Neuroscience and Education

I just learned about a free, online course that is about Neuroscience, Education and apparently features a Montessori classroom.  The course is available at http://www.learner.org/courses/neuroscience/ and looks like Harvard Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics was involved in the development.

Julia Volkman wrote about in the Public School Montessorian.

Montessori Apps

Another advertisement for a "Montessori App" crossed my email this week.  This time it was complete with a demo video.  The app was apparently developed in conjunction with a well known Montessori school somewhere.

I wanted to know more about yet another app, so I watched it.  It reminded me a lot of the look of many computer games for preschoolers.  Add the letter to sound out the word, etc and the voice over will help ou hear it.  It "looks" like the Montessori materials are being used- except nobody is writing their own words or making mistakes.

There are the continent globes.  They have some nice pictures attached.

Then came the "pink tower."  First you place the blocks in size order on the "rug." Then you get to build a tower.  Really?  We can build a pink tower now with one finger, but the system won't allow for mistakes.

This is just inevitable.  Adults that use technology think that it has to be developed right for the kids.  It has the Montessori name and school sponsorship.  I'm trying to figure out how to really make the argument that it is just not the same.