Thank You Charles Best

I was recently spoken to about a new book that treats the language used on standardized tests as a separate genre. That's right. You can now read realistic fiction, historical fiction, fantasy, biography, and testing.

I immediately responded by asking, "If testing language is its own genre, to be studied separately, then doesn't that mean there is something wrong with the test?"

Two days later I came across this little gem in Fast Company by Charles Best, the founder of DonorsChoose

"I can't believe that in all the furor over testing, people aren't debating the test itself, like whether the questions are any good. What if a standardized test were written not by a bureaucrat but by somebody who deeply loves the subject? If there were such a thing as a standardized test that wasn't crazy boring and dry, then we might actually have a test worth teaching to."

Well said.

Can you imagine having to answer questions on a test about a short story that was written by J.K. Rowling?

What about answering science questions that actually required you to do some science?

How about solving a math problem that was relevant to your daily life?

It's Kind of Like This...

The DJ steps up to the turntable. With one flick of his right wrist, and a quick slide with his left thumb and forefinger, he sends the familiar scratch through the room, gaining the attention of the crowd. He has a feeling about what this crowd wants, what it needs. He has done this many times before. Like a scientist he has observed and taken notes. Like an artist, he has developed a feel, an instinct. He follows that feeling and the music begins to play. His instincts seem to have been correct. The crowd is moving, almost in sync with one another. They are losing themselves, finding themselves. The DJ is losing himself and finding himself right along with them. As he does this, he adapts to them. Flow. The playlist he had written out in advance is now pushed aside and he begins to pull songs from the playlist in his soul. It is as if the crowd is requesting the next song without ever saying anything. What seems like only minutes has really been hours. The faces on the dance floor change, but the rhythm of the moment remains the same, and everyone is caught up in it. The pace quickens, then it slows, and quickens again. The crowd, which at first seemed insecure and self aware, has grown confident and sure, filling the room with good vibes. As the lights flicker on an off, signaling the end has come, the DJ spins his last tune. The crowd begins to file out the door, filled with laughter, full of energy. The DJ smiles. He’s done it again. He walks around the now empty room putting some things away, and pulling some things out of cupboards for tomorrow. He jots down a few notes in his journal. He makes a quick phone call, and answers an email. He grabs his backpack, turns off the lights, and closes the classroom door. He must go rest, for tomorrow at 8am, he’ll be back to do it again.

To My Cohorties...

How do I explain my Xavier experience to others? I am having a hard time putting it in words. There aren't words that I am able to find to really explain it, and when I try, they seem to do it a disservice, the words aren't big enough, aren't filled with enough depth or emotion. Trying to describe it somehow makes it smaller, less of a moment than it really was. It feels like every time I try to answer the question, "so how was Xavier?" I give a little piece of it away, it keeps getting smaller.

Xavier is this really huge moment that has left a gigantic impression on me and trying to sum it up makes it seem so small. I don't want it to be small. I want it to stay ginormous. I don't want the memories to stop washing over me, filling me with peace and joy. I could speak your names but that wouldn't let the asker know how amazing you are. I could share highlights but it wouldn't capture the fullness and beauty of the moment. I feel as if the answer to their question can't be given in a short conversation. I can only reply by saying...

Watch my life, I hope you will find your answer.

The Power of Presence

"We think 50,000 thoughts a day and 99% of them we thought yesterday."
-Anonoymous

As Montessori teachers, we must practice the great discipline of being present in the moment, not thinking through yesterday, or contemplating tomorrow. The gift of our presence, or mindfulness to the children we teach, is one of the most powerful things we can give them. Being present with them allows us to see who they are, understand where it is they are going, and grasp what it is they need. The students are always communicating with us. How often are we present in the moment to receive the message?

I'm Going Back to the Start...

I was just guessin' at numbers and figures,
Pulling the puzzles apart.
Questions of science, science and progress
Do not speak as loud as my heart.

Nobody said it was easy,
Oh it's such a shame for us to part.
Nobody said it was easy,
No one ever said it would be so hard.

I'm going back the start.

