The Effect of Technology on the Absorbent Mind

Introduction:

The use of technology in the Montessori classroom is a widely debated topic.  There are Montessori purists who believe technology should never be allowed in the classroom. Then there are Montessori liberals who want to evolve to meet the times thus allowing technology into the classroom. On the home front, parents are being bombarded with advertisements and societal pressure to provide their child with the best technology available. Children are handed devices at younger ages now than any time in history. Dr. Maria Montessori was a revolutionary teacher, philosopher, doctor, and peacemaker. Considering Montessori’s theory of the Absorbent Mind, what effects does technology have on the child from zero to six? Should technology use be accepted in the Montessori Toddler or Primary classrooms?

Types of Technology:

Technological use takes on many different forms. The most common forms of technology in which children under the age of six engage in are television, computers and tablets. Technology takes on two forms; interactive and non-interactive. Interactive media, “refers to digital and analog materials, including software programs, applications (apps), broadcast and streaming media, some children’s television programming, e-books, the Internet, and other forms of content designed to facilitate active and creative use by young children.” (Rogers & NAEYC, 2012). Non-interactive media is, “certain television programs, videos, DVDs, and streaming media now available on a variety of screens.”(Rogers & NAEYC).  Researchers say that interactive media is more beneficial for children under the age of six because it engages them on multiple levels.

Assistive Technology:

Assistive Technology is a type of technology which is used primarily with children with disabilities. The definition of Assistive Technology is, “an item, piece of equipment, or product system that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.” (Boyd 2008 p.30). According to research conducted by NAEYC, “For children with special needs, technology has proven to have many potential benefits.” (Rogers & NAEYC 2012). Assistive Technology fits the theory of Universal Design which states that materials made for people with disabilities, like an elevator, actually benefit people without disabilities as well. In her article, Assistive Technology for Every Child, Barbara Foulks Boyd states that “assistive technology provides access for children to use technology to extend Montessori language work.” (2008 32). Boyd believes that these types of devices can prove effective for children without disabilities in the Montessori classroom as they increase language acquisition skills. For example, “Using a tape recorder, a young child who cannot yet read or write can listen to stories being read and can record his own.” (2008 p.32). An example of a device created for children with special needs is the Go-Talk Unit. This device primarily is used for children with autism who are non-verbal. There are pictures present on a screen that the child may select to let the caregiver know what they need or want. “Assistive technology provides access for children to use technology to extend Montessori language work into our modern age of computer literacy.” (2008 p.32). In addition to language,  “there are a number of specialized programs that allow children with certain information-processing problems to get a multimedia presentation of content so that they can better understand and process the material” (Perry & Kneas 2016). For some children, assistive technology may be the key to their success in the classroom.

Today’s Society:

The world of 2016 is vastly different than the one in which Dr. Montessori lived. “Being a visionary whose innovative ideas were so unconventional for her time, Maria Montessori would, no doubt, embrace computer technology in the classroom.” (Love & Sikorski 2000, p.1) Barbara Faulks Boyd states that “Computer literacy is now considered a critical skill for young children.” (2008 p.31). Many Montessori educators fear the influx of technology for young children today. Technology is an area that is constantly evolving so as soon as research comes out on one topic it is already out of date. “Dr. Montessori after all, was not one to shy away from new technologies.” (Powell 2008). Montessori was the first female doctor in Italy. It is possible that students living today could be the “first” of some careers which have not yet been discovered. Mark Powell explains, “In many ways, we are currently preparing students for jobs that do not yet exist, using technologies that haven’t been invented yet, in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.” (2009). According to a Montessori school director, “As an educator in the 21st century, I feel like it is my responsibility to prepare children for what they will encounter in the real world and whether I like it or not, the real world functions on technology.” (Pilzner 2015). Montessori educators are finding that preparing children for the real world is becoming a less predictable process as technology is constantly changing.

