Sunday, November 18, 2007

Montessori's View of Cosmic Education


Ami has many great resources. http://www.montessori-ami.org/


This is one on Cosmic education


‘It is this vision of an indivisible unity made up of energy, of sky, of rocks, of water, of life, of humans as adults and humans as children that lends a sense of the cosmic to Montessori’s thinking. This cosmic sense pervades all of Montessori’s work, both her thinking and her educational approach for all of the different planes and stages of development of the human being: from birth without violence to the Infant Community, to the Casa dei Bambini, to the elementary school, to the Erdkinder community for adolescents.







Preparing for the Prehistoric Time Line



Montessori regarded the scientific theory of evolution as the greatest lesson that can be introduced to the child, as it is effectively the source of all knowledge. Her aim was to help the
child “to become conscious of his….responsibilities to a cosmic task, his collaboration with others in work for the environment, for the whole universe” (Montessori, 1989, p.27) She believed
that by putting children’s existence in geographical and historical context, she could fuel their respect for the environment and for living things, and enable them to understand the role they
have to play in protecting and preserving the conditions necessary for life.