In recognition of Montessori Education Week this week, I have taken the liberty to share some reflections on how different aspects of the Montessori Method of Education prepare a child for the future study and use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS). The Montessori Method of Education has been in use for well over 100 years. Maria Montessori recognized the enormous capacity of the young child to absorb information of all kinds, and the methods and materials which she developed were based on her observations of children. With 20 years of Montessori experience myself, most as a certified Montessori teacher at the Early Childhood and Elementary levels, I have had ample opportunity to see these materials and methods in action. While by no means a complete study, the following aspects of the Montessori method of education prepare a child for a future GIS career.
In the Language area of an Early Childhood (3-6 year olds) Montessori Classroom are exercises which develop a child's reading, penmanship, and creative writing skills. Pre-reading work there includes activities which Montessorians refer to as "Spatial Relations", i.e. how objects are located with respect to each other. In the academic world this lays the foundation for understanding prepositions as part of grammar studies, and, in the world of GIS, prepares one for understanding the function and operation of layers and graphics placement in map-making. Other pre-reading exercises include "Parts to Whole", "Whole to Parts", and "Figure-Ground" which develop a child's visual discrimination in picture formation, scenes, and association, all of which would be beneficial while creating a map. Sequencing work in the Language area develops the skill of determining which comes first, next, and last which is similar to determining layer order while creating a map in a GIS or graphics software. Categorizing is introduced at the pre-reading level as well with exercises that emphasize what is alike or different. Learning to compare and sort based on similarities and differences is beneficial for categorizing or grouping data later. These exercises would also develop attention to detail for noticing subtle differences between the names of coordinate systems which may be similar.
The Sensorial area of a Montessori classroom contains materials which lead into the study of Mathematics. Sensorial materials help a child develop discriminating skills using all of the senses. Visual comparisons include large/small, thick/thin, tall/short, and greater than/less than, usually by degrees of 10 (preparation for the decimal system, think metric!). These comparisons are helpful in determining or selecting line width, typography, etc. in mapmaking.
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| Color Box 3 image source: http://www.nienhuis.com/ |
Colors are also compared with the children working up to grading (lightest to darkest or darkest to lightest) shades of 9 different colors in Color Box 3, a perfect preparation for selecting colors to use in a map. It's a bit like a choropleth map in a box.
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| Geometric Solids image source: http://www.nienhuis.com/ |
Also in the Sensorial area of an Early Childhood Montessori classroom are the geometric solids. With these the children learn the names (sphere, ellipsoid, ovoid, etc.) and different properties of solids. Learning the names and properties of solids in the Early Childhood Montessori environment and expanding that study in the Lower and Upper Elementary Montessori classrooms enables a child to be familiar with these terms relative to discussions of datums and coordinate systems in GIS.
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Geometric Cabinet
image source: http://www.absorbentminds.co.uk
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After the introduction of Geometric Solids, children are given lessons with the Geometric Cabinet which houses the plane figures. Using these two activities, a child learns the relationship between the geometric shapes (2-dimensional figures) and the Geometric Solids (3-dimensional), just like relating a 2D paper model (a map) to a 3D object (the world).
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| Puzzle Map image source: http://www.nienhuis.com/ |
Expanding into the Cultural area to continue studying the relationship between 3D objects and 2D figures, a child in an Early Childhood Montessori classroom has the opportunity to work with puzzle maps. After an introduction to the globe, children begin with a planisphere (and yes, we use that term with the children) map of the world and then progress through maps of individual continents (each country represented by a separate puzzle piece, the knob of which is located at the country's capital) before working with maps of individual countries (with the puzzle piece knob located at each state's or province's capital). When placing a puzzle map on a work rug to use, the children orient the top of the map (North) to the actual direction of North in the classroom.
 image source: http://www.nienhuis.com/ |
In the Lower and Upper Elementary Montessori classrooms, the students continue to build on this geographic knowledge by placing labeled pin flags into special pin maps to label major political and geographic features (capitals, major cities, land and water forms). These practices are valuable in increasing a child's knowledge of geographical locations throughout the world, a plus for using Geographic Information Systems. Montessori students also learn about latitude and longitude with materials specifically designed to make that abstract concept more concrete. By the time a child leaves the elementary or secondary Montessori environment, a solid background in Geography has been established. The student is familiar with countries and their locations in the world, often recognizing the country simply by its shape.
In the Practical Life area of an Early Childhood Montessori classroom, children not only hone their skills for becoming independent, but they also use materials specifically designed to increase their concentration, organization, and coordination. The materials are laid out in a prescribed manner to emphasize the left to right and top to bottom orientation used in our culture for reading and writing. Effective maps created with a GIS or graphic software are also laid out in this manner, prioritizing more important information with its placement near the top of a map and facilitating a left to right movement through information.
Many Early Childhood Montessori materials are self-correcting, i.e. the design of the material reveals error that needs to be corrected. A child using the material can see an issue and correct it without relying on someone else to point it out. This leads to the development of independent work habits including self-checking and editing skills that would help a GIS specialist proof work prior to submittal.
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| Golden Beads image source: http://www.montessorialbum.com |
Geometry concepts introduced in the Early Childhood environment are continued and expanded upon at the Elementary level. The golden bead materials which the children started using when they were 3 years old to learn Mathematics concepts and operations are also used at the Elementary Level to introduce geometry concepts. A unit (single bead) represents a point, a ten (bar) represents a line, and a hundred (square) represents a polygon. Sounds quite similar to the terms GIS specialists use for spatial features (point, line, area/polygon), doesn't it? Additionally, a thousand (cube) in the golden bead material would represent a volume value to a GIS specialist.
Beginning at the Lower Elementary level, etymology is a regular part of the Montessori curriculum. Throughout the different subject areas, the students learn the roots of words which can then be applied to decipher unknown words. For instance, learning at a geography lesson that "geography" comes from the Greek words for "earth" and "writing" would help determine that "geodesy", "geometry", and "geoid" must also have something to do with the earth.
Throughout Montessori classrooms, from Early Childhood through Elementary and into secondary levels, students are provided the environment and support that they need to become independent as well as cooperative learners. By choosing their own work and managing their time effectively, they develop appropriate work habits, time management skills, and critical thinking skills. Critical thinking skills will be important in critiquing GIS work later (Does this make sense? Is this the best method of data classification for this particular situation? and so on.) The independent as well as cooperative learning that is fostered in a Montessori setting (non-competitive by plan) is a preparation for someone to work independently on a GIS project as well as cooperatively on a group GIS project.
With Montessori materials and methods from Early Childhood throughout Elementary school and into the secondary level, children are regularly exposed to materials, methods, and concepts that will help them thrive in a future Geographic Information Systems environment, if they so choose.
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