Obesity

Obesity is one of the main problematic effects of young children using technology. Obesity has been a topic of study for many researchers seeking to inform parents about time limits for their children. A report conducted by the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College recommends, “professionals work with parents to limit screen time to fewer than two hours per day for children age 2 through 5. These recommendations to limit children’s exposure to screen time are related to two factors potentially contributing to early childhood obesity” (Rogers &NAEYC 2012). To prevent or lessen obesity in children, NAEYC professionals suggest limiting screen time to no more than tone to two hours per day for children two and older. (2012). The White House Task Force on Childhood Obesity, “discourages any amount or type of screen media and screen time for children under two years of age and recommend no more than one to two hours of total screen time per day for children older than 2” (Rogers & NAEYC). Similarly, it is recommended that the use of technology takes the form of interactive technology, for example, the use of a digital camera, to allow children to develop capabilities while being active as well.

The Absorbent Mind:

The Absorbent Mind is a theory developed by Maria Montessori in the late 1940’s. Montessori believed that a child’s, “growth and psychic development are guided by the absorbent mind, the nebulae, and the sensitive periods.” (1949). The Absorbent Mind and related functions are characteristics found only in the human species and thus, “the promise they hold can only be fulfilled through the experience of free activity conducted in the environment.” (Montessori 1949). In explaining the concept of the Absorbent Mind, Montessori explains, "The child has a different relation to his environment from ours... the child absorbs it.  The things he sees are not just remembered; they form part of his soul.  He incarnates in himself all in the world about him that his eyes see, and his ears hear." (1949)  In other words, everything the child sees, hears, touches, senses, and manipulates, becomes a part of his physiological being. “The child changes the physiology of the brain through interactions with the environment at specific stages of development.” (Lillard 26). This concept is important to understand when considering the effects of technology on the young child’s brain development.

 Some professional educators believe providing technology to children in the Absorbent Mind stage is appropriate. Arguments for technology stem from the belief that it can offer real world knowledge and skill development. “It is possible to give the child the concrete experience completely aligned with the Montessori Method that will lead directly to sophisticated computer aided design capabilities, preparing the child for the virtual world by grounding her in the real world” (Jones, 2015, p. 6). Similarly, Mark Powell, technology coordinator and faculty member of the Center for Montessori Teacher Education, New York believes, “As we move into the 21st Century, our children will be expected to have digital-age literacy, inventive thinking skills, effective communication skills, and high productivity skills. Efficient use of technology, as well as basic Montessori practice, can aid in achieving these objectives.” (Powell 2015). A goal of the Montessori philosophy is to prepare students for real life tasks and situations which technology could support.

There are other professional educators who do not believe in providing technology to children in the Absorbent Mind stage. When speaking of the use of technology in the early childhood classroom, Dr. Bruce Perry, M.D. & Ph.D. states, “They do not provide children with the quality and quantity of crucial emotional, social, cognitive, or physical experiences they require when they are young. The developing child requires the right combination of these experiences at the right times during development to develop optimally” (Perry, B. & Kneas, K., 2016). Lowell Monke argues, “abstract information is not an adequate substitute for concrete, firsthand involvement with objects, people, nature, and community, for it ignores the child’s primary educational need- to make meaning out of experience.” (2012). What Monke identifies here is the heart of Montessori; to allow children to make meaning out of their experiences. Hands-on, concrete materials are so important for the development of the child in the Absorbent Mind stage. Montessori said, “The hands are the instrument of man’s intelligence.”(1949). Furthermore, “One of the educational tenets of Montessori education is that we should never give to the brain more than we can give to the hand.” (Lillard 27). Many forms of technology provide the brain with much more stimulation that of the hand.

There are even discrepancies on the use of technology between Montessori foundations. Mark Powell explains, “the AMI statement recommends no age at which digital technology should be introduced into Montessori classrooms, and takes a more alarmist tone against its use with younger children” (Powell 2015). On the other hand, “the AMS statement focuses on digital technology as a communications tool, suggesting that at the elementary level and beyond, technology may enhance student research through the ability to access and exchange information in global learning communities.” (2015). These discrepancies lead to the fact that Montessori teachers develop different understandings of the use of technology depending on the association where they attended training.

