ERIC Number: EJ1412309
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 4
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1054-0040
EISSN: N/A
Montessori, Technology, and the Purpose of Education
Patrick Frierson
Montessori Life: A Publication of the American Montessori Society, v35 n4 p18-21 2023-2024
Montessorians, with their long history of careful attention to children's developmental possibilities, can and should develop materials and pedagogical methods that can help children not merely use but master the technologies of the future. This does not mean putting a computer in the hands of every 3-year-old; quite the contrary. Rather, it means thinking carefully about what materials can be of direct interest to children while at the same time indirectly preparing the physical, sensorial, and cognitive skills they will need to navigate the technological world in which they live. Proficiency in emerging technologies is one of the most pressing needs that children have. Montessori was a master of indirect preparation, and she indirectly prepared children of her day to master the technologies of her day. The technologies that today's children must eventually master are different, of course--children today should know not merely how to write, but how to program a computer. They may need to know how to drive a car, send a text message, use Google search strings, create TikToks or other video content (and also how to engage with such content intelligently), and ask ChatGPT the right kinds of questions (and vet the answers). These are all technologies that are part of the world today's children inhabit, and proficient use of them is part of the adaptation to environment that the absorbent mind seeks.
Descriptors: Montessori Schools, Montessori Method, Information Technology, Child Development, Cognitive Development, Role of Education
American Montessori Society. 281 Park Avenue South, New York, NY 10010-6102. Tel: 212-358-1250; Fax: 212-358-1256; e-mail: info@amshq.org; Web site: https://amshq.org/Educators/Membership/Montessori-Life
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Descriptive
Education Level: N/A
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A