The Origin of Our MethodEssay Preview: The Origin of Our MethodReport this essay“The Origin of our Method.” (Montessori, 1966, pp113- 118).Montessori took the work she had done with mentally ill children and installed these ideas into her first school for children of normal intelligence. These children, neglected and illiterate, came from poverty, and with a lack of funds it led them to make their own furniture. During this process Montessori became aware of the different psychological factors, which created a change in the child. This became the basis for some of Montessoris most important findings.
By removing the obstacles to development she gave the child freedom to learn. She was interested to see the difference between younger children of normal intelligence and older mentally challenged children. Using the materials developed for the mentally ill, and the help of a single teacher, who she instructed how to use the materials to guide the children. Montessori discovered a child will engage with an object that attracts them, only leaving that object when they are entirely satisfied that their work is done. Creating a confidence and mental ability within the child that was not there before. Leaving them satisfied that they had chosen and completed the task themselves
Study Skills Task 1:Taking NotesLearning from play:Ideas of repetition and innovative playCompliment each otherPlay and work closely connected through repetitionPlay:Adapting/Transforming reality for own benefitExamples:Infants turn all objects into something that can be suckedOlder children turn a leaf into a boat they can float in a streamAdult give symbolic value to balls, playing cards etc.Difference between transformations of reality and creativity:Creativity:Involves a transformations of realityOriginal transformationsNot all transformations creative:Pre established,Conventional transformationsWork:Adapting/Transforming oneself to fit with in realityAdapting to the demands of societyExamples:Child learns to eat at a table, use a knife and fork.Put things away and tidy upDress oneself
Practical use of mental models and models of problem-solving:
(2) The mental model is the model describing the problem and its solution (a hypothesis)
(3) Psychological models of problem-solving involve the practice of taking notes, and writing a paper.
In a psychological model all ideas and situations are explained as problems and solutions in order to overcome the problems posed. Mental models of this type are usually described in terms of ‘exposition’ (i.e. a view about how the concept of problem-solving itself may become reality).
What kinds of problems are problems, or possible problems?
The most common problems in mental models are:
Concussions: The mind’s initial reaction to a perceived threat
Pessimism/Depression: The initial thoughts of failure or success of an action
The feeling of being wrong or being disappointed
Cognitive dissonance/Eating disorders: The initial state of uncertainty about the true state of the problem
Neuroticism/Disbelief : Conflicting ideas about self/self
Psychosexual ideation: The sense that the individual is not a person (i.e. a person’s reality is untrue)
Religion : Belief in something specific that is known as ‘God’
Welfare: A belief in benefits
A belief in society: A belief that the social justice system exists for all (or a minority)
A belief that the human condition operates on people and not by special circumstances (eg a supernatural event, government bureaucracy, violence)
The list goes on and on.
A list of problems and solutions
It’s quite obvious that mental models can be useful. All of us have our own conceptual model of what an idea will look like in a given situation, but mental models can be used to understand situations that involve a particular set of problems.
In most situations, mental models of problem-solving do not require the participation of students or staff, but they often do require use of the tools of thought and understanding. To take an example, consider this. In the late 1960s, a group of researchers investigated the problem of obesity. The first book of food safety came out in 1962, and the book dealt with just this problem. The author and publisher in the second book of food safety wrote an article called ‘How to reduce obesity by getting it right’. They recommended a variety of approaches, including simple food interventions (‘chewing on vegetables, frying fish, frying meat, butting off meat and fish’, ‘frozen foods, ice cream, coffee and espresso’, etc. etc.), effective food intake regulation, and an increase in the amount of sugar added by the food companies. The article was very encouraging to a wide audience; the author noted that a variety of studies have suggested that reducing food consumption would reduce an average of four pounds of food per day, so this was an excellent target. Other researchers began to examine the possible reasons for weight loss. The authors concluded that the health risks of sugar-sweetened beverages were a big enough factor that