2019 Workshop Audio
Recordings & Documents
2019 MAPS KEYNOTE SPEAKER
Dr. Christopher Emdin
Dr. Christopher Emdin is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics, Science and Technology at Teachers College, Columbia University; where he also serves as Director of the Science Education program and Associate Director of the Institute for Urban and Minority Education.
He is an alumni fellow at the Hutchins Center at Harvard University and served as STEAM Ambassador for the U.S. Department of State and Minorities in Energy Ambassador for the U.S. Department of Energy.
Stefanie Bator
Real Work: Building Montessori Pedagogy for High School History Classes
What can a Montessori high school’s history curriculum look like? This session will examine one model that combines three of Maria Montessori’s key insights: that meaningful student learning happens through real work, that students develop internal motivation to learn through structured choice, and that teachers enable independent learning by breaking skills into their smallest component parts.
TANIA BERTOLONE
Positive Education - Guiding Adolescents to Wellbeing
During this dynamic session, attendees will have the opportunity to experience two hours of dedicated wellbeing activities based on Dr. Martin Seligman's PERMA model (Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Achievement). This entire workshop is designed to be experiential so that the attendees can feel the effects each of the activities has on their own wellbeing. They can then take these activities back to their students and continue to spread the ripple of wellbeing to our adolescents and future leaders.
CLARESE DIXON
Joyous & Just Observation: Montessori Methodologies & Equity & Justice Work
How can we do Equity, Inclusion, and Justice work through a Montessori framework? This session will provide one answer to that question. In this interactive workshop, we’ll explore how Maria Montessori’s mandates to observe and to practice pedagogy of place can set the foundation for a holistic shift, at all levels, in how our schools approach justice philosophies and programming.
Using historical texts we will explore human conflict from the perspective of the persona involved, creating a dialogue that spans time and space.
Gena Engelfried
Finding the Human in Humanities - Using Social Studies to Explore Social Dynamics and Conflict
This workshop will present beekeeping as an option not only for farm-based programs, but also as an excellent urban-based endeavour. We will demonstrate how all aspects of beekeeping highlight the integrated and “cosmic” aspects of an Erdkinder experience: development of expertise through occupation, biology, history, math, literature, hive management, community education, and maintaining a micro-economy. The presenters will share how one small school has embraced beekeeping as part of their Middle School’s Erdkinder experience.
Christina Gasbarro
Spreading the Buzz: Beekeeping in the Montessori Adolescent Program
Rebecca Gomez
The Play’s the Thing: Drama as a Tool for SEL with Young Adolescent
In her writings about adolescence, Dr. Montessori noted “a tendency towards creative work and a need for the strengthening of self-confidence.” Because of this, drama can be an invaluable tool for meeting these and other needs of young adolescents. Attendees will come away with some specific creative drama activities and techniques that can be used to address SEL goals and build community in the Montessori adolescent environment. They will also learn about the steps involved in putting on a theatrical production at their own schools. Resources and activities discussed will be made available to participants.
Participate in interactive activities, learn about a successful program, take home lesson plans, ask your questions and get answers.This session provides a connecting place for Montessori art educators, guides who have questions about integrating arts into their class syllabus, or Heads of School who are interested in starting an arts program.
Amy Nottingham
Visual Arts in the Montessori Adolescent Environment
Participants will be given the nuts and bolts framework of a permaculture system that was constructed 100% from fundraising and community efforts. The takeaway is that these large scale systems are possible, and there are networks out there to connect to in order to make this more easily integrated into our schools. This workshop can be a bridge to achieving a Farm School for any program that is attempting to integrate an agricultural system but does not know where to begin or what the trajectory can be. An interactive component of the presentation after the presentation is to demonstrate Google Earth Pro (downloaded for free as an app on people's phones) and how it can be easily used as a free resource when starting the permaculture design process.
Randie Piscitello
How to Create a Permaculture Orchard for Farm School: Proof of Concept
When confronted with a writing assignment a student may say “they have no ideas” when what they mean is they don’t know what their ideas are. Through learning to observe their own minds, and the world around them, material for writing becomes abundant and easily accessible. Participants will practice and explore three different techniques for working with adolescents in mindfulness and writing. 1) Starting with Silence 2) First Thought Best Thought, 3) Telling it Slant. Attendees can expect to leave with a more playful understanding of mindfulness practice, and a clearer understanding of its connection to the process of writing and intellectual work of all kinds.
