blogs and publications about their profession and the content areas they teach, and best of all, they learn from their students. Being open to learning and embracing the unknown are values that are critical to our success; we are learners for our entire lives.

Professional Development & Lifelong Learning

23 Thursday Apr 2015

Posted by in Camp Montessori, Extended Day Programs, Learning, Montessori Education, Teachers, Wilmington Montessori School

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During the past week, several of our staff members attended workshops to extend their learning. Professional development is a closely held value at WMS. Our teachers, extended day and camp staff, and administrators all participate in professional development throughout the year. It is an opportunity for them to learn, wonder, connect and consider their practice in a different light.

Our primary goals are to do the best job we can at educating children to be citizens of the world, to develop a passion for learning and creating. Inspiring the adults in the community is key to these goals.  In the past few weeks, staff members have attended workshops about autism spectrum disorders, writing with kindergartners, marketing, communications and admissions at independent schools as well as the American Montessori Society annual conference in Philadelphia this March. Learning is not for children only. It is for each of us, no matter our role at WMS.

Though we have attended these workshops and have many more to come over the summer months, what really matters is that we are on a continual learning path. We meet regularly in cohorts within the school; we belong to associations and connect with people who are doing similar work. We share ideas and learn from others. Lifelong learning is a goal for everyone at WMS.