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Product Details
| ISBN-13: | 9781921752339 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | Amazing People Worldwide |
| Publication date: | 06/01/2010 |
| Series: | Amazing People Worldwide - Inspirational |
| Sold by: | Barnes & Noble |
| Format: | eBook |
| Pages: | 33 |
| File size: | 2 MB |
| Age Range: | 12 Years |
About the Author
Read an Excerpt
Amazing Educators
By Charles Margerison
Viewpoint Resources Ltd
Copyright © 2017 Charles MargerisonAll rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-921752-33-9
CHAPTER 1
Maria Montessori
1870 – 1952
My mother stressed it was important to be compassionate
Each day, she asked me to knit some clothing for the poor
There were a lot of poor people near our home
We lived in Chiaravalle, Italy
Fortunately, my family could afford to send me to school
My father was a retired army officer
He had a traditional approach to the role of women
An arranged marriage was his view of my future
He wanted me to leave school, not pursue a career
Mother supported my further education
I enrolled at a technical institute
In effect, it was a school for boys, as few girls applied
Initially, my interest was in mathematics and engineering
Learning about biology changed my focus
It gave me a purpose
I decided to be a doctor
Easier said than done in Italy
It was a man's world, dominated by three organizations
The Roman Catholic Church, the Mafia and the Government
No woman had ever qualified to enter the medical profession
It was a challenge even to gain entry and be treated as an equal
Male colleagues felt that a woman's place was in the home
'Equal opportunities for all' was my motto
By 1896, after much hard work, I qualified
The first woman in Italy to gain a medical degree
My first job was at a psychiatric clinic at Rome University
Most of the training had been on clinical and surgical issues
Both on curing and preventing
Pasteur's new germ theory was becoming accepted
The main focus had been on physical ailments
Little had been said about mental problems
We had few tools to treat those with such disabilities
The children did not have broken bones
Nor did they have diseases in the conventional sense
Yet, they had difficulty communicating and coping
In my personal life, I also had difficulties
Through my work, I met an interesting man
The relationship led from walks and talks to the bedroom
Of course, I knew the risks
Nevertheless, it was a shock when I found that I was pregnant
In 1898, I gave birth to my son
For various reasons, marriage was not possible
That meant major problems for me and my family
An unmarried mother in Catholic Italy meant social exclusion
My parents thought it best to arrange an adoption
Days and nights of anguish
What was the right thing to do?
The pressure on me was strong
Therefore, I agreed to the adoption
In 1898, I was appointed to a new role
Co-Director of the State Orthophrenic School in Rome
Its declared mission was to care for the 'hopelessly deficient'
Some people called the children 'idiots' or 'lunatics'
All of them had problems communicating and relating
Therefore, I questioned was this just a medical task?
The greater task was an educational one
Could the 'hopelessly deficient', and so called 'idiots', learn?
That became my challenge each day
Slowly, we made progress in practical ways
It was no use giving talks and lectures
Each child needed to be shown what to do
Simple things, like washing and making their beds
Essential things, like eating and cleaning up afterwards
The staff had to help the students to learn by doing
Demonstration, action and then repetition
The same applied when it came to play
The children had not learnt how to play games
Again, the practical approach helped them
By 1901, I had established this new approach and moved on
It was time to conduct further study and research
However, my reputation for helping the disabled followed me
In 1906, the government asked me to work in another school
There were 60 children from poverty-stricken families
This time, it was education first, rather than medicine
Rather than teach, I focused on creating a learning atmosphere
Small tables were provided, rather than rows of desks
Encouragement, rather than threats and punishment, was given
Helping children experiment, rather than just comply
Our Casa dei Bambini enabled the children to learn by doing
My job was to help the staff create the materials
They included counting beads and geometric puzzles
Learning time was play time
Play time was learning time
The important thing was to help children to have success
Encouraging and rewarding achievement was vital
Other educators wondered what we were doing
They asked, when would we follow the curriculum?