-The Scientist by Coldplay

I officially began my re-calibration process today with 6 other people in a Montessori Master's Program at Xavier University. I will spend the next two weeks taking a deeper look at the Montessori method and soak in the reminders of why this is such an amazing way to educate the future. I'd like to post daily, or every couple of days if I can, as a log of my experience, not only for myself, but for others who may read and want to consider this experience for themselves.

We started things off focusing on the transformation of the teacher. Whether we want to admit it or not, teachers teach who they are. If we are not healthy, or whole, or able to spiritually center ourselves, we will pass on our "stuff" to our students. Do we teach from a place of selfishness, exhaustion, co-dependency, irritation, frustration, insecurity? We pass these things on to our students. We teach who we are.

Maria Montessori said, "The first essential is that the teacher should go through an inner, spiritual preparation, cultivate certain aptitudes in the moral order. This is the most difficult part of training, but if it does not happen, all the rest is to no avail."

Montessori is not just a pedagogy. It is a way of being.

Data. A Cautionary Tale.

"At the last second, the boy reached the water's surface. He desperately gasped for air. Every breath brought him further away from the brink of unconsciousness. A sharp pain surged through his head. He knew he had come dangerously close to going too far."

I made a commitment this school year to full heartedly participate in the urban public school data movement. The official buzz phrase is "Data Driven Instruction." I felt that it was important to understand this movement, to try it on, and see what it was all about. I promised not to complain, but to try and find a silver lining, to stay positive and get what I could from the experience. I wanted to embrace the possibilities and try to grow as a teacher. I kept my commitment, and I lived to tell the story, barely.

The state standardized test results have been in our building for one week. I have already been given the results in four different forms. I haven't been given the breakdown of each students' individual results. I can access them online if I would like to. I will also be given them sometime in the next few weeks. There were 3 tests. I have 23 students. That is 69 different pieces of data to look at.

This year, my students spent the equivalent of 7 weeks taking standardized tests. After it was all said and done, they took 48 different tests in the name of "measuring" what they were learning. It isn't enough just to take the year end standardized test anymore. The test publishers will now also sell you a package of quarterly tests that your students can take to make sure they are ready for the year end standardized test. The publishers of the test, who happen to also be the publishers of most of our text books, also provide you weekly "standardized test practice tests" to go along with your reading and social studies text books.

After sorting through all of the numbers, I came to a conclusion. Data isn't wrong. The wrong data is wrong.

I think we are collecting the wrong data, measuring the wrong stuff. I understand the year end standardized test isn't going anywhere. But the barrage of testing throughout the year really only tells me If the students have been exposed to the subject matter or not. This, is something I am already pretty well aware of.

What if instead, we figured out a way to measure how self directed a student is, how well they set and pursue goals, how well they delay gratification and how do they problem solve. What if we could measure how well a student is able to concentrate on the tasks at hand and is aware of their thinking. This would be very useful information. My students that did not pass our year end standardized test struggle to self-regulate. The ones who did pass, are very self-regulated. Is there a correlation? What if I could find a way to help the students be more aware of where they are in the process of becoming more self-regulated and then intentionally help them move forward in this growing process? Not only could they potentially pass the year end standardized test, but they would of course, become more complete as humans.

To Montessori or Not to Montessori...

My friend Ariah and I have been dialoguing about the Montessori method. His children are almost "school" age and he is trying to get a better grasp on the merits of the Montessori charter school in his neighborhood.

He really enjoyed my latest response and said I should blog it. So here it is...

Ariah: Here's my biggest question for now: Are there examples of successful montessori schools in urban neighborhoods? Everyone I talk to seems to think it's nice in theory, but wouldn't really work with urban youth. Particularly black and latino males.
Any examples in your research of a montessori school that has been successful in an urban setting for the long haul?

Joshua: In America right now, public Montessori schools pretty much only exist in urban neighborhoods. Some have been around for 15 years or more. Others are pretty new. This is mostly because urban areas are the ones with failing schools, so they are the ones that get the grant money to turn a school into a Montessori school.

A brief history lesson - Maria Montessori's path down the trail that we now know as the Montessori method started in the San Lorenzo slums in Italy. She worked with kids that society had written off as worthless, or deemed unable to learn, because of their social status. They weren't sent to school, they were just left in a courtyard while their parents went to work. (Hmmm...this sounds eerily familiar.) After several years of research, the newly founded Montessori method, saw these students out perform their upper class counterparts on the yearly exams.

