I hope you were able to read part one of this series on standardized testing: Anything But Standard: How Standardized Tests Diminish Learning. In part two, we’ll take a look at alternatives to standardized testing, as well as things that parents and teachers can do to either avoid standardized testing altogether, or at least find [...]
In a city in Northern California, teachers in the district’s poorest public school anxiously prepare each year to give California’s own STAR (Standardized Testing and Reporting) test to their students. These students hail from predominantly Hispanic families, many of whom have just arrived in the country and are living in the city’s poorest neighborhood.
Gang [...]
This week, I’ve been researching websites offering games for children. I was unhappy, though not surprised, to find that every one of Google’s top 10 sites for a search on ‘educational kids games’ features either advertising or a required login. It’s understandable that website owners want to see a profit when they make an effort [...]
When New York State Teacher of the Year, John Taylor Gatto, published his essay The Six-Lesson Schoolteacher in 1991, something seemed to resonate within the minds of people across the nation. Perhaps they remembered only too well the intense boredom, frustration, and enforced conformity of their own public school years. Perhaps the truth in the [...]
Montessori teachers, parents, students and the media are harnessing the power of the video sharing website, YouTube, to share and spread the Montessori message. The following is a list of most popular Montessori videos on YouTube, based on the number of page views each one has received. I’ve included a short summary of each – [...]
After taking a brief look at giftedness in the first post of this series, I’m ready to answer the question, “Is the Montessori classroom the best place for a gifted child?” I believe the answer is a qualified “yes”. Just as in many educational conundrums, there is no one-size-fits-all answer. Each school and family will [...]
A friend of mine recently forwarded me an interesting article from Time magazine on gifted children; more specifically, on the idea that we may be failing our geniuses by not allowing them to pursue academics at their own rate. Schools often refuse to let gifted children skip grades; instead, they are sentenced to study information [...]
Peace education is a huge component of the Montessori curriculum. Unfortunately, I think we often don’t give it the time and effort we should. There are so many other things to teach, learn, and do. It’s not hard, though, to bring peace into the classroom or home.
One nice place to start is by defining [...]
Hard to believe, but the school year is coming to an end. Sometimes it can be difficult to think of things to do during the last few days or weeks…the kids know it’s almost over and concentration is in short supply. Here are a few ideas you can use to make those last days fun [...]
I read a fascinating article about a month ago in the Washington Post, and it’s kind of been simmering in the back of my mind all this time. Called Pearls Before Breakfast, it involves the brilliant and gifted violinist, Joshua Bell, and a busy morning in a large Washington metro station. I highly recommend reading [...]
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