Maria Montessori

Maria Montessori born on August 31, 1870 died on, May 6, 1952) was an italian physician, educator, philosopher, and humanitarian. She is best known for her philosophy and the Montessori method of education of children from birth to adolescence. Her method is still highly used to this day.
She was born in Chiaravalle, (he province of Ancona, Italy). She became the first female physician in Italy upon her graduation from medical school in 1896.


The Montessori method is an alternative educational method based on different child developement theories.It was mainly used in preschool and elementary school settings. Its method of education is characterized by emphasizing self-directed activity on the part of the child, and clinical observation on the part of the teacher to show the importance of the child adapting to his/her new learning environment and to his or her development level.


Maria once said: “The greatest sign of success for a teacher... is to be able to say, "The children are now working as if I did not exist.""

That is a great quote, all teachers should think to that.

She was Twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize!


Maria Montessori changed education as we know it, i think her philosophy is truly great and helpful. All children learn differently, and some need a little more extra attention than other. Being in the Montessori school system would benefit any child.





http://www.michaelolaf.net/maria.html
http://www.montessori.edu/maria.html
http://www.montessori-namta.org/NAMTA/geninfo/mmbio.html

Y.A.L.E

At home I volunteer at a program called Y.A.L.E. or Young Adults Learning Experience. This program is for severe mentally challenged students that can not move on to a college after there extension at a highschool.

Most students in severe special education classes are allowed to stay in the school until the age of 22, and then from there the school usually helps find them a job, or another program that they can be involved with full time. Where i'm from, they offer both, my teacher Mr. Donnelly helps his students apply for jobs at places such as, local markets, Target, Shaws, stop and shop, and extra jobs around the town or the school. He prepares them all there years to get to the point of working with money, with a cash register, talking to people, taking orders, and organzing things.

On top of working, the students are offered a night program called Y.A.L.E. which is two times a week, which helps continue their education, and stay connected with their peers. They might read books, do activities, paint, color, bake, have parties, and continue their learning.

It's truely a great oppurtunity for the students, and they enjoy it very much.

WINARC is a similar program, you can find your local ARC program in your town.


Thanks for reading =)

Spread the word to end the word. Please Read and pass this on!

I'm using the blog to get a point across about the mentally challenge, or the developmentally delayed. The use of the word "Retard" is completely unethical, and i hope everyone who reads this blog will understand why, and help spread the word. I am apart of an organization "Spread the word to end the word" which is the process of diminishing the use of the "r-word". Working with the mentally challenged is a life changing experience, its what i love to do. What people don't understand is that people with Down syndrome, or autism (etc.) are human beings just like you and I. Are you going to single me out and make a word for me because i'm Anemic? I don't think so. Oh you have asthma, so i'm going to come up for a word to single you out. Completely wrong and unethical.

Where i'm from, you have an option to become part of a class called peer mentoring, which is a class in which you work with many other students with down syndrome, autism, developemental delays, servere ADD and ADHD, prader willy syndrome, and many more, and if you are in this, your a jock, your a cheerleader, your honor society, you best looking, best personality, EVERYONE does it. Doesn't matter who you are, and you get more respect than anyone in the school. ITS NOT COOL TO USE THE WORD RETARD, so stop saying it. ANYONE WHO MAY BE CATEGORIZED UNDER THAT TEAM KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS AND IT IS HURTFUL AND RUDE.

I hear people toss that word around like its nothing here, and i get into fights with people almost everyday, i'm just trying to help end the word, so i am asking you all to please pass this on and understand.

To read more about spread the word to end the word go to http://www.r-word.org/ and make a pledge not to use it, Please. My friends back at home with these disablities read the pledge to you and you repeat after them, and our downsyndrome 18 year old gives you a hug after you make the pledge, it is a life changing experience to make this vow. Please realize using this word offends people with challenges.

It is becoming more popular around the world, and all school systmes are working on abolishing it, Help us out!!



For any more questions you can reply to this, send me an email at r_mustone@salemstate.edu or find me on facebook. Thank you to all who pledge!

Discipline in Schools Today.

Discipline in our school systems has been, and continues to be the number one problem within schools today. Whether the punishment be to harsh, or not harsh enough, it never seems to fit the crime correctly. Many people blame schools for not letting their students handle their problems, and not letting them be accountable for their actions. Although this may be true, many schools also give to harsh of punishments for the students actions. Here are some past experiences/examples.

It was my junior year of high school, as a cheerleader we all wore our uniforms the day of games, so it must have been a friday. I went threw the lunch line to pay for my drink and the lady at the cash register was sitting there talking to someone, i counted how long she was talking and ignoring the line, it was 11 minutes. Lunches at my highschool were only 22 minutes long. There was 5 minutes left in my lunch until i finally just said excuse me, im going to leave my money right here, and walked out among 5 other kids. Out of a crowd she searched for me, and just me. Asking other students "where the little bitch with the uniform was" and saying "wait till i find her". I was a very respected person in highschool, always helping out, never rude or mean. Finally, i walked up to her and asked her what the problem was and she started fighting with me calling me a little bitch and then im rude and i threw my money at her face. (which was completely false). The principal walked up to us asked what happened, completely ignored anything i had to say and gave me a detention. Even though i apologized and said im sorry if you thought it was rude, but i need to eat. I got in trouble for that, but none of the other kids that did it as well did. Come to find out, she had a bias with cheerleaders and that is why she got me in trouble.

A lot of times, kids make friends with the assistant principal and the principal etc. and when they get in trouble, they just let them go. But if its someone else who does the same exact thing, they get suspended or something taken away from them. No school has a fair discipline system, and it almost seems as though sometimes they just don't feel like dealing with it and blow some things off.

I think a way to really fix it, is to make a set of rules known to all students with the consequences with them. That way, it all moves faster, and it is fair for all, no student can complain about a punishment, or get their way out of it because they have already expected it.


Some sites that i read up on this topic, are:
http://cnx.org/content/m14625/latest/
http://nces.ed.gov/Pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=98030