Barbara Roether
What Was I Thinking: Using Mindfulness Techniques in the Teaching of Writing
Tests are the standard way to assess learning outcomes in a traditional science classroom, but a Montessori classroom should allow for student choice and ownership in how students demonstrate learning. When given the choice, students feel much more in control of their own learning. This session will present differentiated learning objectives and summative assessment options used in a high school science classroom. Sample objectives, lessons, work and summative assignments (both a test and projects) will be shared. Participants will then have the opportunity to take a unit that is currently being taught in their classroom and apply the concepts to their own unit. To make the most of this session, teachers should bring a unit plan for a topic that they have taught before.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD JEN & DANNY’S POWERPOINT PRESENTATION
Jen Terry & DANNY RUDNICK
Unit Design with “Test Optional” Summative Assessment in a High School Science Classroom
Student self-reflection is an important aspect of the Montessori philosophy. This session will highlight sample self-reflection forms and templates that have successfully been used in a science classroom and will provide opportunities to generate a self-reflection form or template that can be used in your own classroom.
Jen Terry
Self-Reflection in a High School Science Classroom
DAVID TYLER
Let's Get Chickens! - Allowing Adolescents the Freedom to Build Their Own Programs
This session will use a case study as a starting point to discuss student-led initiatives in adolescent programs and highlight the ways of trusting teenagers and involving students in building their own curricula leads to a more engaged student body. Participants should leave with a format and strategies for helping adolescents to realize their goals and become more engaged to both their school and the land. Additionally, participants will discuss strategies for how to incorporate more authentic Erdkinder principles at schools without access to a full land program.
JACK YU
Meeting the Cosmic Adolescent
Are adolescents recalcitrant? Or are they just seriously misunderstood and oppressed?! Young children are not alone of being misunderstood. Dr. Montessori observed and summarized that the first plane and the third plane development are parallel to each other. They are similar in terms of developmental characteristics. Being a social new born, the adolescents need to explore their values and their place in the society. Influenced by hormonal changes, the adolescents seem to be less diligent comparing to their elementary years. They seem to be more emotional. It is not hard to imagine to be troubled by so much creative energy but not able to do anything but to sit at rows of desks and listen to lectures.
candace cheung
A Culture of Work. Strategies in Which Adolescents Own Their Work and Work to Their Fullest Potential
Are you struggling with getting your students to care about and own their work? Are your adolescents working to their fullest potential? Do you have a vision of the work culture you want to build, but need concrete language and strategies for building that culture with your students? This workshop will offer concrete strategies and language that Montessori practitioners have used in the past to build a culture of work where students own their work and work to their fullest potential.
Ozbe steblaj
Global Program: Erdkinder of 21st Century
Imagine Adolescents collaborating worldwide with peers and professionals on common projects, searching for solutions for the biggest global issues (in different environments), using the newest technology and at the same time being surrounded by nature. This program gives them the opportunity to influence real life events, build lifelong International friendships and obtain knowledge necessary to live in a self sustainable manner.
THE EXECUTIVE STUDY TEAM
The Future of Adolescent Orientations
Join this panel discussion to hear the most up to date information coming from the Adolescent Initiative on the future of adolescent orientations. Members of the EST, including David Kahn, Laurie Ewert-Krocker, and Jenny Hoglund, will provide updates and answer questions.
Emma Rodwin
Uplifting of the Inner Life of Humanity
Imagine Adolescents collaborating worldwide with peers and professionals on common projects, searching for solutions for the biggest global issues (in different environments), using the newest technology and at the same time being surrounded by nature. This program gives them the opportunity to influence real life events, build lifelong International friendships and obtain knowledge necessary to live in a self sustainable manner.
Sam battan
Youth Leading the Fight for Justice
In this interactive panel, attendees will hear from high school students about their experience leading change efforts in the systems of education, immigration, criminal justice, and voting rights. You will walk away with an appreciation of the power of youth-led change and an understanding how to implement it into your context.