Abstract/Notes: Based on a database of over 500 resources, this paper explores the educational alternatives that exist today between the cracks of mainstream education and culture. It presents information about the growing numbers of schools and education centers that call themselves learner-centered, progressive, and/or holistic. Sources of data for this summary report also include over 3 years of informal interviews with and observations of people at alternative schools. The paper begins by examining terminology issues, discussing qualities for distinguishing educational alternatives, and describing eight types of schools (democratic and free schools, folk education, Quaker schools, homeschooling/unschooling/deschooling, Krishnamurti schools, Montessori schools, open schools, and Waldorf schools). It also presents frameworks for education (maps for understanding the territories of alternatives), and it discusses the three orientations of a competency based education: transaction (progressive), self-directed (learner-centered), and transformation (holistic). After looking at political issues around school choice which could impact the growth of the various philosophical alternatives, the paper concludes that in a society where issues of pluralism and diversity are valued as part of creating a more sustainable world and just democracy, the diversity of philosophical perspectives in education needs to be acknowledged. (Contains 41 references.) (SM)

Language: English

Published: New Orleans, Louisiana, 2002

Language: English

ISSN: 0889-5643

Abstract/Notes: This thesis examines the Montessori music curriculum that was developed by Maria Montessori and her music consultant Maria Maccheroni. It introduces the most typical Montessori music instruments and equipment as well as exercises that go with them. It also explores the possibilities of combining Montessori music with today’s music teaching and early childhood music education. The material of this thesis is mainly based on literature about the Montessori Method and its music section, along with observations made while working at various Montessori preschools in Finland. Many of the Montessori method’s musical exercises are challenging and can be seen as old fashioned by today’s music education standards. Maria Montessori expected many things from her Montessori teachers. Montessori teachers were expected to be completely in charge of the children’s musical education. This may be difficult to implement nowadays because in order to properly understand the Montessori music curriculum, one needs a great deal of theoretical knowledge and understanding of music. However, there are plenty of positive aspects to the Montessori music education and its elements can be applied to modern day music teaching. The Montessori method is very child-centered and even though it was developed more than a hundred years ago, the main principles are still valid today. A children’s music lesson plan is included in this thesis. It combines Montessori music education with Finnish early childhood music education. Many music educators and Montessori teachers know little about the music part of the Montessori method. Not much literature can be found about it in Finnish. The goal of this thesis is to study Montessori music education and to give more information about it to music educators and Montessori teachers. / Opinnäytetyössäni tutkin Maria Montessorin ja hänen konsulttinsa Maria Maccheronin yli sata vuotta sitten kehittämää musiikkikasvatusmenetelmää. Esittelen tyypillisimpiä montessorimusiikkivälineitä sekä niihin liittyviä harjoituksia. Lisäksi pohdin miten montessorimusiikkikasvatusta olisi mahdollista soveltaa musiikinopetuksessa ja varhaisiän musiikkikasvatuksessa. Aineistoni perustuu ennen kaikkea montessoripedagogiikasta ja montessorimusiikkikasvatuksesta saatavilla olevaan kirjallisuuteen sekä montessorileikkikoulussa työni kautta tehtyihin havaintoihin. Monet montessorimenetelmän musiikkiosion työt ja harjoitukset ovat haastavia ja nykyisen musiikkikasvatuskäsityksen mukaan vanhanaikaisia. Maria Montessorin toivetta montessoriohjaajasta, joka opettaa musiikkia hänen menetelmänsä mukaisesti, voi olla vaikea toteuttaa, koska montessorimusiikkikasvatuksen hallitseminen vaatii runsaasti musiikin teoreettista tuntemista. Montessorimusiikkikasvatuksessa on kuitenkin myös paljon hyvää ja sitä voi soveltaa nykypäivän musiikinopetukseen. Montessorimenetelmä on erittäin lapsilähtöinen ja vaikka se kehitettiin yli sata vuotta sitten, monet sen perusajatukset ovat edelleen sovellettavissa. Opinnäytetyöni sisältää tekemäni muskarituntisuunnitelman, jossa sovellan montessorimusiikkikasvatusta varhaisiän musiikkikasvatuksen tunnille. Monet musiikkikasvattajat ja montessoriohjaajat eivät tunne tai tuntevat vain pintapuolisesti montessorimenetelmän musiikkiosion, ja montessorimusiikkikasvatuksesta on saatavilla vain hyvin vähän suomenkielistä tietoa. Opinnäytetyöni tarkoitus on tutkia montessorimenetelmän musiikkiosiosta ja antaa lisätietoa montessoriohjaajille ja musiikkikasvattajille.

