Lesson 4 is perhaps the most fundamental principle. It states that 'When child is provided content, he develops when he self-constructs the given content to resolve real-life situations'. To comprehend this principle, you will need to understand alternative principle of learning that is in vogue. This alternative principle states 'Children are empty vessels, and we just have to pour content into them for them to develop'. As practiced in traditional schools, teachers therefore 'tell' the lesson to the class as verbal instructions, and a child will fill his 'empty vessel' diligently. Development is supposed to occur automatically once the content is filled!
To enable child to ‘self construct’ knowledge from the content, content in Montessori school therefore is introduced to child in a structured lessons, and that too in a specific sequence. For instance, in Montessori, a child develops his knowledge of 'numbers' 1 to 10 through a sequence of structured lessons. In the first lesson, child is introduced to 9 number rods, each increasing in constant increment, that is second rod is double the size of first. At this stage, no concept of 1 or 2 is introduced. This lesson enables child to learn about numbers only through visual discrimination. In the next lesson, child uses tactile discrimination while tracing numbers through sandpaper numbers. In the next lesson, number 1 is linked to each number rod in the child's mind through 'Card lesson'. This is when '1' is linked conceptually to 'one number rod'.
To further consolidate the linkage of '1' to 'one number rod', spindle box lesson is offered later to the child. In this lesson, 1 to 9 numbers are linked to 1-9 spindles. Next, concept of zero is introduced sensorially, by asking child to 'Jump 3 times, jump 5 times, and jump zero times'. At the end of sequence, card and counter game is introduced to consolidate each number to a unit in child’s mind. Only after numbers are understood through these successive lessons, child is introduced to the more complex lessons of 'additions'.
How does the child self-construct content of every lesson? In Montessori, after teacher introduces a lesson by showing every step, child performs the lesson all by himself. Control of error (mentioned in principle 2) enables the child to self-correct his mistakes. Child repeats the lesson ( as long as he chooses to)until he can do it without mistake. A child therefore does not move to the next lesson until he masters earlier lesson. This mastery ensures self-construction of content. Therefore, unlike a child in traditional school who may learn to repeat 'numbers' by rote, a child in Montessori understands the meaning of number in real life situation through 'self construction' of his knowledge.
Lessons for companies
As you would have realised, practicising this principle is very difficult than preaching it. The rigor required for designing each lesson and then sequencing it is very high. Case study method uses similar principle of learning. Although case study is commonly used to train students in management colleges, it is not as commonly employed in companies to train executives.
I have however observed it in few instances. I know of a company, which depended on agriculture inputs, wanted to develop its Farmer representatives to increase the quality and quantity of agricultural inputs from the farmers. Company designed a case study based on real-situation a representative faces, used local language to impart the case study, sequenced the 'sessions' rigidly to move from one level of complexity to another. While imparting the session in free flowing format, it allowed each representative to learn at its pace so that the learner slowly self constructed the content into useful knowledge. This enabled the company to develop their farmer representatives far more consistently than the alternative method of class-room training.
To enable child to ‘self construct’ knowledge from the content, content in Montessori school therefore is introduced to child in a structured lessons, and that too in a specific sequence. For instance, in Montessori, a child develops his knowledge of 'numbers' 1 to 10 through a sequence of structured lessons. In the first lesson, child is introduced to 9 number rods, each increasing in constant increment, that is second rod is double the size of first. At this stage, no concept of 1 or 2 is introduced. This lesson enables child to learn about numbers only through visual discrimination. In the next lesson, child uses tactile discrimination while tracing numbers through sandpaper numbers. In the next lesson, number 1 is linked to each number rod in the child's mind through 'Card lesson'. This is when '1' is linked conceptually to 'one number rod'.
To further consolidate the linkage of '1' to 'one number rod', spindle box lesson is offered later to the child. In this lesson, 1 to 9 numbers are linked to 1-9 spindles. Next, concept of zero is introduced sensorially, by asking child to 'Jump 3 times, jump 5 times, and jump zero times'. At the end of sequence, card and counter game is introduced to consolidate each number to a unit in child’s mind. Only after numbers are understood through these successive lessons, child is introduced to the more complex lessons of 'additions'.
How does the child self-construct content of every lesson? In Montessori, after teacher introduces a lesson by showing every step, child performs the lesson all by himself. Control of error (mentioned in principle 2) enables the child to self-correct his mistakes. Child repeats the lesson ( as long as he chooses to)until he can do it without mistake. A child therefore does not move to the next lesson until he masters earlier lesson. This mastery ensures self-construction of content. Therefore, unlike a child in traditional school who may learn to repeat 'numbers' by rote, a child in Montessori understands the meaning of number in real life situation through 'self construction' of his knowledge.
Lessons for companies
As you would have realised, practicising this principle is very difficult than preaching it. The rigor required for designing each lesson and then sequencing it is very high. Case study method uses similar principle of learning. Although case study is commonly used to train students in management colleges, it is not as commonly employed in companies to train executives.
I have however observed it in few instances. I know of a company, which depended on agriculture inputs, wanted to develop its Farmer representatives to increase the quality and quantity of agricultural inputs from the farmers. Company designed a case study based on real-situation a representative faces, used local language to impart the case study, sequenced the 'sessions' rigidly to move from one level of complexity to another. While imparting the session in free flowing format, it allowed each representative to learn at its pace so that the learner slowly self constructed the content into useful knowledge. This enabled the company to develop their farmer representatives far more consistently than the alternative method of class-room training.
No comments:
Post a Comment