Montessori teachers are often labelled as garbage pickers. Unfortunately, it's true. The best Montessori teachers I've met so far are the ones who are consistently taking other people's trash and turning it into educational treasures for the classroom. I've seen old DVD players become really creative destruction centers for children to learn about technology and the parts of a machine. Old buckets and lampshades become part of practical life areas, and broken down cribs are repaired and put into the roleplay area. It just takes a little imagination. What's important is that our love for recycling, repairing, reusing is transferred to our children, and they too become environmentally conscious and creative citizens. What a beautiful thing.
That being said -- I must share this. 35 Lifechanging Ways to Use Everyday Objects. Things you have lying around your house will suddenly become your new magical friends, and then YOU TOO can be part of the Montessori trash troving family :) Enjoy!
http://www.buzzfeed.com/peggy/35-lifechanging-ways-to-use-everyday-objects
Saturday, August 4, 2012
Did You Know?
Marlene has presented this video nearly every time I've seen her speak in China. To be fair, that's only 5 times. But still -- she's in love with this video, and she showed it again today to end another Saturday class and a long week at EMTTA.
It's a really interesting video, which shows us in an honest way how fast our world is moving, and in many ways how competitive the people of the world are. It was put together by Karl Fisch, a high school teacher and director of technology in Colorado. He has a really interesting blog (click here for it -- The Fischbowl) I enjoy reading, which always makes great commentary on the state of education in the world, particularly in the U.S.
I want to share this with everyone, and I would really love to hear your reactions upon seeing this video. I'd like a more global idea on how people feel about this rapid pace of modernization and informational adaptation -- do you think it is good for our future generation, or are we letting it get out of hand? All ideas, criticisms, commentary welcome here freely...
Until the next time...
Friday, August 3, 2012
Peace Education
Why I love Montessori.
Because when I talk to people, they tell me peace is a dead concept.
But when I teach Montessori, I feel it inside of me.
And I know there is a group of us, Montessorians, out there, who are working together to achieve this for the whole world, and I can be nothing but proud that I am slowly becoming part of that.
Thursday, August 2, 2012
Sometimes, we need to remember just how rich we are. A reminder of where our roots came from -- the same place that every other person came from, from the ground, from a human, from love. And amidst all that stuff, all these things, all this junk -- we are all just humans deep down inside, no matter the color of our skin, the size of our paycheck, or the place we come from.
From James Mollison's new book Where Children Sleep.
From James Mollison's new book Where Children Sleep.
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