Language: Finnish

Published: Helsinki, Finland, 2018

Abstract/Notes: This paper contrasts the use of education for conflict with the use of education for peace, shows some historical developments in the field of peace education, and summarizes facets and the diffusion of peace education. The paper explores some considerations for learning environments suitable for peace education programs and describes selected features of two schools to illustrate the implementation of some of the characteristics of peace education. It explains that, although college offerings in peace education worldwide demonstrate the scarcity of peace education programs in mainstream educational institutions, a Web site listing colleges and universities that offer peace studies programs shows approximately 120 graduate and undergraduate programs, most of which are located in North America. The paper notes that in public schools, peace education can at best be found in the international education or conflict resolution programs designed to prevent school violence. Appended is a reference list of peace education Web sites, selected by the U.S. Department of Education. (Contains 27 references.)

Language: English

Published: Orlando, Florida: Comparative and International Education Society, Mar 2002

Language: German

Published: Freiburg, Germany: Herder, 1987

Abstract/Notes: The aim of the thesis was to map what media education is like in Montessori-pedagogical early childhood education. The purpose was to examine how Montessori pedagogy developed more than a hundred years ago meets children's digitized growth environment and media culture. The research was qualitative. The theoretical basis of the work was research on children's media use and media education, the national foundations of the early childhood education plan and the principles of Montessori pedagogy. The data collection method was a semi-structured thematic interview. The interviewees were six early childhood education teachers who worked in Montessori kindergartens for 3-6 year olds in the capital region. The transcribed material was analyzed using theory-driven content analysis. In the research questions, I clarified the Montessori educators' views on media education and its challenges, as well as the special features of Montessori pedagogical media education. In addition, it was mapped how different media content and information and communication technology were utilized in the pedagogical practices of Montessori kindergartens. The key result was that the Montessori educators had a positive attitude towards media education and were more aware than before, but there was also a need for development. The goals of teaching media literacy and information and communication technology skills were seen to be the child's inclusion, supporting agency and equality. Media education aimed to strengthen children's active media skills, i.e. children's own production and expression. A critical attitude towards media devices and content was also considered important. Learning in Montessori pedagogy is based on the concreteness and sensibility of Montessori tools, which is still seen as a working method. Therefore, supplementing the prepared learning environment with technology should be done pedagogically. On the other hand, the child-oriented nature of Montessori pedagogy, the learning of phenomena, and the effort to help the child function in their own everyday life create a good starting point for reforming Montessori pedagogy as needed with media education tools, applications, and content. Awareness of media education and supporting technical skills are ways, which strengthen the position of media education in Montessori pedagogical early childhood education.

Language: Finnish

Published: Helsinki, Finland, 2019

Abstract/Notes: "Education Day, Monday - Education Day. ...3:30 pm - Speeches at the organ pavilion by Mr. P. P. Claxton, United States commissioner of education from Washington, D. C., and by Madame Maria Montessori, the famous child educator. Madame Montessori will speak in Italian and her speech will be interpreted by Miss Adelia McAlpine Pyle. 4:30 pm - Reception at the women's headquarters in honor of Mr. P. P. Claxton and Mme. Montessori. Special musical program."

Language: English

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: This chapter examines Maria Montessori’s text, Education and Peace (1972) which was first published in 1949 in Italian. The text is a series of speeches she gave throughout Europe during the Interwar period of 1932-1939 and is divided into three parts. Part I is an introduction to Montessori’s vision for peace education. Part II collects the lectures from the Sixth International Montessori Congress in Copenhagen, 1937. Part III focuses on the lecture, “The Importance of Education in Bringing about Peace,” from an address to the International School of Philosophy in Amersfoort, 1937. The final section contains Montessori’s “Address to the World Fellowship of Faiths” in London, 1939. Montessori’s works assume a worldview where peace is the most natural state of consciousness and express her belief that humans can concretely address the fact that humanity seems to be devolving into greater forms of violence instead of advancing toward peace.

Language: English

Published: New York, New York: Bloomsbury Academic, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-350-27561-4 978-1-350-27560-7 978-1-350-27562-1

Series: Bloomsbury Handbooks

Language: English