Modern Pedagogical Systems and Teaching Methods

Modern Teaching Methods and Pedagogical Systems

The Project Method: John Dewey

This method focuses on the initiative of the learner, adapting work to individual development levels and showing respect for the personality of the student. Activities are designed to be as close to the learner's real life as possible, allowing each student to choose the activity that interests them.

The essential conditions for these projects are:

• They must be prepared by the students themselves.
• The project involves integrated teaching subjects. Subjects do not exist in isolation; instead, each project must include all aspects of learning, such as reading, writing, language, and mathematics.
• The project should include common activities performed as a team.

The Dalton Plan: Helen Parkhurst

This plan tried to solve the age-old problem found in small schools worldwide: having children of different ages and knowledge levels with a single master. The class is divided into 8 groups of 3 or 4 students with similar skill levels, allowing the teacher to assign work while personally assisting one of them.

Key Principles:

• Individualized education: Instruction is channeled to each student according to their specific knowledge and attitudes.
• The Laboratory: The classroom acts as a small laboratory to encourage free activities.
• Flexible Timing: There is no common fixed time; each student is responsible for their own work.

The Dalton Plan is considered useful for children from age 9 onwards.

The Winnetka Plan: C.W. Washburne

The pedagogue C.W. Washburne attempted to solve the serious problem of varying knowledge levels in each subject. He organized a system that allowed a student to attend, for example, level 3 in Language and level 5 in History. This ensured that at any time, a student could be in the class that economically and academically corresponds to them. However, it left some issues unresolved, such as the rejection of difficult subjects.

The Montessori Method: Maria Montessori (1870-1952)

Maria Montessori was the creator of new methods originally designed to educate children with disabilities, which were subsequently applied to all children. Her famous elaborate materials are designed to educate the senses. Unlike Gestalt theory, Montessori does not start from whole stimuli but isolates them, concentrating attention on visual, auditory, and tactile impressions.

The implementation of this material requires complex preparation. To educate the sense of touch, for example, she used tables with smooth and rough surfaces, pieces of silk, ribbon, and cotton. Collections of cubes, coins, and beads are used for the child to order. This method shows high performance in awakening and educating the senses in early childhood centers or the Casa dei Bambini.