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"Many
of my works were written about at the beginning of my
time endeavours and they often refer to scientific theories
and experiments that were popular then and to situations
that were familiar in those days. Times have changed and
science has made great progress and so must our work"
- Dr Maria Montessori -
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Children are keen to use the tools they see being used by
adults. When Maria Montessori developed the prepared environment,
it was for the child to explore reality with his hands.
Computer was not in the reality of the world then.
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When the child follows their interest to explore the computer,
besides being fun and interesting, the child comes to understand
computer as a machine that follows command.
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The study of the computer itself is highly interesting and
valuable.
However, in Montessori classes the use of the computer is
more an educational issue than one of technology.
In all considerations regarding the use of computers in
the classroom the developmental needs of the children should
be the deciding factor.
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For young preschool children who are in the midst of making
sense of their environment and developing a foundation of
concrete knowledge, their need is for nature with wonderful
array of rich and amazing self-fulfilling educational resources.
Thus, the use of computers and the abstract realm it represents
does not compliment the needs of children at this age.
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But, as children grow and attains a maturity of mind, the
use of computers in the elementary class may be introduced
depending on what the computer is used for. Most interesting
is the use of the computer as a word processor, as a simulation
tool and as support for special needs.
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