Program Commentaries

 

The commentaries below are from students who have been enrolled in one of our three Montessori M.Ed. options: Montessori Graduate Studies for certified Montessori teachers; Montessori elementary teacher training; and, Montessori Leadership for heads of school, lead teachers and members of trusts.

 

 

Everyday, this online learning community continued to evolve, grow and change with respectful and caring support from one another and faculty. My learning provided me me a deep understanding of all aspects of Montessori education and the value and place it has for a changing world. Having gained an understanding of research in science, philosophy, psychology and education, the Endicott-TIES experience has shaped my ability to see the world from new perspectives. I feel I will not only become a better teacher but a better human being.

Valerie Stevenson
Vice Principal, Montessori Magnet School
Vancouver, Canada

 

 

We enrolled in the Montessori Integrative Learning Program to expand our training to include ages 6 to 12. What we have received is so much more than that. Through the Montessori approach to adult education we have been engaged in a year
and a half of deep and fulfilling exploration of the Montessori philosophy and practice. Exploring Cosmic Education from the perspective of the great visionaries of our times, the program has fundamentally altered the way we perceive our Universe and radically expanded our capacities for communicating this vision of Cosmic Education.

The online Integrative Seminars provided the opportunity to learn from our peers as well as gain wisdom from direct dialogue with the authors of the books we were reading. Working online has allowed us to participate in a way that is flexible and creative with our lives and provided an experience much richer than the traditional classroom setting. The depth of exploration and expansion of the Montessori philosophy in this program far exceeds that of our previous training and has helped us become more centered as individuals and as Montessori Educators for any age child.

Jack Comstock and Nisha Gupta
Montessori Teachers
New York, USA

 

 

Having been involved in Montessori education for more than 30 years in the classroom, in the head office and in the teacher preparation field, I was thrilled when there was finally a way to earn my M.Ed. with an emphasis on Montessori. This past year and one-half has been without question one of the richest intellectual periods in my life. The required readings on Montessori and the new sciences have been stimulating and the communication of our deepest thoughts among fellow students in the dialogues has been an experience I have never had in any classroom before.

The freedom to take what we have learned and create our own meaningful projects has been a challenging but most fulfilling opportunity. All that I have learned about how Montessori works for children has been exemplified for us as adult learners in this program.

I cannot recommend this program highly enough. It takes distance learning to a new standard and it is richly rewarding in so many ways, both personally and professionally.

Mary Ellen Mauntz
Director of Training, Montessori International
Illinois, USA

 

 

For the first time in my life, I feel educated. My previous edu-
cational experiences afforded me the opportunity to learn many facts in isolation. A few professors connected their classes to the larger world, but these classes were separate from the others. While I’ve always known that there was something bigger than
the experience I was having, I couldn’t put it together. Now that I have had this understanding, I want to be able to share this type of learning with children. If young people can have the experience they will be inspired and have the intrinsic motivation to pursue the answers to their questions.

I need to take the things I have learned and communicate it with the members of my community. I need to remember my responsibilities as a human and to improve the way I interact with my environment and my home planet Earth. I need to be more active in the issues that concern the environment and its inhabitants.

Nanette M. Glencer
Montessori Administrator and Teacher
Michigan, USA

 

 

The Endicott-TIES program provided me with a uniquely structured forum to study the Montessori teachings in the context of more recent scientific insights -- within an online community of co-learners. Through an integrated process of collective dialogue and individual study, practice and self-reflection, I found that spiritual teachings, Montessori philosophy and scientific discovery converged in directing the educator to exemplify and foster the "new human" who, as described by Montessori, consciously live, learn and work in a harmonious relationship with the Earth and its inhabitants. The experience redefined Montessori's plan of Cosmic Education for today, for the adult and the child.

Aaron Twaddell
Montessori Teacher
Ohio, USA

 

 

As a 40 something stay at home mom for ten years, holding a bachelor’s degree did not seem a sufficient credential for a soon to be Montessori school administrator/teacher. This program provided me with an opportunity to remain with my family while achieving a highly qualifying graduate degree paralleling my secondary course enrollment at Houston Montessori Center.

I have never worked so hard, nor been so fulfilled, while pursuing a course of serious, academic study. The demands of the integrative process of reading/
annotating assigned texts, engaging in online seminars, and completing papers were truly a life transforming experience. The unique combination of written texts, audio elements, and graphics provided incredible material to synthesize and to challenge current ways of thinking.

