doggedness rather than talent

Grit is much in the news these days, testing our attention span.  How long will we pay attention?  Oh, yah, THAT idea again.  I've already grokked it.

Grit Rich.

That's the title of a blog entry by Deborah Barlow.

Deborah writes about creativity and innovation. Following creativity research is a part-time job, she says, and in that pursuit she regularly reads Maria Popova's site Brainpickings.  Popova wrote about Angela Duckworth and her research on grit, so Barlow passed it along.

That's how ideas spread and bump up against other ideas.

So I'm passing it along to you.

Check out Deborah Barlow.  And Maria Popova.  And Angela Duckworth. Again.

"...the secret of genius is doggedness rather than innate talent."

Rewards

"My Biggest Regret as a Teacher."  Check out David Ginsburg's blog.  We sometimes hear from parents who think we should "push" their kids.  Or who wonder why we don't give grades.  Or who believe that Montessori education is against competition and that competition is a good thing:  it is the way the world works.  All of these are forms of manipulation--and can work in the short run with certain children--but only until the reward is withdrawn.

And by the way, Montessori children are competitive.  We just don't using grading, class ranking and rewards as a means to "motivate" (ie, manipulate) them.  We don't have to.  They are already motivated.  Self-motivated.

Or as one of our 8th grade students said several years ago, "We motivate each other to be self-motivated."

Tried and True

See the Ellie video.

It was produced by the Oregon Business Council and featured on the web site of the Montessori Northwest teacher training center.

"Maybe school should be like a GPS. We know where we want to go.  With some help in navigation and someone to believe in us, we can chart our own path. Let us learn at our own pace and show you at every step that we're ready for the next."

raising global children

"Global children are curious, open-minded and aware of the world around them, explained Stacie Nevadomski Berdan, during a recent telephone interview. Berdan, an international careers expert, said that following the Sept. 11 terror attacks, many Americans 'contracted,' becoming less accepting and, understandably, more fearful.

'I think there's this element of people who still equate patriotism with putting a fence around our country,' Berdan said. 'That's not possible anymore.'

Today, Berdan added: 'Children need to be appreciative and understand each other and not be afraid of each other.'

The above exerpt comes from an Education Week blog announcing the upcoming publication of the book Raising Global Children.

air traffic control for the brain

"Being able to focus, hold, and work with information in mind, filter distractions, and switch gears is like having an air traffic control system at a busy airport to manage the arrivals and departures of dozens of planes on multiple runways. In the brain, this air traffic control mechanism is called executive functioning..."

Much of this Harvard Ed School video was shot in a Montessori classroom.  Can you tell which clips?

Emily's Blog

Emily is a high school student.  She has begun a long-term internship at the Houston Museum of Natural Science because she loves fossils.  Where else could a high school sophomore be pursuing her interests in a real way?

In the photo above, she is working side-by-side with David Temple, Curator of Paleontology at the Museum.

A successful, typical student

Here's what high school students told High School Director James Moudry:

I asked the students today to give some characteristics they thought described a successful, typical POS student.

 

self disciplined

curious

skilled in time management

self guided

strong will power

leader

hard working

motivated

open minded

patient

good communicator

has integrity

respectful

kind

caring

compassionate