9.28.2008

p.s.

RULE 5: BE SELF DISCIPLINED. THIS MEANS
FINDING SOMEONE WISE OR SMART AND
CHOOSING TO FOLLOW THEM.
TO BE DISCIPLINED IS TO FOLLOW IN A GOOD WAY.
TO BE DISCIPLINED IS TO FOLLOW IN A BETTER WAY.

this is what i do.

a quick little comparison to put things into perspective.....

“If help and salvation are to come, they can only come from the children, for the children are the makers of men”
-Maria Montessori

A Comparison:


Traditional Education

-Textbooks, pencil & paper, worksheets
-Occasional peer tutoring or group work
-Subject areas taught separately
-Single-graded classrooms
-Period lessons
-Students sitting in desks & listening
-Teacher-directed instruction
-Students work at pre-determined pace
-Students fit into district-wide curriculum
-Emphasis on academic skills
-Testing & standardized assessments
-Grades, external rewards
-Students change teachers each year
-One teacher per classroom
-Geared toward girl’s achievement
-Memorization and remediation of gaps in skills
-Rely on teacher for feedback and instructions

Montessori Education

-Concrete, hands-on materials
-Daily peer tutoring and group work
-Integrated curriculum for more meaningful learning
-Mixed-age classrooms, family-like grouping
-Uninterrupted work cycles
-Freedom (within limits) to move and converse
-Child-centered, teacher-guided environment
-Children work at their own pace
-Open-ended curriculum fit to child’s needs
-Emphasis on whole-child development
-Authentic assessment based on daily observation
-Self-correcting materials for intrinsic motivation
-Student stays with same teacher for three years
-Teacher and assistant in each class
-Optimally designed for success of boys and girls
-Repetition of skills for mastery
-Encourages organization and self-reliance through individual work plans, goal setting and reflection