"The children of today will make all the discoveries of tomorrow. All the discoveries of mankind will be known to them and they will improve what has been done and make fresh discoveries...The future generation must not only know how to do what we can teach them, they must be able to go a step further."  The 1946 London Lectures, p. 137

Maria Montessori passed away in 1952, well before the advent of anything "digital" in the world. However, she did speak quite eloquently to preparing the child for the future. Here are a few key points in the Montessori approach to consider:

• Montessori is development based and focused on giving children what is appropriate for their developmental stage. 
• The child's work is purposeful and the Montessori materials give the clearest visual representation possible for the concept, without alot of extraneous stuff.
• Real world hands-on experiences are still the best foundation for learning. 
• To be creative thinkers and innovators, children need freedom to explore, experiment, and make connections.

When we consider the above factors we can see about where in the child's educational development it is appropriate for them to begin to use digital tools. At CMS, as with most AMI Montessori schools, this is around the upper elementary age - but with scaffolded access and guidance. We continue to ask...Is this the best tool for this purpose? Are there other resources available that could provide a better experience? Is use of digital technology supporting their development in a positive way?

I hope you will consider reading or listening to Jonathan Haidt's book The Anxious Generation (and joining our discussion group tomorrow!). This is an important topic that all educators and parents should be considering.