Classroom Video Analysis

MONTESSORI’S research shows that children learn through movement and should have environments that are specifically tailored to meet their needs. Montessori schools provide a foundation for learning that is centred on care for the environment, care for the self as individual and

It was inspiring and reinforced what SAU has been teaching me throughout my program; lessons need to be engaging. I appreciated how Muir went further to explain how he makes content explicit and lessons meaningful and engaging. I love the idea of developing a story out of the lessons. As an Early Childhood educator, I think that this will be fairly simple to do and incredibly effective. As their first teachers, parents tend to read to students often or tell them stories. Why not continue that trend, but add educational aspects to encourage students to learn, even when they think they are just listening to and participating in a

In this monthly newsletter, I would like to share with you three beliefs of Dr. Maria Montessori. As your child's teacher; I would like to support each of these beliefs with vivid examples from my experience in the classroom as well as Dr. Montessori's own words. While all of us within the community clearly already support the Montessori Method, it is important to 'touch base' with these beliefs as we affirm the principles of our learning environment.

In today’s society many people recognize that our current educational system is antiquated and heavily flawed. Many do not believe the education our children routinely receive adequately prepares them to be successful in their adult lives and because of this parents are very concerned. This dissatisfaction has led to the implementation of numerous alternatives to the traditional educational system to which we have become accustomed. Each of these alternatives has their own collection of philosophies and methodologies, proponents and opponents, advantages and disadvantages, but the common thread is that they each aim to provide our children with a better, more effective education suited for today’s world. Montessori education is one of these alternative learning options that been around for many years and has been steadily gaining popularity.

Students spend most of their time working on the floor where they have their own individual carpets. They put them down to outline their personal workspace. Instead of there being various toys and games spread through out the classroom, there are specific sensory materials and manipulatives that are self correcting and purposeful to student’s learning. On the walls students’ work fill spaces throughout the classroom, similar to the walls of a Head Start classroom. Montessori classrooms are made up of mixed grades and ages, something that is not typical of traditional classrooms.

After viewing the videos of Samantha’s preschool inclusion and Peter’s classroom inclusion, I found that there are a few benefits of inclusion for children with special needs and their families. Inclusion classrooms can be very beneficial for children with special needs because it gives them a chance to be around typical developing peers to socialize with and learn from as well. In the video of Samantha’s situation, the typical developing children really enjoyed Samantha because despite her unique challenges, they were still able to play with her and they considered her to be a good friend. Another way inclusion classrooms are beneficial for special needs children is that, teachers of inclusion classrooms work closely with the family and team to develop the appropriate adaptations for children with special needs. When children with special

I noticed that many students pretended to not understand and they just wanted to prolong until the class was over. I didn’t think it was necessary to repeat the video maybe more than three times. The teacher gave out the worksheet to the students prior to the video and the worksheet was going to be scored, so the teacher wanted to make sure that the students did ok. Most of the activities the teacher did for the class were limited to one activity and that was to practice with the groups, reviewing and practicing what the teacher just

Based on my observation I noticed that the children were talked to in a respectful manner, they were asked various questions. York (2003) stated, “Children are naturally curios they base their ideas on appearance” (p, 28). The children freely explored their environment. The teacher were prepared and engaged with the children. The children were offered choices. The program was developmentally appropriate and encouraged human diversity. The areas were adequately arranged and were anti-bias. There was a great amount of diverse pictures in the classroom. The work of the children was different and you could tell that it was their creation.

Learning is unique to each individual. Some students learn well in a structured group setting. There are visual, auditory, and hands on learners. Others find it easier to learn with one on one instruction some are capable of teaching themselves like Fredrick Douglas. An ideal educational experience would incorporate the various procedures highlighted in the video “Unschooling: the new class of learning”. These learning methods include those of Dale J. Stephens, a student who started a self-directed school and Arno Stern an educated researcher who “created a space for children to play and paint without restraint, without goal, and without competition”.

knowledge. The best part is, it is fun and develops interaction. This video will improve mainly decoding words and phonic awareness.

Learning about the stages of development and the different approaches to therapy was my favorite content to learn about. Piaget’s, Erik Erikson’s, and Kohlberg’s stages of development were interesting and enjoyable to learn about. I liked being able to connect what we were learning in class to the things I observe in everyday life. The three approaches to therapy: Gestalt therapy, Rogerian Therapy, and Rational Emotional Behavioral Therapy, were also very exciting to learn about. I liked watching the different responses to the different therapy, as I was unaware that there were multiple kinds of psychotherapy.

Maria Montessori founded an education system which is called Montessori and still bares her name, her system is based on belief in the child’s creative potential, (Douglas, n.d.). Her first Casa Dei Bambini (Children’s house), where Maria was using her approach of teaching was opened in 1907 in Rome. She was great educator who believed that children are learning through their personal experience at their right time and their own pace. (Ridgway, 2007). Children rather than learning largely from what the teachers and the textbooks say, learn from “doing”,(Douglas, n.d.). To provide for children an effective, independent learning process, and that they become a competent and confident learner, Teacher had to provide for children a healthy, clean, well-prepared and well organised environment in which children could develop. Maria Montessori came up with idea that if children have to work and play independently, they have to be comfortable and need appropriately sized tools and items that fit their small hands (Mooney, 2000). Montessori believed that children learn through sensory experiences. Teacher has a responsibility to provide wonderful sights, textures, sounds, and smells for children. Sensory

The success of the Montessori method depends on how the environment us set up, it is essential that it is prepared and simplified for the students’ understanding.

There is no set level that all children must follow; they learn when they explore by themselves. This method leaves children with freedom where they can learn self-discipline in a place designed specifically for their developmental needs. Teachers would have a part in the education of children though even though 80% of it was up to the children. Teachers are to make sure that children are presented with the right extent of material at the right time. In other words, if a child is too advanced for one activity, a teacher would present a new one to fit them, and vice versa. Maria believed if her methods were applied to public schools the results would be even better than the traditional method results. Since the government didn't let her, she started to work with poor daycare children. She doubted that her methods would work under these conditions but she had shocking results. She discovered if the children were in an orderly place to work, they will respect that and care for it. They are able to learn longer and better than in an everyday setting. In Montessori preschool, five areas make up the prepared learning environment. These areas include practical life, the sensorial area, mathematics, and cultural activities. In the elementary program, areas include integration, presentation of knowledge, presentation of the formal scientific languages, the use of visual aids, mathematic curriculum, Montessori trained teachers, emphasis on open-ended research and

Dr. Maria Montessori is the creator for the Montessori Education Method for a new world who devoted her life to improve children’s education excellence. Her educational method is widely used in schools or at home for children 3 t0 6 years old. Maria Montessori lived through one of the traumatic time eras of the world history, which changed everybody’s lives including children. It was the time of anxiety, cruelty, death, family separation and children facing starvation. Maria Montessori felt the best solution to overcome endless, war, violence and poverty is education. Therefore, Maria Montessori believed educating the next generation will improve children’s live and future of the