Language: English

Archive: Seattle University, Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons, Special Collections

Language: English

Archive: Seattle University, Lemieux Library and McGoldrick Learning Commons, Special Collections

Abstract/Notes: Montessori is one of the most fascinating and controversial pedagogues of all time. On the one hand, the naturalists reproached her for the rigidity and artificiality of her method, as well as her rejection of productive imagination and fantasy. On the other hand, progressive educators reproached the individualist and prescriptive character of her method. The modernists reproached her for her religiosity. Some criticized her for accelerating learning or for not respecting the freedom of the child, others for the contrary. Christians branded her a secularist, positivist, naturalist, and theosophist, while theosophists defined her as Catholic. These paradoxical criticisms are due, among other reasons, to the context of the antimodernist frenzy in which she developed her method, to her network of friends in Freemason circles, to the numerous nuances of her method, to her resistance to fitting in with existing educational currents, to the instrumentalization of her method by third party interests, to her sometimes entangled and not very clear language and to the lack of knowledge of her method in action. / Montessori es una de las pedagogas más fascinantes y controvertidas de la historia. Resulta curioso que todos le reprochasen tantos aspectos tan contradictorios. Los naturalistas, la rigidez y la artificialidad de su método, así como su rechazo a la imaginación productiva y a la fantasía; los progresistas, la individualidad y el carácter coercitivo del método; los modernistas, su religiosidad; algunos la criticaban por adelantar los aprendizajes o por no respetar la libertad del alumno, otros, por lo contrario; los cristianos la tildaron de laicista, naturalista, positivista y teósofa, mientras que los teósofos la definieron como católica. Esas críticas tan paradójicas se deben, entre otras razones, al contexto de persecución antimodernista en el que desarrolló su método, a su red de amistades en los ambientes masones, a los numerosos matices de su método, a su resistencia a encajar en las corrientes educativas existentes, a la instrumentalización de su método por intereses ajenos, a su lenguaje a veces enredado y poco divulgativo y al desconocimiento de su método en acción.

Language: English, Spanish

DOI: 10.22550/REP81-2-2023-01

ISSN: 0034-9461, 2174-0909

Abstract/Notes: Replying to the criticism of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Edward Hyatt that her system is "an emotional fad," doomed to extinction like the "dodo," fit only for the "downtrodden babies of Europe," and after all, just the same old methods of instruction "under a new and fascinating name," Dr. Maria Montessori, the famous Italian educator, yesterday spoke lightly of "ignorance" and "refusals to investigate" as being responsible for such language. Through Miss Helen Parkhurst, teacher in the Montessori model school at the Palace of Education, acting as her interpreter, Dr. Montessori said: "I do not care to answer Superintendent Hyatt, except to say that criticisms of this sort ordinarily come from persons who know nothing of the method and who have not availed themselves of the opportunity afforded here at this time to investigate its workings. Pioneer methods always meet with opposition, especially from thos who are using antiquated methods and hate to give them up."

Language: English

Language: English

ISSN: 0519-0959

Language: English

ISSN: 0519-0959

Language: English

ISSN: 0519-0959

Language: English

ISSN: 0519-0959

Language: English

Abstract/Notes: Letter to the Editor.

Language: English

ISSN: 0040-7887