Their focus was on teaching
Ours was on learning, via demonstration and practice
In particular, enabling one child to help another
Helping them to learn how to develop relationships
Developing the senses, as a base for developing the intellect
It was all rewarding work, yet I could not forget my own son
Enquiries were made
Mario, aged 14, was told I was his mother
In 1913, I was reunited with him
A day of great happiness
News of my educational approach went beyond Rome
In 1915, I was invited to the USA
Mario accompanied me on the ship across the Atlantic Ocean
Hours in which to talk, and get to know each other
We agreed, that in public, I should refer to him as my nephew
Inappropriate gossip needed to be avoided
In New York, I spoke at Carnegie Hall
Thomas Edison was interested in my ideas and met me
Alexander Graham Bell sponsored my approach
He became President of the American Montessori Society
His wife, who was deaf, liked my educational approach
In San Francisco, I established a 'Montessori classroom'
It was good to see the American people were interested
In reality, the whole of America was a Montessori classroom
It was a land of opportunity, where many learned by doing
However, it was hit and miss, without guidance and support
Across the Atlantic came bad news
In Europe, the First World War killed millions
Destruction beyond imagination
Denying a generation the opportunity to develop their potential
Children had their infancy stolen from them
Young men lost their lives
During the 1920s and 1930s, I continued with my work
In 1922, I became Inspector of Schools in Italy
International interest followed
In 1929, the Association Montessori Internationale was started
Encouraging parents and teachers to help their children learn
My son, Mario, joined me in my work
He became my greatest supporter
His efforts to spread the message were tireless
Yet, I feared that war would return
There was mass unemployment and poverty
Fascism and Nazism reared their ugly heads
I voiced my opposition to Mussolini, the Italian Fascist leader
Dissent was not allowed
It became necessary to move to Spain
While there, I introduced my educational approach
A chance also to learn Spanish, using my own methods
Then, in 1936, the destructive Spanish Civil War began
Relocating to the Netherlands, I continued my work
It was a chance to introduce my ideas in a new language
Albert Max Joosten joined, and worked with me for many years
In 1939, an invitation to India proved valuable
The Theosophical Society wanted to introduce my approach
Mario went with me, and we lived in Adyar, Chennai
During our stay, the Germans invaded the Netherlands
We therefore stayed in India and conducted 16 courses
The war changed our lives
Sadly, as we were still Italian citizens, we were interned
On our release, we created Indian Montessori Training Courses
The war at that time dominated people's thoughts
Once it was over, we sighed with relief
India was an amazing country
Likewise Pakistan, where I ran some courses
Our education programmes would help future generations
In Italy, I was honoured in 1947
In Rome, Opera Montessori was named after me
Aged 79, I realized the need to plan for the future
More time was given to our coordinating organization
The Association Montessori Internationale
Albert Max Joosten became my trusted representative
Working to develop our international schools
'Educate for Peace'
That, I believed, was the key principle
It resulted in three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize
The education of children was the most important thing
The processes were well-tried, and worked in every country
That was my legacy and may it continue.
Maria Montessori
1870 – 1952
Introduction
Maria Tecla Artemesia Montessori was born in 1870, in Chiaravalle, Italy. Her family moved to Florence when she was three and then to Rome two years later. In 1876, she attended public elementary school, followed by secondary school. Her education concluded at the technical institute, Regio Istituto Tecnico Leonardo da Vinci, where she graduated with a certificate in physics-mathematics, in 1890.
Maria made the brave decision to study medicine. However, she lived in a culture dominated by the Catholic Church and the State and it was difficult for a woman to gain recognition outside of the home. Maria received much opposition in the male-dominated career she chose to pursue. However, although she was initially refused entry, she graduated from the University of Rome, in 1896, as a doctor of medicine.
Achievements
Maria became the first female doctor of medicine in Italy. She began working as an assistant at the University hospital and opened a private practice. She also worked as a volunteer at the University's psychiatric clinic. During that time, Maria developed a relationship with one of her co-workers, Giuseppe Montesano. She visited asylums in Rome and observed children with mental disabilities. That was a major influence in the direction of her career. She was also encouraged by reading and studying the work of the French physicians; Jean Marc Gaspard Itard and Edouard Séguin. Her love for children eventually led her to work in the area of 'special needs' education.
