First Montessori Updater Issue

You are receiving our inaugural issue of Montessori Updater. We will publish the Updater in January, March, May, July, September, and November -- with special issues as needed.  The purpose is to keep all of us -- students, instructors and university supervisors -- connected, informed of upcoming events, dates of importance, and to build and strengthen our Montessori community. 

MACTE Accredited, AMS Affiliated

As of early December, UWRF's Montessori Early Childhood and Elementary I-II programs are accredited by the Montessori Accreditation Council for Teacher Education and affiliated with the American Montessori Society.  We are the only public institution to offer graduate degrees in Montessori education in the US, and the first to utilize AMS's new distance education delivery guidelines. 

 

We have all journeyed through this launch period of our Montessori program together.  Thank you for your patience as we work out bugs, and for your feedback so we can continue to improve our program. 

 

The Power of Storytelling - Feb 7

Storytelling is often discounted, overlooked or misunderstood as a critical teaching tool in an elementary curriculum.  It is a powerful in motivation, imaginative development and oral literacy.  Come immerse yourself in stories as you learn the rationale behind storytelling, why it should be done, how and when.  The presenter will share several original stories and some that are re-written traditional Montessori stories. 

 

Dr. Michael Dorer, the presenter, is from the Montessori Leadership Group and associate program director at the Institute for Montessori Innovation at Westminster College.  He is a retired program director for the Center for Contemporary Montessori Programs at St. Catherine University in St. Paul.

 

The seminar will be held at Best Western Plus Campus Inn in River falls from 9:00 - 4:00 on Friday, February 7.  Registration and networking begins at 8:30 a.m. Cost for the program is $85 which includes the program, lunch, parking and material. To register click here.

 

UWRF Montessori students who are doing their practicum are required to attend this seminar.  Other UWRF Montessori students, instructors, or university supervisors may attend for a reduced price of $55.  Contact Linda directly if you would like to attend.

Spring Billing and Tuition

Your bill for spring classes should be available in eSIS in early January.  Contact the Billing and Financial Aid Service Counter with any questions.

 

View details about tuition due dates.

Spring Term begins January 27

Confirm your spring class meeting dates and times on your calendar now.  You are expected to and can only succeed if you attend all scheduled meetings for each class you are enrolled.  Class details are available in eSIS or by using the Class Schedule Lookup tool. (Remember all spring classes have their final face to face meeting the weekend of May 10-11.  Because this is after the official close of classes on May 9, these dates to not appear on eSIS.)

MONT 724 E1 Language Students -- NOTE!

We discovered that the proposal to change MONT 724 from a 3 credit class to a 4 credit class (in order to spend more time on teaching reading) got lost in committee and hence did not make it through the approval process in time for this spring.  Hence, to make up the additional credit, we are asking that all students in MONT 724 also register for MONT 789, Section 03 Special Topics (Reading).  The schedule in eSIS for MONT 724 already includes additional time (5 class meeting times) for this additional credit. 

 

Also remember to bring your check for $50 payable to Gay Ward for your Reading Development Handbook on Feb. 1. 

 

(P.S. When we increased Language by 1 credit, we also decreased the E1 Math by 1 credit, so there is no net change in the number of credits needed for the E1 Program.)

Spring Textbooks

We are trying to get class resources available through the University Bookstore when possible.  Many of the core courses have "albums" that we update and print on campus.  Depending on the course, there may be additional resources along with your albums or texts. 

 

Here are the projected dates materials will be available at the bookstore:

If you can't get to the campus bookstore before the your first class meeting date, you can call them (715-425-3962) and they will send the materials to you once they are available. 

Welcome Kim, Danielle and Megan

Three new students will be starting in the Elementary I program this spring.  Please introduce yourself and welcome them to our Montessori community.

Introducing Vince and Gaige

We were eagerly anticipating two important arrivals this fall, and wouldn't you know, both chose November 18 to enter this world. 

 

Congratulations to EC student Francina Lelei and her family on the birth of Vince Kimutai Lelei who came into this world at 7 lbs, 9 oz and 20 inches long.  Just as she had planned, Vince was born "in between" class weekends so Francina and Vince could both attend class in December! 

