Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!lll-winken!lll-tis!ames!ncar!gatech!mcnc!decvax!mandrill!nitrex!rbl
From: rbl@nitrex.UUCP ( Dr. Robin Lake )
Newsgroups: comp.edu
Subject: Re: Montessori and Technical Education
Message-ID: <730@nitrex.UUCP>
Date: 6 Apr 88 15:27:48 GMT
References: <1522@ucdavis.ucdavis.edu> <364@abcom.ATT.COM> <3684@medusa.cs.purdue.edu> <10771@cgl.ucsf.EDU> <6734@ames.arpa>
Reply-To: rbl@nitrex.UUCP ( Dr. Robin Lake )
Organization: BP America Research and Development
Lines: 31

In article <6734@ames.arpa> lamaster@ames.arc.nasa.gov.UUCP (Hugh LaMaster) writes:
>I have heard second hand that children who went to Montessori schools in
>grade school and then attended regular high schools had a hard time
>adjusting, especially to 'hard sciences' ...
>
>Does anyone have any direct experience with this?  What are the advantages/
>disadvantages, if any, of a Montessori education for people going into
>technical fields?


We have three children in Montessori:  Ages 8, 6 and 3.  Individual Montessori
schools differ WIDELY in style and approach.  We've tried one other and keep
in close touch with several others.

We carefully investigated the issue (from both sides) of Montessori-to-
public school transfers.  We were satisfied that for our school district
and this particular Montessori, the history had been one of smooth
transitions.

What we see in this Montessori Grade 1, 2, 3 classroom is an incredible focus on
the hard sciences.  Geologic time lines, fossils, identification of
species, etc.  The teacher is developing a unit on Plate Tectonics.  Result:
my 8 year old has organized a "science club" with playmates and siblings.
Lots of observation, some recording, little hypothesis testing  ---  but
that sure beats what the public school kids are even exposed to!

Don't bet that because you are in a technical field that your kid(s) will
want to follow in your footsteps!  :=}

-- 
Rob Lake
{decvax,ihnp4!cbosgd}!mandrill!nitrex!rbl