11/15/2017
Because SEED Talks focuses on the creativity and diversity of education, we learn about the change makers that came before us. Maria Montesorri, born on August 31, 1870, revolutionized education around the world. Montessori grew up in Rome, surrounded by libraries and museums, only to enter an all-boys technical school at age 13 to study engineering.
She changed paths and become one of Italy's first female physicians, focusing her career on psychiatry and the pedagogy of education. Soon, she questioned the existing standards of education and tested her own theories, and in 1907 opened her first childcare center (Casa dei Bambini, or Children’s House) in a poor inner-city district.
Montessori observed how the students primarily taught themselves and she recorded her pedagogy. By 1910 Montessori schools were a gaining popularity worldwide. Now, there are over 22,000 Montessori schools in about 110 countries. Maria Montessori is celebrated worldwide for her contributions to education, and for her women's rights activism.
Information from American Montessori Society: https://amshq.org/Montessori-Education/History-of-Montessori-Education