Abstract/Notes: Discusses adolescents' needs, asserting that the Erdkinder environment is Montessori's answer to those needs. Outlines various aspects of the Erdkinder environment. Concludes by summarizing what needs to be done to work towards establishing Erdkinder communities in secondary education.

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Abstract/Notes: This chapter describes Maria Montessori’s expansion of her educational approach–initially created for young children–into adolescence. Montessori named her program for adolescents Erdkinder (children of the earth) because she believed that learning how to engage in work related to the functions of society, especially through agriculture, allowed for relevant social and economic experiences. Erdkinder programs are often farm school or similar settings which incorporate hands-on work that facilitates learning about resource allocation, scarcity, conflict, technology, and human impact on the world in context. In this way, history, geography, and hard sciences come to life. This chapter provides detailed profiles of three exemplary Erdkinder settings.

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

Abstract/Notes: Innovative competency-based education in adolescents’ communities is one of the most challenging thins of the new millennium. Researchers from all over the world are trying to find models of competency-based education for the young and adolescent students. In this paper, starting with the last available data of the OECD Program for International Student Assessment (PISA), the authors are analyzing the results using a linear regression modeling. Their findings reveal that there is an inverse relationship between the science performance and the total study time in after school hours. One solution that the authors give is the alternative education in general and boarding school within the alternative Montessori educational system. The novelty of the paper is the econometric analysis of the data obtained by students in PISA tests and the use of these results to achieve an innovative education based on skills in adolescent communities. The results of this work could be used both by parents to choose a suitable school for their children and for the governors, to create a national educational ecosystem based on the development of adolescents' skills.

Language: English

Published: Bucharest, Romania: Editura ASE, 2022

Pages: 306-312

DOI: 10.24818/BASIQ/2022/08/040

Language: English

Published: Minneapolis, Minnesota, 2010

Language: English

Language: English

ISSN: 0027-8939

Abstract/Notes: The Mississippi River Program was an interdisciplinary environmental education curriculum implemented in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The program integrated theory and practice of experiential, environmental, adventure, and place-based education, and was designed, implemented and assessed by the researcher. Effects of the Mississippi River Program on the environmental knowledge and awareness of middle school adolescents were unknown at the onset of this study. This was a quasi-experimental design involving non-random sampling of a charter Montessori Middle School as the experimental group (n=17), and a sample of public middle school students as the comparison group (n=18). A mixed-methods approach entailed quantitative assessment of mean pretest and posttest scores on the Environmental Knowledge and Beliefs Questionnaire, and a qualitative analysis of reflective papers written by the Montessori group. The research instrument was drawn directly from the state standards for environmental education for middle school adolescents, published by the Wisconsin Department of Instruction (1998). Results of ANOVA indicated a significant improvement in mean scores from pretest to posttest for the experimental group, with no significant difference in scores for the comparison group (p=.0002). Quantitative results revealed that Item Six of the survey instrument contributed significantly to the increase in scores (p=.0000). This Item required knowledge of environmental agencies, which the experimental group gained during “Outdoor Careers Day.” Student reflective papers written about experiences during this event were qualitatively assessed using an emergent open coding method, which revealed five environmental learning themes. Qualitative findings reinforced the quantitative results, indicating that the program participants improved significantly in knowledge of environmental content areas; and awareness of a personal relationship with, and responsibility to, the environment. Further investigations are needed to increase the research base for programs that incorporate multiple outdoor education models. Innovative educational approaches would also benefit from research on the long term effects of participation in these programs.

Language: English

Published: Mankato, Minnesota, 2006

Abstract/Notes: Observation of 200 children ages 4 to 19 attending a Massachusetts nongraded alternative school disclosed substantial age mixing. Younger children used older children to develop skills and acquire knowledge. Age mixing encouraged opportunities for creativity, helped match abilities, and fostered older children's sense of responsibility for younger children. (MLH)

Language: English

ISSN: 0031-7217

Language: English