ERIC Number: EJ1412561
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2024
Pages: 2
Abstractor: ERIC
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1054-0040
EISSN: N/A
Technology as a Tool for Observation
Montessori Life: A Publication of the American Montessori Society, v35 n4 p36-37 2023-2024
Wildflower Schools, a network of decentralized "shopfront" Montessori schools, began in 2014, when Sep Kamvar, a MIT Media Lab professor, was unable to find a preschool for his son that fit his needs, and ended up partnering with two veteran Montessori educators, Mary Rockett and Katelyn Shore, to start a school. Wildflower's work is guided by nine principles--one of them, innovation, directly brings in technology in a way not often seen in Montessori schools. Wildflower Early Childhood classrooms are engaged in a pilot program that employs two kinds of technologies to aid in observation. First, video cameras are placed high on the walls. Second, students carry small location sensors, each about the size of a half dollar, usually either in a pocket (teachers) or attached to indoor shoes (students). Working in tandem, the video cameras and sensors can gather very specific data about what materials students are engaging with (and for how long), which students are spending time together socially, where students tend to congregate during different times of day, etc. All these bits of data provide a snapshot of what each child is up to each day, which, when combined with teacher observation, can be immensely helpful. [This article was written by Montessori Life Staff.]
Descriptors: Montessori Schools, Technology Uses in Education, Early Childhood Education, Observation, Information Technology, Video Technology
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: Early Childhood Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A