What do Neil Gershenfeld, Dale Dougherty, and Maria Montessori have in common?
They all share the belief that people (young and old) thrive when given the opportunity to retain their creativity and push themselves to excel because of their love of learning and their own natural curiosity, while learning how to assimilate a global worldview into their thinking.
Neil Gershenfeld of MIT’s Center for Bits and Atoms began an outreach program 22 years ago that has grown into a global project for empowering local invention, engineering education, and entrepreneurship. He developed self-contained fabrication workshops with the latest “rapid-prototyping equipment” — laser cutters, computer-controlled milling machines, 3-D printers, etc.
Dale Dougherty started the Make Magazine in 2005, to encourage people to gain new skills, begin new interests and work within and form a community of peers that share the same interests.
Maria Montessori, Italy’s first female doctor, opened the Casa dei Bambini (Children’s House) in 1907. Her educational method and pedagogy suggest that children learn best in an environment that has been prepared to enable them to do things for themselves. It is a child-centered learning environment that promotes freedom for children to explore materials of their choice, inspiring them to become passionate, lifelong learners—something completely different from a traditional education where a teacher presents at the front of the classroom.
Today, at Fraser Woods Montessori our students benefit from the genius of these three innovators in our state of the art MakerSpace and Fabrication Laboratory. It’s a place for hands-on learning equipped with all the tools for learning, innovation, and creativity including: 3D printers, a laser cutter, wood cutting on a CNC router, audio-visual equipment, coding, robotics, drone technology, sewing machines and dress forms.
The nine fundamentals of the maker movement include: make, share, give, learn, tool up, play, participate, support and change. The eight eight key principles of a Montessori education conclude: movement and cognition, choice, interest, intrinsic reward, learning with and from peers, learning in context, child and teacher share space, order in the environment and mind. These ideals dovetail seamlessly to help Fraser Woods Montessori model, support, guide, and mentor students to develop into compassionate, confident, joyful citizens of the world.
Start the conversation today to see if Fraser Woods Montessori School is a fit for your child. Schedule a visit by calling (203) 426-3390 or emailing [email protected]
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