Fast forward. I realize we are in a different time, different context. I also realize Montessori in America has a reputation as an elitist form of education, or an anything goes hippy free for all. These environments may not be the best for African-American or Latino boys. But Montessori is so much more than this, and I find comments like the ones people have spoken to you, while I'm sure not meant to be, extremely offensive. I may be incorrectly reading into the comments, but what I hear is... "Black kids and Mexican kids can't learn unless the environment is very rigid and very structured where all choices are made for them.

So let's debunk a few myths.
1. Montessori is loosey goosey, anything goes.
Montessori is structured. It is structured in a way that trains and enables students to make appropriate, responsible, decisions that build self confidence and intrinsic motivation. With appropriate guidance, students are empowered to make their own decisions, not just in the classroom, but with lessons that are called "practical life lessons."

2. The Montessori curriculum is pretty weak.
Actually, the intentional design of the curriculum makes it extremely rigorous. (Rigor means depth). The curriculum at American schools tends to be a mile wide and an inch deep. The Montessori curriculum moves at a pace that allows the child to potentially gain a very deep understanding of the subject matter, a much deeper understanding than their "school as factory" counterparts.

3. Montessori is only for middle and upper class white kids.
As our history lesson pointed out, the Montessori method was started with social outcasts. It's no coincidence that Montessori is making a resurgence in America with our country's social outcasts. Every child has great potential. Because the Montessori method is focused on the development of the child, it can adapt to all children from all cultures and backgrounds.

Speaking only from my own classroom and school experience, I have seen this to be very true. But of course, we each must decide for ourselves.

Fast Company

I am reading an article in the April issue of Fast Company magazine called "A is for App." The main idea is that mobile technology such as the iphone, small handheld computers, can revolutionize education and provide a possible fix to our current education problems.

The article is very interesting and gives strong evidence to support the claims. Students in Chicago schools are improving their reading and math scores. Students in Mexico are able to be exposed to learning that they never had a chance to be exposed to before. Of course their are huge question marks and potential pitfalls. The thing that stood out to me the most in this article was a common thread that ran through the whole thing.

"...it does present the tantalizing prospect of revolutionizing how children are educated by drawing on their innate hunger to seize learning with both hands and push all the right buttons."

"...we encourage teachers not to do any pretraining. Pass the devices out, turn them on, and let the kids figure them out."

"...in Baja, I watch children aged 6 to 12 pick the machine up and within a few minutes, with no direct instructions, they're working in groups of three, helping one another figure out the menus by trial and error."

"Why does education have need to be so structured? What are we afraid of?"

So, what are we afraid of? This thread of creating an environment and allowing students to engage it, mostly on their terms, is one of the core essentials in the Montessori method. Allowing students to concretely "get their hands" on their learning is the foundation of Montessori. The logic being used to support the use of these handhelds in the classroom is the same logic that started the Montessori method over 100 years ago.

"This idea imagines a new role for teachers...the main transformational change that needs to happen is for the teacher to transform from the purveyor of information to the coach."

Teachers, called directors or directresses have been doing this in Montessori classrooms around the world for a very long time.

Why do these ideas seem so new? Why don't more people know about the Montessori method and when will they?

One of the concluding points in the article may help provide an answer.

"A system built around tools that allow children to explore and figure things out for themselves would be radical for most developing-world schools, which emphasize learning by rote. In the United States, which is currently in love with the state curriculum benchmarks and standardized tests, it could be just as hard a sell."

It's time for that romance to end.

The 30 Minute Challenge

As I continue to talk to people about the Montessori Method, I come across many who are unfamiliar with it. In trying to find a solution to this, I've come up with the 30 Minute Challenge. Find a Montessori school near you. Call ahead and make an appointment. Take 30 minutes from you day and spend it observing a Montessori classroom. Make some notes, jot down some observations. Then contact me and we can talk about what you saw and get your questions answered.

It is my belief that if more people knew about the Montessori Method they would demand their local schools follow it.