Unconscious Absorbent Mind (Ages 0-3)

There have not been many studies conducted on the effect of technology on the infant or toddler because most professionals do not believe in giving screen time or devices to children under the age of two, but there have been studies on elementary aged children and older. According to Cris Rowan, occupational therapist, and child development expert, “Children need their parents, and in the absence of a connected parent, children will attach to devices. What then? 1 in 11 children between the ages of 8 and 18 years already have technology addictions.”  (2013). “Several professional and public health organizations and child advocacy groups concerned with child development and health issues such as obesity have recommended that passive, non-interactive technology and screen media not be used in early childhood programs and that there be no screen time for infants and toddlers.” (Rogers & NAEYC). NAEYC officials recommend parents to, “Avoid passive screen time. While some parents may claim that baby videos calm an otherwise fussy child, there is little research to suggest that infants and toddlers learn from watching videos. If infants are distressed, they need the comfort of a caring adult, not an electronic toy.” (NAEYC 2012) However, a study conducted by the Cohen Children’s Medical Center of New York revealed that “The average age of a child starting to use a touch-screen device was about 11 months” (Newman 2015). Dr. Susan Newman believes that “it could take years before studies indicate benefits that negate the downside of technology for infants and toddlers and begin to match the advantages of parental involvement.” (2015). Montessori believed, “The baby is next endowed with an urge, or need, to face the out world and to absorb it.  We might say that he is born with ‘the psychology of world conquest.’   By absorbing what he finds about him, he forms his own personality.” (1949). As technology is constantly changing and adapting, there is not much research on how different forms of technology affect the psychological, ‘absorbent’, and impressionable mind of the infant and toddler.

Conscious Absorbent Mind (Ages 3-6)

Unlike the child of zero to three in the Unconscious state, the child in the Conscious state absorbs and perceives the world differently. Montessori said, “Education, therefore, of little ones is important, especially from three to six years of age, because this is the embryonic period for the formation of character and of society.” (1949). While the primary aged child of today is developing their character and place in society, researchers suggest that the way in which children’s brain functioned during Montessori’s time is much different than today. “Net Geners process information differently and behave differently because they have indeed developed brains that are functionally different than those of their parents.” (Powell  2009 p.21) If children’s brains are developing differently today then perhaps education needs to evolve to meet the needs of modern children.

Many of the arguments against the use of technology for primary aged children are specific to passive or non-interactive devices. Perry, states,

“Our brains developed specialized capabilities for social affiliation, communication and various kinds of symbolic representation.” Because the brain literally changes in response to experiences, these "new" (from a historical perspective) experiences (the written word or television) cause changes in brain development, brain organization, and brain function that were never expressed hundreds of generations ago. The problem with this is that many of the modern technologies are very passive. Because of this they do not provide children with the quality and quantity of crucial emotional, social, cognitive, or physical experiences they require when they are young.” (2016).

Forms of non-interactive devices include television shows and movies viewed on either a television, tablet, or computer screen. Early childhood professionals agree that, “Sitting young children in front of a television for hours also prevents that child from having hours of other developmental experiences. Children need real-time social interactions; technology such as television can prevent that from happening. (Perry 2016) In addition, there are others who state current forms of technology do not promote the development of problem solving skills. “Traditional building toys like blocks and Lincoln Logs get kids to think about the logical process of construction. They learn about the importance of a strong foundation and the need to support roof structures. More importantly, they learn about trial and error, perseverance in problem-solving, and the need to think creatively in order to find a solution. (Harris 2014). Overall, non-interactive forms of technology inhibit a child’s natural desire to learn, explore, and solve problems.

