Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Abstract/Notes: Kathleen Allen's reverence for the stories of women naturalists spanning from the seventeenth through the twentieth centuries, and their parallel scientific interest in the documentation of life cycles through art and narratives, gives support to the child in history and nature that is so central to Montessori formal research and discipline. The parade of nearly a dozen short bios, from Beatrix Potter to Rachel Carson, frames not only a fresh outlook on science but also brings a soft feminist philosophical outlook while highlighting Montessori's connections to the natural world.This chapter is based on a talk presented at the NAMTA conference titled "Montessori History: Searching for Evolutionary Scientific Truth" in Cleveland, Ohio, April 20--22, 2018.

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

Abstract/Notes: Formerly entitled The Montessori Method: Scientific Pedagogy as Applied to Child Education in the Children's Houses. This book was first published in 1909 under the title 'Il Metodo della Pedagogia Scientifica Applicato all'Educazione Infantile nelle Case dei Bambini' ('The Montessori Method: Scientific Pedagogy as Applied to Child Education in the Children's Houses) and was revised in 1913, 1926, and 1935. Maria Montessori revised and reissued this book in 1948 and renamed it 'La Scoperta del Bambino'. This edition is based on the 6th Italian edition of 'La Scoperta del Bambino' published by the Italian publisher Garzanti, Milan, Italy in 1962. M. J. Costelloe, S. J. translated this Italian version into the English language in 1967 for Fides Publishers, Inc. In 2016 Fred Kelpin edited this version and added many footnotes. He incorporated new illustrations based on AMI-blueprints of the materials currently in use.

Language: English

Published: Amsterdam, The Netherlands: Montessori-Pierson Publishing Company, 2017

ISBN: 978-90-79506-38-5

Series: The Montessori Series , 2

Language: English

ISSN: 1522-9734

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: The purpose of this study was (1) to investigate the degree of agreement between AMI trained Montessori teachers' knowledge and attitudes and Montessori's recommendations for guiding the process of normalization among young children and (2) to discover the reasons for differences from those recommendations. Normalization is the central process in the Montessori method. Except for a study by this investigator (Zener, 1993) guiding the process of normalization had not been researched since Montessori's work some forty-five to eighty-five years ago. Therefore, this investigation also provided current teacher experiences of guiding the process of normalization. One hundred sixty five Montessori teachers attending various regional and national conferences were surveyed with knowledge and attitude scales. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10% of the participants. Mean scale scores from 4.0 to 5.0 on a five degree Likert scale and a SD less than 1.0 were projected as satisfactory levels of agreement with Montessori's recommendations. Descriptive statistics were used to analyze the scales, and content analysis was used to analyze the interviews. T-tests and ANOVAS indicated that demographic variables were not significant to the results. The study concluded that AMI trained Montessori teachers reflected a satisfactory degree of agreement with the recommended knowledge and attitudes (M = 4.25, SD =.31 and M = 4.50, SD =.34 respectively). Knowledge and attitude correlated (p $<$.01). Reasons for differences among teachers' knowledge and attitudes about guiding the process included using other aspects of Montessori theory, disagreement with Montessori, difficulty in carrying out the theory in practice, misinterpretations of scale items, and misunderstandings about Montessori's recommendations for guiding the process of normalization. Implications for children, teachers, parents, school administration, and teacher education included validation of teachers for the high level of consistency in their reflections on guiding the process of normalization. Recommendations for future research included developing a more complete theoretical understanding of the process of normalization, particularly the importance of respecting children's spans of concentration.

Language: English

Published: College Park, Maryland, 1994

Abstract/Notes: Most published bodies of work relating to curriculum theory focus exclusively, or almost exclusively, on the contributions of men. This is not representative of influences on educational practices as a whole, and it is certainly not representative of educational theory generally, as women have played a significant role in framing the theory and practice of education in the past. Their contribution is at least equal to that of men, even though it may not immediately appear as visible on library shelves or lecture lists. This book addresses this egregious deficit by asking readers to engage in an intellectual conversation about the nature of women’s curriculum theory, as well as its impact on society and thought in general. It does this by examining the work of twelve women curriculum theorists: Maxine Greene, Susan Haack, Julia Kristeva, Martha Nussbaum, Nel Noddings, Jane Roland Martin, Marie Battiste, Dorothea Beale, Susan Isaacs, Maria Montessori, Mary Warnock and Lucy Diggs Slowe. It thus brings attention, through a semantic rendition of the world, those seminal relationships that exist between the three meta-concepts that are addressed in the work: feminism, learning and curriculum. It will appeal to scholars and researchers with interests in curriculum, and the philosophy and sociology of education.

Language: English

Published: New York, New York: Routledge, 2023

ISBN: 978-1-00-328931-9

Abstract/Notes: Rev of The Courage to Teach by Parker J. Palmer

Language: English