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.
Thursday, July 26, 2012
Functions of Language.
In Module II, our focus in the EMTTA training is on Language, the components of language, and the language curriculum in the Montessori classroom. There are many areas which are included in this, so it's been a lot to take in. I can't imagine what it's been like for the Chinese students who are studying from the second-language angle, as most of our information has been focused on the teaching of English curriculums.
Today, we looked at the concept of function in language. I had never really thought about the various functions of language, and how most people use functions in different conversations. What I learned, though, was that most of our words flow in one directional function.
Go back. Incase you're not aware of the different functions of language, I will go through them quickly:
a. Instrumental Language: Used for getting things, for satisfying one's needs.
"I want the color pink."
b. Regulatory Language: Used for controlling the actions and behaviors of others and yourself.
"Don't do that!" // "Can you please be more quiet?"
c. Interactional Language: Used for maintaining and establishing relationships with others.
"Will you play with me?"
d. Personal Language: Used to identify and express personal feelings and attitudes.
"I want to be a doctor when I grow up."
e. Heuristic Language: Used to discover, seek information, solve problems and explore.
"What makes it run? Why?"
f. Imaginative Language: Used for imaginative purposes, as a means of creation a world of one's own.
g. Informative Language: Used for conveying information to someone who doesn't know, to formulate propositions about the world.
We went through a few different common dialogues a teacher might overhear in the classroom, and there was a lot of tension between classmates and Marlene over the function of several sentences. It was hard for many of us to believe that what we consider as polite remindings could really be seen as strict, regulatory, controlling language.
For example, in the central conversation we looked at, three children are building a bear together and discussing how to do it. At one point, one child says, "The head is too small. If you stuff more newspaper in it, maybe it will fill out some."
Several students said that the statement, "The head is too small" should be considered as informational language, as the child is seeing something and remarking on it. However, Marlene noted that this would be considered regulatory language -- the child has one opinion, that the head is too small, and is forcing the idea on the other children working. The child continues using regulatory language when he/she says, "If you stuff more newspaper in it, maybe it will fill out some." It's like saying, "If you wore dresses more often, you'd find a boyfriend." When you say something like this, you're not asking for anyone else's opinion -- you're telling them what you think is the right thing to do. That, in essence, then, is regulatory language.
In fact, when you walk in to a classroom, more than likely 90% of what you hear both children and teachers saying is used in a regulatory functional way. It just may be shrouded in a veil of politeness. But saying please and thank you doesn't mean that you're not trying to control a person.
As teachers, we need to allow our children to understand and use the different functions of language within the environment they are adapting to. And the only way children will be able to understand the functions of language is when TEACHERS MODEL the functions of language.
It's all about the modeling. So we need to look at the way we talk -- to each other, to ourselves, and to the children we teach -- and try to use as many functions as we can on a regular, shifting basis.
How do you use language?
Until the next time...
Today, we looked at the concept of function in language. I had never really thought about the various functions of language, and how most people use functions in different conversations. What I learned, though, was that most of our words flow in one directional function.
Go back. Incase you're not aware of the different functions of language, I will go through them quickly:
a. Instrumental Language: Used for getting things, for satisfying one's needs.
"I want the color pink."
b. Regulatory Language: Used for controlling the actions and behaviors of others and yourself.
"Don't do that!" // "Can you please be more quiet?"
c. Interactional Language: Used for maintaining and establishing relationships with others.
"Will you play with me?"
d. Personal Language: Used to identify and express personal feelings and attitudes.
"I want to be a doctor when I grow up."
e. Heuristic Language: Used to discover, seek information, solve problems and explore.
"What makes it run? Why?"
f. Imaginative Language: Used for imaginative purposes, as a means of creation a world of one's own.
"This is the caterpillar, and he is going to eat a lot of purple strawberries."
g. Informative Language: Used for conveying information to someone who doesn't know, to formulate propositions about the world.
"This is black."
We went through a few different common dialogues a teacher might overhear in the classroom, and there was a lot of tension between classmates and Marlene over the function of several sentences. It was hard for many of us to believe that what we consider as polite remindings could really be seen as strict, regulatory, controlling language.
For example, in the central conversation we looked at, three children are building a bear together and discussing how to do it. At one point, one child says, "The head is too small. If you stuff more newspaper in it, maybe it will fill out some."
Several students said that the statement, "The head is too small" should be considered as informational language, as the child is seeing something and remarking on it. However, Marlene noted that this would be considered regulatory language -- the child has one opinion, that the head is too small, and is forcing the idea on the other children working. The child continues using regulatory language when he/she says, "If you stuff more newspaper in it, maybe it will fill out some." It's like saying, "If you wore dresses more often, you'd find a boyfriend." When you say something like this, you're not asking for anyone else's opinion -- you're telling them what you think is the right thing to do. That, in essence, then, is regulatory language.
In fact, when you walk in to a classroom, more than likely 90% of what you hear both children and teachers saying is used in a regulatory functional way. It just may be shrouded in a veil of politeness. But saying please and thank you doesn't mean that you're not trying to control a person.
As teachers, we need to allow our children to understand and use the different functions of language within the environment they are adapting to. And the only way children will be able to understand the functions of language is when TEACHERS MODEL the functions of language.
It's all about the modeling. So we need to look at the way we talk -- to each other, to ourselves, and to the children we teach -- and try to use as many functions as we can on a regular, shifting basis.
How do you use language?
Until the next time...
Saturday, July 21, 2012
A Thought Today.
"We desire the old because we fail to understand the new, and we always look for past grandeur without recognizing in lowly simplicity the new stirrings of a germ that must develop."-- Maria Montessori, The Discovery of the Child
(Chapter 14: Written Language, pp. 200)
Thursday, July 19, 2012
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