Have more questions? Click here.

A Peek Inside: Choice Part 2

So why does choice make all the difference in a Montessori classroom?

One of the overall purposes of the Montessori method is to guide students to become confident and self motivated, giving them a chance to take ownership of their learning process.

That sounds really nice, but what the heck does it really mean.

Learning is one of the most amazing things we as humans get to do. Generally, we get more excited about things we want to learn, things we choose to learn, compared to something that someone is trying to force us to learn. As a matter of fact, I would argue, based on my experiences in my own life as a learner, and a teacher, when the subject matter is forced onto a student, the material usually doesn't get learned at all.

In the Montessori classroom, there are several layers of choice and it shows up in all kinds of ways. I've been thinking about choice lately and contemplating it's importance. The students helped me along today.

Another peek inside RM 146, shall we?

Several events in our school today led to students trickling back into the classroom after lunch at various times. We were all going to do a science lab together, but I wanted to wait until everyone was back in the classroom. The students who were already in the classroom continued working on things they had started before lunch and were really focused. It soon became apparent that it was going to take awhile before everyone returned. I was faced with a dilemma. If we didn't start the lab soon, we wouldn't get it finished before the end of the day. But there was such a great focus going on that I didn't want to interrupt. (That focus comes from students choosing work that they want to do, instead of me telling them what to do.)

I decided not to interrupt. All of the lab equipment was out on the science shelf. As students continued to return to the room, I told them they could keep working on something they started before lunch, or begin their science lab. They all made their choices and began working. Those who were already in the classroom figured out what was going on and as they finished what they were doing, they started their science labs too.

It was one of the best afternoons we have had in a long time. The noise of uninterested students was replaced by the buzz of focused learning. The students were more engaged in the science lab than they had been all year. They got to it on their terms, not mine. Some students never made it to the science lab because they were so focused on their other work. They are still responsible for completing the lab this week. But they didn't seem to mind because they were able to choose to finish an assignment they had already started.

Giving students the opportunity to choose is a very scary thing to do as a teacher. It requires you to relinquish some control and trust that they will take responsibility. Of course it never works flawlessly, but the beauty of the depth of learning that often happens is definitely worth the few times it doesn't quite work.

The Heckman Equation

Check out this link to an economist named James Heckman. He looks to early childhood education as a huge fixer of American problems, and has done a great deal of research to back it up. The Economics of Human Potential...

It is quite interesting and continues to pave the way for Montessori to play a larger role in the educational scene.

A Peek Inside...

Recently, a friend challenged me to use this blog as an opportunity to give those outside of the Montessori community, a peek inside a Montessori classroom. I've been mulling this challenge over for a bit and I think I'm ready to take it on. I like that it forces me to look with fresh eyes upon the Montessori classroom I get to spend my days in. I also find myself a little nervous at the opportunity to potentially glorify the truth in an attempt to stroke my ego. My goal is to present the Montessori Method through my experiences, not promote me through this blog. We'll see how it goes. So I present to you, installment one of a Peek Inside courtesy of RM 146.

I'd like to start with the idea of choice. One of the great misunderstandings of the Montessori Method, is the notion that students generally do whatever they want, whenever they want. Are you kidding me? Do you know what a classroom of 23 9-12 year olds given the freedom to do whatever they want would actually be like? I have an idea. Click here.

The classroom environment is prepared in a way that gives students boundaries and opportunities to make choices within those boundaries. Here's example from RM146 today:

After lunch we had a science workshop. Our theme in science this year is Biology. Currently we are focusing on the different Kingdoms of Life and the classification of living things. We have a shelf with various activities for the students to choose from that cover this topic. Here's what you would have seen today:

-Five students painting their homemade play-do model of a plant cell.
-One student using a microscope to observe and document a fungus she found in her back yard.
-Two students laying out a poster with pictures and descriptions of different fungi and plant life and matching it up with actual specimens in jars.
-Eight students reading short Biology articles and answering questions about the article.
-One student reading from a college level Biology text.
-One student figuring out how to use a compass for the first time.
-One student watching the other student figure out how to use a compass for the first time.
-One student floating from person to person, kind of checking in on what others were doing.

