Methods of Education

Philosophy Part ll
Assignment 4: Methods of Education
Evonne Liu

I’ve searched and studied methods about Reggio Emilia, Rudolf Steiner Waldorf, High/Scope, and Bank Street in past weeks. I found out that all of them contained similarities and differences when compared with Montessori’s. The Reggio Emilia Approach caught my attention more. It reminds me a special school in Taiwan that impressed me. The school was established by a group of parents who were all educated and had higher socioeconomic background. They designed the curriculum according to the children’s needs. The most important philosophy was that they looked at the children as young adults and respected their natural power. It was very different from traditional schools.
In the following paragraph I would like to comment on similarities and differences between Reggio Emilia Approach and Montessori Method.

Similarities:
1. Believe in children’s inborn powers and potential.

2. Believe that education could change the society; see in education the opportunity to
build a better society; and emphasis on educating the whole child.

3. Prepare environment which includes beautiful setting and warm-feeling of classroom;
natural materials are strongly valued. Environment is considered as a very important
part in children’s learning.

4. Experiential education: carefully designed and executed educational experiences that
are reconstructed and reflected upon in a variety of ways.

5. Constructivism: the idea that a child makes discoveries from his or her own
observations, explorations, and experiences, and then uses all of them to construct
understanding. Constructivists say that the child is the "maker of meaning".

6. Manipulability materials: believe that children are learning from their experiences.
7. Ownership of and self-directed learning: Montessori child has freedom to move in the
classroom and choose the work which he/she has been represented; Reggio Emilia’s
student is directly involved with the environment and with assorted learning
experiences, both of them would feel more invested and more excited about learning.

8. Education for life: develop children with live thinking and feelings.

9. Collaboration: To strengthen not only individuals, but the community as well. Promote
both a sense of group membership and the uniqueness of self.
10.Teacher document of children’s work in progress and interactions: Documentation is
used as assessment and advocacy.

Differences:
1. The foundation of the school: Dr. Montessori created her philosophy and method
according to her medical training background and teaching experience; then, she
established the Montessori school. The Reggio Emilia was started by the Parents of the
villages around Reggio Emilia in Italy after World War ll to eliminate fascism. They continue to participate to ensure the schools reflect the values of the community. Then
late Loris Malaguzzi, leader, philosopher and innovator in education, who was then a young teacher, guided and directed the energies of those parents and several teachers. The Reggio Emilia approach is a city-run and sponsored system designed for all children from birth through six years of age.

2. Age group: The Montessori school children can be beginning for birth to 8th grade. The
Reggio Emilia approach designed for children from birth through six years of age.

3. The relationship: In Montessori school teachers design the curriculum according to
children’s need and interest. When it’s necessary the teacher will seek for parents’
support and help. Through many years of work the Reggio Emilia Approach has developed an education based on relationship. Parents are a vital component to the Reggio Emilia School. Parents are expected to take part in discussions about school policy, child development concerns, and curriculum planning and evaluation. The Reggio educators believe that children, teachers and parents are partners in learning.

4. Classroom setting: Montessori classroom has been divided by the shelves to several different areas which include: Practical Life, Sensorial, math, Language, Science,
Geography, and Art. The classroom filled with indoor plants. Sometimes it may have pets. Except the plants, The Reggio Emilia’s classrooms are differing to Montessori’s
classroom setting. Its classrooms are opened to a center piazza, kittens are open to view, and access to the surrounding community is assured through wall-size window, courtyards, and doors to the outside in each classroom. Entries capture the attention of both children and adults through the use of mirrors (on the walls, floors, and ceilings), photographs, and children’s work accompanied by transcriptions of their discussions. In each classroom there are studio spaces in the form of a large, centrally located atelier and a smaller mini-atelier, and clearly designated spaces for large-and-small-group activities. Throughout the school, there is an effort to create opportunities for children to interact. Thus, the single dress-up area is in the center piazza. These are quite different as Montessori’s setting.

5. Teacher certificate requirement: There are a lot of Montessori teacher training programs provided for people who want to become Montessori teachers; teachers certification standard and accreditation processes. Rather, the association that promotes Reggio Emilia worldwide encourages educators to reinterpret the approach based on their own cultural traditions with help from association volunteers and supporters who share their experiences with the international community. From the articles I read it said that no such certification exists for the Reggio Emilia Approach.
6. The structure of the method: The Reggio Emilia approach is not a formal model, like Montessori, with defined methods. The Montessori curriculum has covered each area which include refine children’s five senses through Sensorial area; training their independence, concentration, order, physical abilities through Practical Life area; creating logical thinking through Math area; as well as Language, science, Geography, and art areas. Each work links tightly and follows their sequence. They all help to build up a solid foundation for future learning. Educators in Reggio place the community and local culture at the centre of democratic, participatory learning. They believe that children have the right and the ability to express their thinking, theories, ideas, learning and emotions in many ways. Therefore, Reggio educators provide children with a wide range of materials and media, and welcome a diversity of experiences, so that children encounter many avenues for thinking, revising, constructing, negotiating, developing and symbolically expressing their thoughts and feelings. They called it “the hundred languages of children”. In this way, these languages can include drawing, paint, clay, wire, natural and recycled materials, light and shadow, dramatic play, music and dance. They can also include expression with words through metaphors, stories or poems of the children’s interpretations and reflections about their experiences or through special design, such as maps and three dimensional constructions. In fact, there is not a separation between what it is considered traditionally artistic expression and academic education in the schools of Reggio Emilia.
I’ve learned so much after I studied these methods. I’m planning to visit and observe these schools one day then I’ll have a clearer concept about the way they operate the school.

Links:
Reggio Emilia:
http://www.youngchildrenslearning.ecsd.net/reggio%20emilia%20philosophy.htm
http://www.brainy-child.com/article/reggioemilia.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reggio_Emilia_approach
http://ceep.crc.uiuc.edc/cgi-bin/reggio/reggio.cgi
http://zerosei.comune.re.it/inter/nidiescuole.htm

Rudolf Steiner Waldorf:
www.rudolfsteinerschool.org/waldorf.htm
www.waldorfanswers.org/RudolfSteiner.htm
www.steinercollege.edu/waldorf.html
www.rudolfsteinerweb.com/Rudolf_Steiner_and_Waldorf_Education.php -
www.whywaldorfworks.org/02_W_Education/index.asp
High/Scope:
www.highscope.org
www.highscope.org/Content.asp?ContentId=63
www.perpetualpreschool.com/highscope/highscope_info.htm
www.pbcc.edu/x4801.xml

Bank Street:
www.bankstreet.edu/sfc
www.bnkst.edu