With the fall fast approaching, Montessori educators are facing decisions about whether to offer distance education options to families. Montessori educators are capable of using various technology platforms to deliver high-quality instruction. However, the question remains, can distance education truly be considered a Montessori education?
Montessori said, "...the hand is the instrument of the mind." The Montessori curriculum is largely based upon the physical manipulation of didactic materials. Can Montessorians replicate this curriculum over a Zoom meeting?
Video platforms can never replace the interaction between the child, teacher, and environment supported by the physical Montessori classroom. Yet, I also believe that if Maria Montessori had been facing this dilemma, she would have embraced the technology available to her and worked to make the Montessori curriculum engaging and as hands-on as possible. To make a Montessori distance education program as successful as possible for teachers, parents, and students try to:
- Create a sense of community through regular virtual circle or meeting times using a video conferencing platform. It is helpful if you can record these synchronous learning experiences so that families who can not join at the scheduled time can still feel as if they are part of the community by watching the recording.
- Use a variety of virtual learning media to create engaging, interactive circle or meeting times. There are so many online tools available to educators beyond Google Slides or PowerPoint. Try using Boom Cards, Pear Deck, or Nearpod to make Montessori lessons interactive.
- Develop an organized means of delivering daily or weekly activities for your students that follow the Montessori curriculum. There are so many learning management systems that are available for free or for nominal fees. Find a platform that works best for the community you are serving, and educate your families on it's use. Even if you are working with primary students, your parents will appreciate having easy access to well-organized learning materials.
- Balance paper-based activities that may need a great deal of parent preparation with digital-based activities. Busy families may not have time to do a lot of the cutting and sorting that may come with the many paper-based representations of many Montessori materials and activities that are available commercially or that you might create yourself. You may even want to consider making packets of paper-based activities that you have already prepared for families to pick up at your school or that can be delivered to families. Remember that there are also digitally based options that you can provide for families. Try using SeeSaw or Boom Cards. You can also create interactive activities using Google Slides.
It is possible to to create a robust, engaging distance learning program that also upholds Montessori curriculum. It takes creativity and a willingness to explore digital activity platforms that can represent various Montessori materials.
Check out my distance learning resources!