As you can see, not everyone is committed to Biology, and none of it looks quite as pretty as it sounds. But they have chosen to do these activities and that makes all the difference.

Why?

More on that next time.

Montessori and The Onion

Recently, there have been several articles in the Onion focusing on the Montessori Method. While The Onion is a satirical rag, I consider it an honor for the Montessori Method to recieve the attention.

Here are the links to the articles. Enjoy!

"Something Weird Going On In That Montessori School, Neighbor Reports"


"Montessori School Of Dentistry Lets Students Discover Their Own Root Canal Procedures"

Who Is McGraw Hill?

Every where I look around my school I see the name McGraw-Hill. This is the company that produces our annual standardized test called ISTEP. It is also the company that produces a majority of our text books. It is also the company that makes the test that we use every quarter to measure student progress to see if the students will be ready to take ISTEP. It is also the company that provides the resources to understand the data gathered from the tests.

It seems to make sense that a company could provide these similar resources and supplies for schools, and of course they are not the only ones that do this. But this is a huge company making a lot of money off of public schools and the demand that they meet certain state academic requirements. This company has offices all around the world and also provides financial services and information and media services.

So what is the point? My point is this: McGraw Hill controls what is taught in Fort Wayne Community schools, along with many other school districts around the world. Is this a good thing? What is their underlying motivation? Who's interests do they have in mind? How much are they able to lobby the government to keep policy that involves high stakes testing (McGraw Hill products) as a must for public schools?

Who are you McGraw-Hill?

Brain Research

One of my favorite things happening in education right now is the Harlem Children's Zone.

The brain research that is behind alot of what is happening at HCZ is the same as the core of the Montessori philosophy. It is beautiful. Here is a link to a podcast on "This American Life" about HCZ and brain research.

Common Threads

I spent the first part of the summer doing alot of thinking and some reading, and came across these common threads.

The first one is this video: The Story of Stuff

The second one came from trying to understand the history of the American education system and philosophy.
The third thread, which I've linked to before, is from Riane Eisler's book, "The Real Wealth of Nations."

I'll let you make the connections. As a Montessorian, these threads cry out for us to continue moving forward with the Montessori philosophy. The future depends on it.

Montessori Movement

Here is an interesting article about the Montessori Philosophy and Jewish schools. I love this thought from the article...

"Montessori schools offer not only a specific model of education, but also a vision of the type of people they want their graduates to become.

“I don’t want [my children] to be crushed into a mold,” Yoni Gershan said. “Where are the leaders going to come from? They’re not going to come from a place where the goal is conformity.”

Parkinsons and Montessori

Here is another great article about one of the founders of Google. The more success these guys have, the more the Montessori story gets told.

Over 100 Years

I had the honor of being a part of an Indiana Montessori Teacher's Conference today. I participated in several sessions, and helped facilitate a couple.

I found myself in the middle of a great conversation that went along with a thread that is being woven on this blog.

Maria Montessori, the founder of the philosophy was a scientist. The philosophy is based on years of observation research. The data has already been gathered. It is continually gathered every time each one of us as Montessori teachers makes an observation and differentiates instruction. Montessori is not a fad, or a new way of trying to band aid a problem. It is a century old philosphy and methodology of education.

The genius of the Montessori Philosophy isn't the math and language standards that are measured on standardized testing. (Although we can show the students being successful by those standards.) The genius is the standards that students measure up to that are not measured by the department of education: Standards of humanity and development as people, as thinkers, as self motivated, creative, teamworkers, as caring peacemakers. While the department of education may not see these as important, leaders in many other fields do.

Tell the stories!

In response to my last post, regarding beating the legislators at their own game, and in light of the recent conversations with my peers regarding data, statistics, ISTEP scores, AYP, blah, blah, blah...


'Art addresses us in the fullness of our being....There are some truths about life that can be expressed only as stories or songs or images. Art awakens, enlarges, refines, and restores our humanity.'
-Dana Gioia

Tell the stories. The numbers only tell one fraction of a much greater story. We must tell the Montessori story. We must tell the stories of our students. We must put ourselves in a place where we are daily awed by what is happening in our midst and find ways to creatively communicate those occurences.