Integration of Computers Into the Montessori CurriculumOverviewWhat Is Montessori?What Is Montessori? (Cont’d)DemoSlide 6Current Uses of ComputersCurrent Uses of Computers (cont’d)Evaluation of Current UsesEvaluation of Current Uses (cont’d)Proposed Use of Information AppliancesForeseeable ObstaclesIntegration of Computers Into the Montessori CurriculumDavina ArmstrongCS294, Human Centered ComputingFall, 1999OverviewWhat is Montessori?Current uses of computers in the Montessori environmentEvaluation of current usesProposed use of information appliancesForeseeable obstaclesWhat Is Montessori?About Dr. Maria Montessori–Born in Italy in 1870–First woman doctor in Italy in 1896–Left medicine to teach in 1906–Opened Casa dei Bambini - “Children’s House”–Nominated for Nobel Peace Prize in 1949, 1950, 1951–Died in 1952The Montessori Method–Children teach themselves–Prepared environment–“Follow the child”–Developmental planes•Birth-6 years: sensorial exploration•6-12 years: conceptual exploration•12-18 years: humanistic exploration•18-24 years: specialized explorationWhat Is Montessori? (Cont’d)The Materials–Mathematics–LanguageDemoMultiplication of multi-digit numbers with the checkerboard27 4 3 6442Current Uses of ComputersPractical LifeDrills, phonetics programs–Applications used in conjunction with the traditional Montessori MaterialsResearch–World Wide Web, newsgroups–CD-ROMsGamesHyperStudioCurrent Uses of Computers (cont’d)Word processingLogo, MicroWorldsEducational research–Software for preschool classrooms–Teaching Machines–Kid’s SpaceSimulations of Montessori MaterialsDrawing programsEvaluation of Current UsesGood, in keeping with the Montessori Method–LOGO, MicroWorlds–Research - children ask and answer own questionsOK, good educational value, but not very “Montessori”–Some drills–Phonetics–HyperStudio–Word processing–Drawing programsEvaluation of Current Uses (cont’d)Bad, no educational value, in fact detrimental–MathBlaster–The Art Of War–Games–Simulation of Montessori materialsProposed Use of Information AppliancesMontessori materials as information appliances–Retain the “look & feel” of the original Montessori materials, but have enhanced features by virtue of being computers•Battery-powered•Wireless communication–Possible enhancements•Feedback to child•Recording for teacher to evaluateForeseeable ObstaclesTechnology does not yet exist–Long battery life needed–Tiny (to fit into the beads)–DurableResistance from teachers–“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” - Montessori Method has been working well for decades–Fear of the children being “programmed” by the computers–Lack of comprehension regarding information appliances; can’t get away from the PC
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