Sightings in the Blogosphere

A Samping of Montessori Blogs

Cultivating Dharma

http://freemontessori.org/wordpress/

Blogger Jonathan Feagle is a young teacher at Eagle Peak Charter School in California. Last year, his first as a teacher, he wrote:

This blog was supposed to be a collection of notes that might provide some useful information to first year Montessori teachers. Instead, it seems, it’s become a blog that records the ramblings of first year Montessori teacher after he gets home and is too tired to do anything else than follow his stream of consciousness. So in an effort to combat this, I thought I would at least make a post here and begin adding to a simple list of facts that might be of some use to someone somewhere.

The site mixes nicely crafted insights on a teacher’s life with useful classroom downloads and practical suggestions. He set up the site as a host for blogs by other Montessori teachers. More information is available at FreeMontessori.org.

Montessori 21st Century/American Montessori Consulting

http://montessori21stcentury.wordpress.com

See related article. This is Heidi Speitz’s blog designed to “keep you informed about the newest and most relevant Montessori resources…to further enrich the Montessori experiences for your children.”

Montessori Blog

http://www.montessoriblog.com

A blog started in December 2007 by Susan Gow, the owner of Little Red Robin, Inc., her company that sells Montessori materials for infants and toddlers. Her description of the blog: “A blog for all things Montessori, including Montessori quotes, Montessori Parenting, Montessori Products, and Montessori Articles. A great discussion site for all you parents interested in the Montessori philosophy!”

Montessori By Hand

http://www.montessoribyhand.blogspot.com/

Done by Meg McElwee, self-described as “a Montessori teacher, fiber artist, pattern designer, wife, servant to two cats.” Insights on Montessori education while teaching in Mexico and beautiful examples of work with fabric.

Montessori For Everyone

http://www. montessoriforeveryone.com/blog

The blog is an extension of Lori Bourne’s business, Montessori for Everyone, which sells, among other things, her designs for charts and cards in Art & Music, Astronomy, Biology, Botany, Geography, Geometry, Health & Safety, History & Cultural, Language, Mathematics, Physical Science, Pre-Reading and Zoology.

But it is also a source for Bourne, a certified Montessori elementary teacher and a homeschooler, to offer well-informed, literate commentary on broader social issues. For example, in looking at standardized testing, she compares the challenges of today’s public school teachers to Maria Montessori in her original Casa:

Today’s public school teachers find themselves in exactly the position from which Montessori worked to protect her students. If the school does well in one of the many standardized tests given all over the world, teachers are given rewards such as monetary prizes and extracurricular programs. If the school ranks low, funding is cut and the reputation of the school is a shameful one in the public eye. The intense competitiveness of this atmosphere creates a situation that puts the goals of politicians and education committees first and the needs of the children last.

It links to free downloads for teachers and printable articles on subjects such as the Great Lessons and Human Tendencies and offers opportunities for readers to comment. The site promises new posts twice a week.

Montessori Mama

http://spiralmontessorimama.blogspot.com

Described as “Montessori education information from a Montessori teacher and Mom. Personal art work and journal entries about my life as a busy Mom of three sons ranging in age from 17 months to 15 years. My hope: To create a place where parenting questions can be answered and conversations as well as ideas shared.”

Montessori Mom

http://blog.montessorimom.com

It’s linked to MontessoriMom.com (“Education that everyone can do”). The website and blog combination offers an extensive set of resources. It was started and is moderated by Irene Freckleton, a former Montessori teacher who applied Montessori principles as she homeschooled her children for 12 years. Freckleton says the largest number of the thousand or more daily hits from participants in 120 countries comes from Singapore, with Canada, Ireland and India close behind.

She watches parents around the world embrace and adapt Montessori’s principles and enjoys supporting people as they do. “Parents are interested in their children more than other generations,” she said. “The blog has opened up the whole world for them.”

Is it “real” Montessori?

“Things are not as rigid now,” Freckleton said. “The Internet is the great equalizer. I see people are sharing adaptations to the process. Maria Montessori used the scientific method, if something didn’t work, she would throw it out. I know to some people what we are doing is taboo, but if you read Montessori’s work, she changed all the time. She believed in change.

“I’m thrilled to be able to do what I am doing.”

Montessori Wells of Love

http://montessori-amman-imman-project.blogspot.com/

The blog chronicles the work of Ariane Kirtley as she engages Montessori students worldwide to partner with her Amman Imman (Water is Life) project in building permanent water sources for the people in the Azawak region of Niger.

Kirtley spent time as a child in the Azawak area with her parents, who were professional photographers. She hold degrees in Anthropology (BA 2001) and Public Health (MPH, 2004) from Yale and began working to improve conditions in Niger as a Fulbright Scholar. An excerpt:

Every day I go to the Montessori blog to feel empowered by you to continue to work hard and fulfill our common vision of life and hope for the Azawak. Your words and actions fill me with tears of joy and inspiration.

My Montessori House

http://www.mymontessorihouse.com/my_montessori_house_at_home.html

Hanya Kim’s blog is designed to “provide access to Montessori education and philosophy in an affordable and convenient way to parents, teachers, and childcare providers.” The site also sells an introductory DVD program for children, curriculum newsletters for parents of children in three age groups, and Montessori Mandarin programs for teaching children Chinese.

Ready to set up your own blog?

There are many free blog services that can be located through a search engine. Or you can use the services created by Montessori teacher Jonathan Feagle at FreeMontessori.org.