Abstract/Notes: Portfolios have gained wide acceptance as a learning and assessment tool. Yet, little research has been reported on the practices of teachers who are actually using portfolios within their classrooms and how those practices are moderated by contextual variables. This research examined the instructional, learning, and assessment roles of student portfolios, and explored, from the perspective of the classroom teacher, variations in portfolio applications associated with teaching level (primary versus intermediate) and classroom environment (self-contained versus multiage/teaming). Teachers for kindergarten through grade 5 in 3 elementary schools (n=314) completed a survey questionnaire regarding the instructional and assessment uses to which portfolios are put within their classrooms. To further examine patterns of portfolio use, a subset of 44 teachers was interviewed to explore teacher perceptions about the impact of student portfolios on themselves and their students. Results suggest that these teachers make deliberate decisions regarding uses of their students' portfolios, decisions that appear heavily impacted by the maturity or skill level of the child, the purposes of the application, and the classroom environment within which the application occurs. They also depend on whether the portfolio product is in a formative state (working portfolio) or final state (performance portfolio). (Contains 7 tables and 14 references.) (Author/SLD)

Language: English

Published: Montreal, Canada, Apr 19-24, 1994

Language: English

Published: Vermillion, South Dakota, 2008

Abstract/Notes: Intended for teachers who have asked for information on how to manage a multi-age classroom, this book outlines the ideal classroom as it exists when all of the multi-age components are put in place. Opening sections of the guide discuss creating the multi-age classroom, and the advantages and principles of multi-age instruction. The next sections provide overviews of classroom organization, instructional strategies, curriculum, assessment and evaluation, and getting started. Each of these sections includes the overview, results of the changes brought about by multi-age instruction, and advice from the experts. Additional sections address scheduling, grouping strategies, working with Bloom's taxonomy, projects for active learners, using novels for literature instruction, and helping children discover themselves and others. Separate sections address the management of mathematics, authentic assessment and evaluation, and student record forms, with sample forms included. A glossary of

Language: English

Published: Edmonds, Washington: CATS Publications, Apr 1995

Edition: Revised

ISBN: 1-886753-03-2

Abstract/Notes: John McNamara shares his wisdom and humbly credits Camillo Grazzini, Jenny Höglund, and David Kahn for his growth in Montessori. Recognizing more than what he has learned from his mentors, he shares the lessons he has learned from his students themselves. Math, science, history, and language are so integrated in the curriculum that students comment they don't even think whether they are doing science or math. A schedule that allows time for students to follow a query to a conclusion is vital to the kinds of discoveries John's students make, such as a shortcut for multiplying binomials or reconfiguring cubing materials that made even John marvel at student independence and innovation. A bibliography is included. [This paper was presented at the NAMTA conference titled "A Montessori Integrated Approach to Science, Mathematics, Technology, and the Environment" in Portland, OR, Mar 31-Apr 3, 2016.]

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Abstract/Notes: Kindergartens are socio-spatial organizations with their social and cultural as well as their spatial structures which prepare children to be responsible members of the society. In the ear ly years of the twentieth century, the issue of how to raise new generations was one of the primary research areas of many educational scientists, especially in Europe, and therefore different progressive pedagogical methods were generated. Among these views, the Waldorf pedagogical approach developed by Rudolf Steiner, Montessori pedagogical approach developed by Maria Montessori, and Reggio Emilia pedagogical approach developed by Loris Malaguzzi became prominent. Although these three pedagogical approaches have a common view that the child should be accepted as an individual with his/her rights, each of them involved different physical environment requirements in the context of their educational philosophies. The projects obtained in an architectural design studio course constitute the focus of this paper and it aims to decipher the semantic and syntactic characteristics based on twelve student projects. The semantic dimension of the study was revealed by coding the related themes through students' project reports while the syntactic dimension of the study demonstrated the prioritized social interaction area through isovist area and variance values. Considering the semantic results, it was revealed that the students not only comprehended the spatial requirements of a specific educational pedagogy but also grasped the transformative power of the methods, in terms of physical, social, and natural characteristics. Considering the syntactic results, the fact that the mean isovist area value was higher in Reggio Emilia schools showed that the piazza dominates the physical setting. The fact that the school cluster with the highest variance value emerged in Montessori draws attention to the changeability of isovist perimeter value within the interiors to orientate the individuals to the classroom units.

Language: English

Published: Bergen, Norway: Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, 2022

Pages: 25 p.

Abstract/Notes: How can designers create more innovative and sustainable learning environments? This paper argues in favour of challenging best practice” generally accepted by the architectural profession by embracing a responsive design approach. Such an approach accepts that the environment shapes the learner, and that learners influence their environment... [Also available in French]

Language: English

DOI: 10.1787/5km4g21wpwr1-en

Language: English

ISSN: 1054-0040

Abstract/Notes: Evaluated the effects of placing additional equipment in preschool classrooms on the cognitive and perceptual development of 123 Negro preschool children. Students were randomized into 6 experimental and 6 control classes. Pre- and post-tests of the Stanford-Binet IQ, Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence Performance IQ, and 4 subtests of the Illinois Test of Psycholinguistic Abilities were administered. Both desirable and undesirable effects resulted from the environmental enrichment. Results suggest that certain claims about the cognitive and perceptual value of play materials should be reconsidered.

Language: English

DOI: 10.1037/h0032249

ISSN: 0022-0663, 1939-2176

Abstract/Notes: A practicum was designed to increase the expertise of primary teachers in the creation of developmentally appropriate reading/writing curriculum for the multi-age, multi-ability, primary classroom through literacy training staff development sessions. The system of literacy training was constructed over a period of eight months with 34 primary teachers from three elementary schools. Staff development training sessions on early literacy and authentic assessment using the running record were developed. Pre/post questionnaires, change assessment scales for administrators, a literacy plan of action for local schools, running record scripts for assessment training, literacy lessons, and developmentally appropriate curricula were administered or developed. Analysis of the data revealed that after the staff development training on early literacy and authentic assessment, the primary teachers were able to create a developmentally appropriate curriculum for reading and writing in the

Language: English

Published: Fort Lauderdale, Florida, 1994

Abstract/Notes: This mixed-methods action research examined the effects of classroom talk lessons on children’s perceptions of collaborative group work in an online Montessori learning environment during the COVID-19 pandemic. Participants were 19 Lower Elementary students and one teacher/investigator. All work was online, both synchronous and asynchronous. Students were presented with lessons in classroom talk, and practiced these skills during online collaboration in the creation of a student newsletter. Key findings were that students use of classroom talk behaviors and rigorous thinking increased slightly over the four-week period and students’ perceptions of their community identity and the value of their ideas increased over the course of the intervention, most notably in younger students. Teaching classroom talk had positive effects on student agency, depth of collaborative work, and grace and courtesy in this digital Montessori classroom. Respectful disagreement was identified as an area for future study.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2021