1. A Look Into Modern Education Mary Deal Elijah Salazar Marie-Louise Skidd

2. Objective Analyze and observe the structure of the modern educational system through the influence of educational theorists, specifically Skinner and Montessori. Within the educational system, we will be comparing public, private, and home school.

3. Hypothesis There has been a movement away from the methodology of Skinner towards the teaching style of Montessori, in all school settings. We assume that, because the educational system is moving toward a child-centered environment, an emphasis is being placed on the importance of the natural disposition of the school-aged child. Private schools will have developed the Montessori style further than public schools Home school is the most child-centered, and, as such, leans most toward Montessori

4. B.F. Skinner 1905-1990 Born in Pennsylvania Graduated from Harvard University: studied psychology & researched learning Strict Behaviorist & Environmentalist Invented “programmed instruction” Skinner box Walden Two (1948)

5. Skinner Box

6. Skinner’s Critical Terms Behaviorism: belief that psychology should only study overt behaviors Consequences: reinforcing stimuli that follows behavior Rate Reinforcements Shaping: “method of approximations”; reinforcement is made contingent upon better and better approximations of the desired response Programmed Instruction

7. Maria Montessori 1870-1952 Born in Ancona, Italy Attended an all-boy technical school at 13 to become an engineer First woman to graduate from the University of Rome La Sapienza Medical School Focused on educating the “uneducatable” “Spontaneous self-development”

8. Montessori’s Critical Terms Independent Mastery: child is left to own devices to master a task Child-Oriented Gradual Preparation Role of the Teacher Spontaneous Activity: child chooses what they do in a strictly-controlled environment

9. NATURE NURTURE Rousseau Locke SKINNERMONTESSORI PIAGET

10. Research Plan 3 educational settings Holy Family Catholic School Albert Farine Elementary School home school: 2 students, ages 8 & 10 Researcher will collect data using Observation Chart

11. Observation Chart

15. NATURE NURTURE Rousseau Locke SKINNER PIAGET MONTESSORI Home School Holy Family Farine Elementary

16. Final Conclusion Our general hypothesis was correct, in that there were qualities of the Montessori teaching style in all the school settings. 1 st hypothesis: We were WRONG. From our observations, we concluded that the public school had made more of a movement toward a child-centered educational environment. 2 nd hypothesis: We were RIGHT. From our observations, home schooling was almost COMPLETELY Montessori.

17. Implications for Education Each school setting is influenced by and utilizes many educational theories, and thus is unlimited in the resources available. Further Questions: Would results differ if secondary school was the focus? Does each subject call for different teaching method?

18. Confounds Too few subjects & grade levels Is math Skinnerian/reading Montessorian? Different schedules at different schools Observation rescheduled for field trip Longer, more observations

19. Y’ALL COME BACK NOW! Questions?