 “Smart phones, touch tablets and laptops are an end point, not the foundation, of what the primary child needs to learn” (Jones, 2015, p. 4)

While the arguments against the use of technology are clear, consistent, and research driven, there are still many who believe the benefits of technology outweigh the negatives. Both research and professional opinion show a much great acceptance of technology for the primary aged child when it is interactively focused.  In Facing the Dilemma, a publication by the Alliance for Childhood, Susan Linn et al stated, “for children over 3, studies show that some exposure to thoughtfully constructed media content can promote pro-social behaviors and contribute to learning, especially when a caring adult is actively involved” (Linn et all, 2012, p.5). Technolgoy can have developmental gains as well as Love and Sikorski state, “Children exposed to open-ended programs displayed more wondering and hypothesizing, formulated and solved their own problems, collaborated with a partner, evaluated their own work more positively, were more motivated in learning settings, and had a more positive attitude toward learning” (Love p.5)

On the other hand there are many positive qualities to modern technologies. The technologies that benefit young children the greatest are those that are interactive and allow the child to develop their curiosity, problem solving and independent thinking skills(Perry)

Allow children to freely explore touch screens loaded with a wide variety of developmentally appropriate interactive media experiences that are well designed and enhance feelings of success. (NAEYC 2012)

During the preschool years, children should have many opportunities to explore open-ended, developmentally appropriate software programs in a playful, supportive environment. These experiences will help them to develop the basic skills needed to use technology equipment, such as opening and closing programs, saving and printing documents, and navigating the screen using a mouse (Murphy, DePasquale, & McNamara p.2)

Montessorians often view technology differently than traditional educators. A concern for many Montessorians is authenticity. They question whether technology can be part of an authentic Montessori curriculum. Hubbel states, “While Montessori educators have always strived to provide authentic experiences, they have not always looked to the power that technology has in providing these experiences. Technology can open the door to providing more authenticity for students. “ (2006).

In her paper, Integration of Computers into the Montessori Curriculum, Davina Armstrong explains, “Another advantage of the Internet in the Montessori environment is the ability of students to communicate with a far larger variety of people than was possible before the Internet age. With video conferencing, students can interact with people all over the world, trading ideas and understandings.” (1999).

For technology to fulfill its promise as a powerful contributor to learning, it must be used to deepen children’s engagement in meaningful and intellectually authentic curriculum (Murphy, DePasquale, & McNamara p.2)

Practical Life

From Grace and Courtesy to pouring and spooning, Practical Life is the cornerstone of the Montessori classroom. Practical Life stems beyond a work on the shelf and into the atmosphere of the classroom. Since Practical Life can take many different forms, some Montessorians believe technology can positively affect students in the classroom. Director of a Montessori school in Detroit, Ann Pilzner states, “As a Head of School at a Montessori Academy, our students use technology in the form of Practical Life. We use it as a supplement to our curriculum and not as a substitute for books and materials.” (2015). One of the main concerns of technology in the Montessori classroom is that computers and tablets take away from traditional Montessori works. However, Powell states, “There are many valuable Practical Life opportunities that computers bring to our classroom that do not compete with traditional Montessori materials.” (Powell 2009 p.27). Some view computers in the classroom as an aid to independence and skill necessary for the real world. “In practical life, children are exposed to computers as a tool that it will be necessary for them to acquire a competency with in order to succeed in the world.” (Armstrong 1999). Technology can assist in helping primary aged children to develop Practical Life skills which will prepare them to be successful in upper grades and beyond. 

Balance

Researchers suggest that when used properly technology can have positive impacts on children over the age of two. “Helping parents find ways to model technology use with children is important. It's even more critical that we empower kids to use technology and technical thinking themselves to solve problems.” (Harris 2014). Educators can help guide parents in setting appropriate lengths of screen time as well as types of interactive technology that can best support the needs of their child. “Developmentally appropriate practices must guide decisions about whether and when to integrate technology and interactive media into early childhood programs. Appropriate technology and media use balances and enhance the use of essential materials, activities, and interactions in the early childhood setting, becoming part of the daily routine.” (Rogers & NAEYC 2012). Viewing technology as a part of one’s daily routine as, an extension rather than a necessity, it can help lead to a balanced and healthy viewpoint. Conclusion:

