INTEGRATION OF ICT IN MONTESSORI SCHOOLS: HOW IT WORKS

The integration of technologies into the Montessori education system has been one of the most popular issues amongst Montessori practitioners since the turn of the 20th Century. The bone of contention has remained the fact that in the time the method was developed, there were no learning technologies. Thus, many stakeholders fear that the introduction of ICT into the Montessori methodology can imminently diminish the method. Attempts to introduce ICT tools into the Montessori classroom has often met with huge resistance because most of such use lack the Montessori pedagogical undertone needed for effective integration of ICT into the method. This paper therefore examines current trends and practices in the integration of ICT into the Montessori system of education with a view to determining best practices for integrating ICT into Montessori schools. To do this, the paper takes a historical look at the Montessori method, its underlying principles, and analyzes available debates in journal articles and internet. Finally, the paper recommends that the integration of ICT like any other innovation in the Montessori classroom should be based on the principles and practices of the Montessori method so that the benefits of the method are optimized rather than diminished.