As students weaved their own understandings into this process, a conscious group awareness seemed to spontaneously evolve. While it is a challenge to juggle family time and online time, the benefits of this program far outweigh the sacrifices needed to complete the course of study.

Terri Domitrovich
Montessori Consultant and Teacher
Montessori Charter School, Nevada, USA

 

 

I think the main factor that leads to significant learning on this campus, is that the program has a vision that can be explored. 
It is a lot like Margaret Wheatley's idea about the need for a learning organization to have both freedom and *purpose* or vision.  The core connections that the faculty shares with us create a vision that we can then explore. It gives direction, but is open ended. It's a great research project.

Andrew Humphries
Secondary School Teacher
Arizona, USA

 

 

As my experience unfolded I began to realize that this graduate program design was very similar to the classrooms that I had created for my students based on the Montessori approach.

Professionals who are engaged in this M.Ed. find that they are easily able to blend their work and academic lives. The virtual campus is an intimate classroom setting that encourages ideas to be presented, shared and built upon by all participants.

My thesis, as well as my entire graduate focus is directly related to my professional life.

Cynthia Burns
Montessori School Head
Hawaii USA

 

 

When I was applying to the Montessori Integrative Learning program, I expected to learn a great deal about the Montessori approach and philosophy. I am learning this, but even more, I
am learning about myself, my purpose and the wonders of the universe. I am becoming a better contributor to my environment and a better citizen of the world. All of these things needed to happen so that I can become a better educator. I love this program and the many individuals that I "meet" every day.

Michelle Muggridge
French Immersion Teacher
Nova Scotia, Canada

 

 

Co-learning with other committed educators about ecoliteracy, systemic thinking, sustainable culture, and communication gave me new impetus to help transform my Montessori class.

Carolyn Magnussen
Montessori Directress
Oslo Norway

 

 

I am very happy being part of this program. It is true Montessori education because it is Cosmic Education. We have the same kind of learning environment that we try to prepare for the children. We have teachers/professors who do not interrupt but from whom we can feel a kind and constant awareness. The syllabus is broad, deep and thought provoking. The opportunity of living this integrated experience is much more than the acquisition of knowledge; it is a formative experience, which is bringing me important enrichment in my worldview.

Bebeth Fassa
Montessori Consultant
Porta Allegre, Brazil

 

 

What is most remarkable about this program is the learning community. No other graduate schools offer the integrated course work as well as the cosmic perspective in Montessori.

Joan Tansi
Montessori Teacher
Massachusetts USA

 

 

The cosmic context must be the new paradigm for life, - including teaching and learning. Within this context are the interrelated topics: integrative learning, ecological literacy, contextual thinking, and dialogue.

For me, integral learning is experiencing how everything is interdependent; or it can mean learning in an "everything is related" way. The ultimate view of integrative learning would be a combination of both of these simultaneously. That is what happened for me in the M.Ed. program: learning how everything is interrelated, or integrated, IN an integrated manner.

Taylor Duckworth
Public School Montessori Teacher
Connecticut USA

 

 

When I reflect on my experience in the TIES program I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work in this learning environment. It challenges you to think of your pedagogy in a whole new light. Since dedicated educators and a knowledgeable faculty support your efforts, the challenging online experiences, reading, and research add immeasurably to your professional practice. I know this because as a childhood Montessori alumnus and adult Montessori educator, I now see the unfolding of this great work.

Dan Marchione
Middle School Principal
Texas, USA

 

 

This program has been one of the most important things that I have done in my life. This is a course like no other as it is not
just a passive learning experience it is a catalyst for individual
and collective change. What we learn in TIES gives us the tools
to invoke positive, large scale change.

The on-line aspect to the course is fitting as it makes Montessori learning accessible to people all over the world. The connection of students and professors in their respective corners of the globe is a poignant symbol of the inter-connection of the Universe.

Jessica Duncan Wersta
Vancouver, Canada

 

 

Completing my Master's through the TIES - Endicott program has been a deeply fulfilling experience. As a Montessori teacher, I was looking for a learning environment that was unique, and embraced the uniqueness of its participants as well. I found I was comfortably able to express my views and perceptions while listening to the views and perceptions of others. The program is designed to meet the needs of individual students, in a very "Montessori" approach.

I also found the curriculum challenged me, not only intellectually, but emotionally and spiritually. I have grown as a person, a teacher and a student while many of the things I've learned will integrate into all areas of my life.

Connie Laufersky
Middle School teacher
Texas, USA