The+Montessori+System

=The Montessori System of Education http://www.montessori.edu/= = = == = =

= = The Montessori system of education focuses on the natural childhood development. The classroom is a designed environment allowing for the child to utilize his/her own perogative to work. The idea behind this is that each child learns at their own pace, and along with learning the lesson they develop self-discipline and genuine fondness for learning. This style of teaching was devised and named for Maria Montessori, an Italian physician turned educationist. She was fascinated by human development, and believed it was they key to teaching effectively. On January 6th in 1907 she opened her first school in a poor section of Rome, it was called Casa dei Bambini. It wasn't long before her sphere of influence began to spread as people came to see what her methods were.

What we believed before the shift.
Before Montessori it was believed that all children were essentially the same. Kids learned in the same ways, and also at the same speed. It was thought that the role of the teacher was to impose a strict curriculum, and to make sure that a rigid scheduale was adhered to in order to complete the curriculum. This teacher was the center of the classroom and was an authoritative figure.

What we believed after the shift
Montessori believed that each child was an individual, that would only learn if left to do it in their own way and at their own speed. In a system such as this the teacher becomes removed from the learning process, but is still present to supply the children with what they need, and to observe. The teacher leaves grading and discipline up to the student with the intention of allowing the child to fully mature without any hinderences. (for a side by side comparison go here) http://www.montessorica.com/Montessori%20Vs%20Traditional%20Method.htm

How we still believe the old belief
The old belief is still the current. This is because Montessori education is the academic equivalent of the Green Party. By this I mean that it is not yet mainstream, but it is getting there. So in our major public schools it will be hard to find a truly Montessori classroom, but some of the recognition of different learning styles can be attributed to the Montessori system. The teacher is still the central player in most if not all public schools, and the students are there to absorb the information being presented to them. It is interesting to see how education becomes less likely as a student progresses through the grades. In high school discussion and individual thought are the main stresses, as long as it pertains to the subject at hand. This seems to be a compromise between traditional education and Maria Montessori's methods, but it seems to come to late in a child's development.

Resources:
http://www.montessori-ami.org/ http://www.montessorica.com/interest.htm http://www.webster.edu/~woolflm/montessori.html

If you were interested in this page may I direct you to:
To Learn or To Teach Montessori Ideals