Blog 1-Montessori

     I live in Baltimore City, right down the street from a Montessori school, and knew nearly nothing about it.  I knew it involved the senses, and some say it is better to send a child their, than send a child to regular pre-school.  From the research presentations in class, I learned many new things about Ms. Marie, this revolutionary lady of her time.  Her goal was to make education acccessible to all students, and she focused on students learning what they were interested in.  From what I grasped from the presenters, a Montessori classroom had to be uniquely crafted for the needs of the children.  That meant the furniture had to be child-size, small centers where one-four students could work at a task at a time, and while the activities are going on in the classroom, the teacher is simply a facilitator, helping students to be independent.
     As the presenters were sharing their new knowledge, I was able to make several connections with Montessori.  The first is to my theorist, Friedrich Froeblel, who used "gifts" to make learning child-centered.  Montessori also used manipulatives (or gifts Froebel would say) to spur learning.  Also, in my undergrad special education class, we watched a video on the "wild boy" who was thought to be almost another species of human.  It was amazing how, in the case of the "wild boy," ignorance and a closed mind could severely hinder the survival chances of some people.  It is noteworthy that Montessori's view of children was drastically different than those around her, and her patience with each child's specific needs, makes her connection to the "wild boy" characteristic.

A Little Bit About Me, Laura Oakley!

Welcome to my Emergent Literacy Blog!  I am at the start of my JHU Masters in Reading program, and I am eager to learn new practices that will help my students succeed.  I teach first grade at Patterson Park Public Charter School in Baltimore City currently, but just last year I was a sixth grade science teacher in Salisbury, Maryland.  My passion for reading started as a young child with my nose always in a book, and eager to dive into new stories at the library.  My undergraduate experience showed me that today's reading reality is much different than my childhood love of books, and I am eager to change that for my students.