Abstract/Notes: Project PACT (Partnerships, Action, & Collaboration, Together) (a pseudonym) is a multi-stakeholder partnership that reflects multiple goals, commitments, and priorities for early childhood education. PACT was informed by the literature on community-based research (CBR) and a commitment by partners to strengthen P–3 education where stakeholder assets contributed to reciprocal learning experiences in early childhood education. PACT stakeholders transformed two early childhood education classrooms into Montessori classrooms within a district public school. As one in a series of investigations, this research specifically examined partner commitments to a unique collaboration, the emergence of roles and responsibilities over time, and manifestations of innovation within a traditional public school setting. Data illustrate how stakeholders established a collaboration that allowed for flexibility, perspective-taking, and the opportunity to work together to reconsider and strengthen P–3 education through a model typically reserved for children of affluence. Beyond the operational demands of a startup initiative, findings also reflect the power of a collective through flexibility and a stance that values the assets of a community. The impact of this work demonstrates the potential to successfully impact quality education in early childhood settings through equity and opportunity.

Language: English

DOI: 10.54656/PPYY7979

ISSN: 1944-1207

Abstract/Notes: Communication and collaboration between classroom teachers and student support teachers are critical in supporting student outcomes, and effective and productive lifelong relationships. The purpose of this action research study was to investigate the current process of obtaining student support at a Montessori school to improve the communication and collaboration between classroom teachers and student support teachers to and strengthen and clarify the process and to better support one another as educators who use two different methodologies of instruction to support students struggling with academic or social-emotional issues in the classroom. Participants and data collected in Cycle 1 consisted of interviews with classroom teachers, student support teachers, and school administrators. Additionally, a document review of current resources and forms used at the research site were analyzed. Action steps including the creation of new materials and training. Cycle 2 launched a co-created framework for scaffolding the communication between classroom and their student support team partners outside of the classroom. Findings included a desire to collaborate, a need for support and training, and the necessity of systems and structures in the institution that can exist regardless of faculty and staff turnover. Implications for the organization included opportunities to re-engage teachers with professional development, training, and structure to support their work with students and each other.

Language: English

Published: Boston, Massachusetts, 2023

Abstract/Notes: Offers suggestions for facilitating collaboration between families and schools, based on experience in Montessori education. Advocates gaining trust through regular informal social gatherings of parents and principal, pointing out that trust can help parents deal with anxiety over future academic success. Notes the efficacy of a parent education component for facilitating parent participation. Urges administrators to show sensitivity by speaking in encouraging terms and knowing what not to say.

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Abstract/Notes: Parents as partners is a slight digression in title from the grace and courtesy theme of the journal, but it builds its argument around the concept of cooperative relations between the parents and the school. Sarah speaks of the perception of the teacher and parents as each being unique and particular to the life and personality of each child. The teacher must see the positive in the child and have a natural respect and dignity so both want to act for the greater good and, likewise, must treat the parents as wanting to make their own contribution to their child as part of the whole-child community. Sarah goes on to suggest that diverse views of the same child are one of the most valuable offerings of a school. These varying perspectives override the linear view that assumes one perspective, which can be one-dimensional, reductionist, and can lead to labeling. [This talk was presented at the NAMTA conference titled "Grace, Courtesy, and Civility Across the Planes," Portland, OR, March 13-16, 2014.]

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Language: Italian

ISSN: 1125-517X

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: activity idea

Language: English

Language: English

Published: Chicago, Illinois, 1998

Abstract/Notes: This study investigated how children collaborated with their peers to read informational texts and complete a variety of reading-related tasks. The kinds of comprehension and monitoring strategies children employed in their reading were of particular interest, especially since they had little prior knowledge about the content of the curriculum--marine animals. Children worked in pairs on three different kinds of tasks: question-answering, error detection and math problem solving. Because they discussed the tasks with each other, their comprehension strategies were made more explicit than is often the case in studies based on individual responses to questions or group discussions. The study was conducted in two classrooms, one a combined third-fourth grade in a public school and the other a first through third grade classroom in a private, Montessori school. All of the tasks were part of the on-going curriculum and observations continued for approximately six months in each classroom. From the beginning, the classroom context was viewed as an important influence on children's task behaviors. Therefore, a careful description of the context--including classroom observations and teacher interviews--guided the analysis of children's behaviors. Extensive videotaped observations of children completing the three kinds of tasks were scored for a variety of cognitive and social interactions. Individual and pair progress in comprehension (accuracy and elaboration), monitoring and collaborative behaviors was determined by examining children's scores over time and with different partners. Children's discussions with their partners were also examined to determine what kinds of interactions facilitated acquisition of information from the texts. While the study was descriptive in nature, the quality of children's partnership interactions was found to influence children's learning and comprehension behaviors more than their reading or math ability. The findings also suggest that children in their early years of elementary school can acquire considerable information from expository texts and illustrate sophisticated comprehension and monitoring behaviors when given the opportunity to collaborate with their peers.

Language: English

Published: Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, 2011

Abstract/Notes: The effectiveness and challenges of teacher collaboration as a tool to drive teaching outcomes has been observed in various educational settings. This research project was designed to answer the question, “Would collaboratively creating a Useful Words Handbook for teachers increase the number of language teaching opportunities that could occur during the day?” This action research project, conducted in a Montessori preschool setting, focused on two classroom teachers who educate children between the ages of two and three. Three intervals were identified for data collection. Four weeks of collaboration on the Useful Words Handbook began after two weeks of baseline data collection, during which the frequency of language teaching opportunities were recorded. A weekly topic was presented to the teachers, who provided feedback the following week, in addition to ideas for improving the topic for the handbook. Collaboration involved creating an introduction and four topics about teaching useful phrases to early language learners. The data showed a positive correlation between collaboration and an increase in the number of teaching language opportunities that occur during the day. The data also show that while it is possible to make short-term changes in the classroom through collaboration, changing teacher beliefs about teaching language and collaboration remain a challenge that is characteristic of the teacher collaboration process. Investigating strategies to increase awareness about teaching language should continue.

Language: English

Published: St. Paul, Minnesota, 2013