Montessori said, “The hands are the instrument of man’s intelligence.” The child from birth to age six uses their hands to construct knowledge about the world around them. Due to the delicate maturation of the brain from birth to age two as well as the risk for childhood obesity, researchers discourage use of technological materials. However, for the child from age three to six, research shows that technology can have long lasting benefits. Whether the child is using their hand to manipulate a computer mouse or the pink towers matters not. As long as they are engaging in interactive, problem solving, pro-social behaviors, they will develop into functioning members of society. It is the job of the caregivers to model appropriate technological use, set limits, and provide well-balanced interactive opportunities.

Annotated Bibliography:

Armstrong, D. (1999). Integrating computers into the Montessori Curriculum. Retrieved from: http://www.cs.berkeley.edu/~jfc/hcc/courseF99/projects/armstrong.pdf

Boyd, B.F. (2008). Assistive Technology for Every Child. Montessori Life. 20(1), 30-35.

Harris, C. (2014). Generation Tablet. School Library Journal. 60(7), 11.

Hubbel, E. (2006). Authenticity and Technology in Montessori. Montessori Life. 18(2), 16-20.

Jones, M. (2015). Physical Science and Technology in the Primary Montessori Classroom. Montessori Leadership. 4-6.

Lillard, P. P. Montessori Today: A Comprehensive Approach to Education from Birth to Adulthood

Linn, S. et al. (2012). Facing the screen dilemma: young children, technology, and early e Jones, M. (2015). Physical Science and Technology in the Primary Montessori Classroom. Montessori Leadership, Alliance for Childhood. 4-6.

Love, A. & Sikorski, P.(2000). Integrating Technology in a Montessori Classroom. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED441600.pdf

Monke, L. (2012). The human touch. In Noll, J (Ed.), Taking Sides Clashing Views on Educational Issues (16th ed., pg. 325-331). NY: McGraw-Hill.

Montessori, M. (1949). The Absorbent Mind. Madras : Theosophical Pub. House

Murphy, K., DePasquale, R., McNamara, E. (2003). Meaningful Connections: Using Technology in Primary Classrooms. Young Children. November 2003. Retrieved from https://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200311/TechInPrimaryClassrooms.pdf

NAEYC. (2012). Selected Examples of Effective Classroom Practice Involving Technology Tools and Interactive Media. National Association for the Education of Young Children. Retrieved from: http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/PS_technology_Examples.pdf

Newman, S. (2013, June 8). How Digital Devices Affect Infants and Toddlers. Retrieved March 12, 2016, from https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/singletons/201407/how-digital-devices-affect-infants-and-toddlers

 Perry, B., &  Kneas, K. M. (2016). Using technology in the early childhood classroom. Retrieved from http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/bruceperry/using_technology.htm

Pilzner, A. (2015). A True Balancing Act: Technology and the Montessori Classroom. Retrieved from: http://montessorirocks.org/a-true-balancing-act-technology-and-the-montessori-classroom/

Powell, M. (2009). Is Montessori Ready for the Obama Generation? Montessori Life, (2), 18-28.

 Powell, M. (2015). Modernizing Montessori: Using Digital Technology to Engage Learners in 21^st Century Montessori Classrooms. Montessori Foundation. Montessori News. Retrieved from: http://www.montessori.org/news-blogs/24151/modernizing-montessori-using-digital-technology-to-engage

Rogers, F. & NAEYC. (2012). Technology and Interactive Media as Tools in Early Childhood Programs Serving Children from Birth through Age 8. National Association for the Education of Young Children and the Fred Rogers Center for Early Learning and Children’s Media at Saint Vincent College. Retrieved from: http://www.naeyc.org/files/naeyc/PS_technology_WEB.pdf

Rowan, C. (2013). Babies and Technology: What we know, but refuse to accept. Moving to Learn. Retrieved from http://movingtolearn.ca/2013/babies-and-technology-what-we-know-but-refuse-to-accept