SPEAKER_00: Hello. From Wonder Media Network, I'm Jenny Kaplan, and this is Womanica. The educator we're talking about today has one of the most recognizable names in education. Her pioneering pedagogy is still widely taught today. Let's talk about Maria Montessori. Maria was born on August 31, 1870, in Chiara Vale, Italy. At the time, Italian culture had very conservative views on gender roles. Women were not expected to pursue an education. Fortunately, Maria's mother felt differently. She was well-educated and wished the same opportunities for her own daughter. When Maria was 13, she enrolled in an all-boys technical school in Rome. She showed an immediate aptitude for math and science, particularly biology. She went on to study natural sciences and mathematics at the University of Rome, which allowed her to go on to medical school. It wasn't easy to be a woman in medical school in the 1890s. Maria had to practice her dissections after hours, since the male students wouldn't work alongside her. In 1896, Maria graduated with honors from the University of Rome Medical School. She was among the first female physicians in all of Italy. Maria worked as a surgical assistant in low-income areas of Rome. She also had a private practice, focusing on psychiatry. Through this work, she came to have this revelation. She said, I felt that mental deficiency presented chiefly a pedagogical, rather than mainly a medical, problem. So Maria began to study education theory and philosophy. In 1900, Maria became the co-director of a small school that served as a training institute for special education teachers. The school's pupils were children with developmental and learning disabilities. Maria pulled from her background in medicine and approached the work with scientific rigor. She conducted experiments and made adjustments to teaching methods based on her observations. She offered unique materials to keep kids stimulated. And it worked. Many of the children in the program made unexpected improvements, and it was deemed a great success. Maria took her findings all over Europe. She gave speeches where she explained her research and used her platform to advocate for children's and women's rights. In her observations, Maria found that children were highly self-motivated and curious. She saw that when children were allowed to pursue their innate curiosities, they naturally learned from their environment. Maria advocated that teachers follow the child, which was a radical idea for the time and a phrase that would define her legacy. In 1907, Maria had an opportunity to fully implement her thinking. She opened a full-day childcare center in a poor inner-city neighborhood in Rome. The students were children aged 2 to 3 or 6 to 7, who had been historically underserved in the Italian education system. Maria specifically designed the space to allow children to self-select between pre-orchestrated activities or learning puzzles. This attentive learning environment was called Casa de Bambini, and it was the first of its kind in Italy. It became the first Montessori school. Maria's unconventional, child-centric approach shocked the education community. Her students regularly exhibited self-discipline, concentration, and confidence. The Montessori method began to attract new teachers and broad public attention. In the early 1910s, Montessori schools sprang up all over Western Europe and into the United States. Maria continued to travel, sharing her findings and writing about the need for more women to access and thrive in education. A few decades later, the rise of fascism in Italy inspired Maria to add peace trainings to her curriculum. She was conducting this training in India when conflict broke out between Italy and Great Britain in 1940. Maria lived in exile in India for the duration of the Second World War. Following the end of the war, Maria returned to Europe and spent the remaining years of her life in the Netherlands. She died on May 6, 1952, at the age of 81. The popularity of Montessori schools waned significantly in the 1940s and 50s. Critics of the method say its structure was too loose and too heavily weighted towards the liberal arts. Critics have also claimed that the emphasis on individual direction doesn't adequately prepare kids for more group-driven environments later in life. But despite these concerns, the follow-the-child approach experienced a resurgence in the 1960s. Montessori schools remain very prominent and popular to this day. All month we're going back to school, talking about women who changed the world of education. For more on why we're doing what we're doing, check out our newsletter, Womanica Weekly. Follow us on Facebook and Instagram, at Womanica. Special thanks to Liz Kaplan, my favorite sister and co-creator. Talk to you tomorrow! Before you go, I want to tell you about another show I think you might like. Some of my best friends are, explores the absurdities and intricacies of race in America. Hosts Khalil Muhammad and Ben Austin, two best friends who grew up together on the South Side of Chicago in the 80s, explore how race has affected their friendships and their work. Using pop culture and history to guide listeners in identifying their own experiences of racism, mixing anecdotes, entertaining storytelling, and thoughtful debate, the show helps listeners make sense of a deeply divided country. Check out Some of My Best Friends Are, wherever you're listening right now. This month of Encyclopedia Womanica is proudly supported by UNC Greensboro. Founded as a women's college in 1891, UNC Greensboro presents She Can, We Can, beyond the women's suffrage centennial. Through performances, films, lectures, and concerts, UNCG examines how the decisions from our past affect us today. Join the experience and learn more at shecanwecan.uncg.edu.
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