In this most recent episode of Conversations With Marsha, Marsha visits with Diana Smith Butler, a long time Montessori education expert. Diana’s deep understanding of the Montessori method and her ability to articulate it led to a career in training a generation of new Montessori teachers.
Throughout the interview, Diana thoroughly explains how the Montessori approach develops students who are capable, accountable, and knowledgeable people with the strong sense of self they need to thrive in the world.
Diana also goes into her work on summative and formative assessment. These are two ways of discerning what students have learned. The latter method also enables teachers to help students as they learn, which fuels their progress and increases what they learn.
Some Montessori materials:
- Binomial Cube video
- Knobbed cylinders
- History Timelines
- Mihalyi Csikszentmihalyi, Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience
- Anders Ericsson and Robert Poole, Peak: Secrets From the New Science of Expertise
- Adele Faber and Elaine Mazlish, How To Talk So Kids Will Listen And Listen So Kids Will Talk
- Jane Nelson, Positive Discipline