 

Congratulations to Brenda Petta (EC Instructor) and her husband Tom as they welcomed 9 lb 8 oz. grandson Gaige Bryant Petta.  Do Brenda and Tom look like proud grandparents? 

 

Perhaps Francina and Brenda will share recent pictures if you ask them this spring.

Updater Member Feature

Each issue, we would like to feature a faculty. supervisor, and/or student from our program. Choose to answer two or three questions from our fun list, and send them along with a picture of you or you and family.  Please contact Linda if you would like to volunteer.   (Your responses don't need to be as long as our first feature.)  

 

In this first issue we are featuring Dr. Gay Ward, our Montessori Program Coordinator:

Dr. Gay Ward (with some of her family)

The first step in my Montessori pathway was probably taking a course as an undergraduate for a year with Jean Piaget in Geneva. I really grasped from listening to him that children are explorers who show us that there are active agents in the movement from sensorial experience to abstraction.   Perhaps the next major leap was some seven years later when I was teaching psychology in a teacher’s college in Western Australia. I was asked to teach an elective on Montessori education and given some key learning materials.   This experience really resulted in a career shift; I earned credentials in traditional education and then Montessori education.  In Montessori schools I first worked as a literacy consultant, then a school coordinator, elementary teacher and assistant principal. I also had the wonderful experience of being a Montessori teacher educator in Korea and Taiwan. Three of my five children attended Montessori schools and three of my five grandchildren now attend Montessori schools. 

 

The next significant shift in my life resulted from attending a keynote at a Montessori national conference in the USA for which I journeyed from Australia. Peggy Loeffler who played a significant role in promoting Montessori research explained that for some of us, our role would be to bring traditional and Montessori education closer together.   I decided that this was my role and I taught university courses in Australia before moving to Wisconsin to take up a position in teacher education in 2001. I quickly became involved in Montessori schools here.   Having a Montessori teacher education program option at UWRF is a dream realized for me.

My other passions in education are connecting children and their teachers to nature, inquiry learning, introducing young children to fine art and supporting children’s literacy discoveries along a developmental continuum. The grammar symbols and reading analysis and sentence construction materials have to be some of my favorite materials, but I also love the stamp game, the checker board, and the timeline of life.   I especially love that cultural studies and big stories form a central part of Montessori elementary cosmic fusion curriculum.

 

So, I love my work. When I do have time for other activities, I like walking along water – the ocean or rivers. I love reading with my grandchildren on the rare opportunities when I get to see them. So of course, I love to travel with my artist husband, Richard. Australia and France are our favorite travel destinations. I also love reading and listening to music. I currently have two favorite music groups – both from this region but known widely. One is the Rose Ensemble and the other is Rogue Valley. Very different but both are incredibly creative in their use of instruments and voice.

 

Let’s see – a humorous event.   A few years ago I was talking via Skype with my 3 year old granddaughter, Schuyler, who lives in Annapolis. I asked what she had been doing that morning and she responded, “Oh, I’ve been doing the pink tower.” Her father in the background said, “Schuyler, you have not; it’s Saturday.” She replied, “Oh, I know, but Granny Gay likes to hear that.” And…she’s right. I love hearing about the pink tower, the brown stair, the bank game, the triangle box.   She is now five and the last time I was with her, she was pondering the word know. She said, “the /k/ is silent and the /ow/ is a phonogram. You know I’ve done puzzle words one and two.” (Not every grandmother would know what she was talking about.) She then proceeded to read me the whole story occasionally focusing in on a particularly interesting word. I love Montessori, Montessori children and Montessori teacher candidates!

Maria Montessori said...

 

 

 

This update is published six times a year for students, instructors, and University Supervisors in the Montessori Early Childhood and Elementary Education Program.

 

The University of Wisconsin-River Falls meets the needs of lifelong learners with a variety of credit and noncredit programs and courses. Visit the UW-River Falls Outreach and Continuing Education webpage for details about our programs.

410 S 3rd Street

River Falls, WI 54022

 

Linda Jacobson, Outreach Program Manager

RDI 135

Phone: 715-425-3190

Fax: 715-425-0624

 

Gay Ward, Academic Program Director

WEB 259

Phone: 715-425-0601