Maria travelled nationally and internationally and became an advocate for women's rights and education for mentally disabled children. She enabled children, who appeared to have little ability, to attain test scores that were above-average. Maria led the way in using practical methods to help those with disabilities, as well as those children who were fortunate to have all their faculties. She became co-director of the Orthophrenic School, with Giuseppe Montesano. The new school environment allowed Maria to put her theories into practice.
Maria's relationship with Giuseppe resulted in her falling pregnant at the age of 28, in a country under the influence of the Catholic Church. As Maria was a devout follower of the church, her son, Mario, was given into the care of a family living in the countryside. Maria visited her son regularly, but he was unaware that Maria was his mother. Years passed before Mario discovered that Maria was his mother. They were reunited when he was 14 and formed a close relationship and worked together.
In 1901, Maria left the Orthophrenic School and continued her own studies. Three years later, she became a lecturer at the Pedagogic School of the University of Rome. She remained as a lecturer there until 1908.
She became an exile from her native Italy after making it clear that she was against children becoming soldiers in Mussolini's Italian army. She went to live and work in Spain and after three years moved to Holland. Her work was also well-regarded in the USA, where she toured with her son. In 1939, Maria and her son moved to India, where she conducted training courses. When the Second World War broke out, as they were Italian citizens, Mario was interned and Maria put under house arrest.
After the war, she returned with her son, to Amsterdam. Aged 76, Maria addressed UNESCO on the theme of Education and Peace. In 1951, she attended the 9th International Montessori Congress, which was her last public engagement.
Throughout her life, Maria was a pioneer in her educational method, known as the Montessori system. She achieved success and fame for her thoughtful and forward-thinking methods, which are still in use throughout the world today.
Recognition
Maria received the French Legion of Honor award, the Officer of the Dutch Order of Orange Nassau award and was the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of the University of Amsterdam. She received a total of three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and there are a number of institutions named in her honour. Throughout her lifetime, a vast number of her books were published in Italian and English. Her portrait has also appeared on the Italian 1000 Lire banknote.
Amsterdam hosts the Head Office of the Association Montessori Nationale, which she founded in 1929. The building houses the AMI Secretariat, and the place where Maria and Mario lived and worked after their return from India, and up until their respective deaths, in 1952 and 1982. It now preserves all of their work, including published and unpublished letters, documents and books. The building contains a materials room and an archival library and Maria's own study has been preserved. There is also a branch of the AMI in Rochester, New York. Maria died in 1952 aged 81, in Noordwijk, Netherlands.
CHAPTER 2Helen Adams Keller
1880 – 1968
Life can be kind and cruel
My parents celebrated my birth
They gave thanks that I was healthy
It seemed that I was heading for a normal life
When I was 19 months old that all changed
I became very ill with what was called 'brain fever'
Doctors said it was 'acute congestion of the stomach and brain'
Probably today it would be called meningitis
The result was that I was left deaf and blind
Learning became a major problem
So did my behavior
Not being able to see, hear or speak led to outbursts
I could think, but not express those thoughts
Frustration, confusion and anger were part of my everyday life
We lived on an estate called Ivy Green, in Alabama
This was a divided society in more ways than one
Business was based on white landowners and black slaves
My family had fought for the Confederate Army
In addition to my handicap, my parents suffered
It was a difficult time for all
They did not know how to assist me
It was Martha Washington who helped me in the early days
She was the six year old daughter of our family cook
We developed a sign language when playing together
My mother realized I needed professional help, and took action
She contacted Laura Bridgman, another deaf blind person
Her name had been in one of Charles Dickens' American Notes
That led to discussions with Alexander Graham Bell
In addition to telephones, he was working on problems of deafness
He recommended the Perkins Institute for the Blind
My mother asked for a special teacher
Incredibly, a very special person arrived
Anne Sullivan became not only my teacher but my guide
She was only 20 years old
Having been blind herself, Anne knew what it felt like
She found a way to communicate with me
It was the start of a 49-year association and friendship
Initially, I gave Anne a hard time, but she did not give up
My father agreed that we should have a little house in the garden
Maybe he thought I would be less of a nuisance there
Shortly after, Anne made a breakthrough with me
It helped me escape from my isolated world of silence and darkness
