By Paula Lillard Preschlack
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May 13, 2022
Adapting with Technology Was Empowering We are more grateful than ever for the technology in our lives! During the pandemic, being physically separated from one another was painful, especially for our children who crave social interaction. Out of necessity, we learned inventive ways that computers, iPhones and iPads could connect us–to one another and to information about the world. The worldwide Montessori community of educators found creative ways to use technology to reach students, which was an empowering example of how Montessori’s educational approach is designed for adapting to any time, culture and place. We learned to “teach” through the screen with voice, facial expressions, and using cameras to film teachers’ and students’ hands working Montessori materials. Teachers made and delivered materials to families and wrote directions for how to make one’s own versions. Many children and parents fashioned creative replicas and pivoted to continue their learning at home. It was a massive effort to translate Montessori education into new formats and to open access to more communities. Learning ways to adapt was liberating and the result is that many more people found Montessori as an option for schooling. Dr. Montessori would have cheered the adaptation, because she believed it to be perhaps the most important quality of childhood. The Drawbacks of Increased Technology for Children In these past two years, most children have become accustomed to using technology to communicate with friends, investigate information, use social platforms, and to text and chat. Their younger minds seem designed to intuitively navigate these forums much faster than adults. This is not an illusion. Have you noticed how quickly and nimbly your children learn to work around obstacles and outsmart even…you? There are drawbacks, however, some of which you have probably observed. Many children become irritable, less patient, and lose their ability to focus or to calm themselves after spending an hour or more on screens such as iPads, cell phones, or other screen devices. Longer term effects can impact children’s fine motor and gross motor development, social skills, and emotional regulation. Because being able to calm oneself, being able to focus and being patient with oneself and others are imperative skills, this trend is worrisome. For children who are developing, any technology use–simply because it does not integrate the five senses and movement the way that real life does–can be considered overuse. When you as a parent decide whether or not to give your children time with screen devices, consider the developmental consequences that will affect them. This is important, because we cannot go back in time and reset our children’s minds and bodies once they pass through each developmental stage. Montessori reminds us—and science has proven—that the most influential times in a person’s life are in childhood: Years 1-6 are especially absorbent and malleable; trillions of neuronal pathways are being formed and pruned. These children need to explore their surroundings with their five senses, to use their fingers and hands to develop their abilities, develop gross motor skills for balance, core strength, and overall health. They need to be thinking, engaging with their surroundings, interacting, listening and speaking to communicate and developing their vocabulary, pronunciation, and interpersonal skills for cooperating, collaborating and expressing their thoughts and feelings in pro-social ways.