blog 9

 1. What is the basis of scientific pedagogy for Montessori? 

The Montessori Pedagogy was written from observations and the discovery of Maria Montessori. She prepared many activities to help children with their development and realized if children can work in an organized prepared environment, they will likely be more independent and have self control. 

2. How does school furniture affect the education of the child?

Montessori learning is very hands on and collaborative. Here she was given a room with fifty small children aged between two and seven to take care of and teach. She expanded on her knowledge developed in her psychiatric observations. Montessori had no equipment or materials and made do with whatever she could find to awaken the children’s senses Montessori began introducing ideas of allowing the children to choose what materials they want to work with, and the teacher guides the process by offering age appropriate activities.

3. What effect does freedom have on the education of the child?

The children in her classes were free to move and choose activities they had been presented resulting in an environment where children were engaged in their individual activities and needed little continuous expression of authority including the enchantment of rewards 

4.What does Dewey seem to mean by the expression "thinking in education"?

Thinking is the equivalent to an explicit rendering of the intelligent element in our experience. It makes it possible to act with an end in view. It is the condition of our having aims” 

5. What conditions must exist for the student to use thinking in education?

to encourage thinking, students’ introduction to any subject should be as non academic as possible, giving them “something to do, not something to learn.” What students are asked to “do,” of course, must prompt them to solve problems  to think. Moreover, the problems should be real, not simulated.  Unfortunately, most school rooms are not equipped to provide the kinds of situations that children encounter outside of school. In schoolrooms that provide such situations, students display greater curiosity and more facility in solving problems. 

6. What seems to be the best process of education, according to Dewey?

Thinking consists in moving from the knownto the unknown. Thinking is creative, or inventive, not because it constructs something from nothing but because it puts everyday things to new uses. Therefore, “all thinking is original.” Only in grappling with issues firsthand does the student think. Teachers should therefore engage students in shared activities that require thinking, not merely provide students with ready-made ideas.