On a visit to the well, she put my hands into the water
At the same time Anne drew symbols in the palm of my hand
She was showing me how to spell with her fingers
I realized that she was spelling the word 'water'
It was a breakthrough, and I had to know more words
Within a few hours, I had over 30 of them
Anne had to spell everything that I touched
It must have been hard for her, as I was very demanding
It was as if I had suddenly discovered the secret of life
In reality I had, because I could now communicate
Equally, I could understand what others were saying to me
Each day, Anne wrote the name of new objects that I found
Suddenly, I was feeling better about myself and life
Learning via finger spelling became an exciting pastime
Gradually, she helped me learn how to read via braille signs
It enabled me to understand many languages
In addition to English, I could read French, German, Greek and Latin
At the age of eight, I went to the Perkins School for the Blind
I realized that other people had the same affliction
We learned from each other and gained professional help
In 1894, Anne took me to New York
There, I studied at the Wright-Humason School for the Deaf
I also took lessons at the Horace Mann School
Mary Swift Lamson tried to help me speak, but it was difficult
Before the illness, I had not learned how to use my vocal chords
They were in working order, but I could not use them properly
Next, in 1896, we went to The Cambridge School for Young Ladies
Being a teenager was a new challenge
Anne helped me at every stage, both academically and socially
Through many hard hours of effort, I gained entry to University
Mark Twain heard of me and introduced his friends
Some of them were influential and kind
Henry Rogers managed Standard Oil and paid my fees for college
Anne accompanied me to every class
She spelt out the lectures in my hand
At every stage, she was there as my interpreter and guide
Helping me to be the first deaf and blind person to gain a degree
The qualification was due to her patience and skill
It provided me with the foundation to help others
In the process, I became a suffragist and supporter of women's rights
Also, I fought for women to be educated in birth control
Another cause was the support I gave to the pacifist movement
This led me to help create the American Civil Liberties Union
In 1915, I founded Helen Keller International
A non-profit organization, working to prevent blindness
The word had to be spread to get help for others
With Anne by my side, we travelled to 39 countries
In particular, we became well known in Japan
In all of these endeavors, I spoke through Anne
She was one of the few people who understood my speech
On lecture tours we earned as much as 2000 dollars a week
Funds given to causes such as the American Foundation for the Blind
When Anne was ill, Polly Thomson became my interpreter
In 1936, Anne died and a part of me went with her
She had not only saved my life, but given me a life
Polly then became my guide and interpreter
My political work had also been important to me
Helping those in need was the focus
To do this, I joined The Socialist Party, in 1909
They supported the working class and disadvantaged
It was also vital to be involved with the union movement
Therefore, I was active with the Industrial Workers of the World from 1912
Part of my role was to serve on a commission related to blindness
I was surprised to learn how some work caused loss of sight
Health and safety at work had to be improved
With the help of colleagues, I wrote to inform people of their rights
In all, I wrote 12 books in braille or dictated
My books also reflected my convictions
Light in My Darkness reflected my spiritual beliefs
It was originally published in 1927, under the title My Religion
Recognition, led to meetings with people of influence
Including meetings with the King of England and the President of the USA
Also with the media and film stars, which were broadcast on radio and TV
It was a whirlwind life that went on for many years
In 1957, Polly Thomson had a stroke and died several years later
She had given me a second life and helped me fulfill my mission
Together, we helped raise funds and support for the blind
Winnie Corbally then joined me and gave me support
We continued the lecture tours
Our work was also helped by the play called The Miracle Worker
It celebrated the life of Anne Sullivan and what she did for me
In 1962, it became a very successful film
By that time, I had the first of a series of strokes
Politicians and public bodies wanted to honor my work
In 1964, I was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom
The next year, I was elected to the Women's Hall of Fame
The names of Anne, Polly and Winnie, deserved to be there also
Without them, I could not have lit the flame for blind people
In 1968, I said my last prayer
I asked for my ashes to be with Anne and Polly
They were the heroines in helping me help the blind.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Amazing Educators by Charles Margerison. Copyright © 2017 Charles Margerison. Excerpted by permission of Viewpoint Resources Ltd.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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Table of Contents
Contents
Life Stories of Amazing People,Maria Montessori,
Helen Adams Keller,
Reg Revans,
Aristotle,
The Author,
The Amazing People Club Team,