An open-access glossary created by and for the Montessori community.
The Montessori Glossary Community Project is an open community dedicated to knowledge equity, shared authority, and the co-creation of an open-access vocabulary of Montessori terms. We welcome participants from diverse backgrounds, including youth, practitioners, scholars, historians, social scientists, activists, information professionals, and more.
Through collective efforts across an interwoven network, we pursue our mission to co-construct and maintain an open-access controlled vocabulary of Montessori terms. The Montessori Glossary is an evolving, iterative co-construction project grounded in shared knowledge and authority. As a controlled vocabulary of terms used to describe Montessori information resources, the glossary serves as a companion to broader subject term vocabularies. Our mission is to improve discovery and access to Montessori resources whilst supporting Montessori educator competencies. We envision an international, multilingual linked-data vocabulary of Montessori terms that enhances access to Montessori resources across cultural institutions, community archives, and Montessori teacher preparation programs. Leveraging Web 2.0 technologies, we aim to facilitate a participatory process that elevates the diversity of perspectives, meanings, and contexts. In the spirit of democratization and shared knowledge production, we seek to sustain a living vocabulary that is inclusive, culturally sustaining, and multilingual.
The educational science, methodology, and philosophy of Dr. Maria Montessori continue to reveal ‘new ‘insights that modern science is only now just (re)confirming, yet other elements of her work are more ‘time-bound.’ Some have evolved, or have the potential to evolve, into new areas of educational greatness. We encourage seeking inspiration in the work of Montessori peers and mentors, as well as finding confirmation in modern science. Especially in relation to the third and fourth planes, where Montessori’s work was far from complete. If anything, we read her work as an invitation for the generations following in her observing scientific and spiritual educational footsteps to continue discovering how best to help adolescents and young adults become interdependent, listen to their inner guide, and be proactive members of the local and global community serving peace, equity, and Mother Earth with all their talents and abilities. This is a community task, and you are part of the community. We welcome constructive inspiration, valid critique, new sources, and other points of view. The Montessori community thrives best when we inspire one another, honoring the inspiration we have found in Dr. Montessori’s work.
We are a small, emerging group of Montessori practitioners, scholars, archivists, and technologists interested in creating an open-access, linked-data vocabulary of Montessori terms. The Montessori Glossary is a work in progress, and we welcome suggestions for new terms to add or changes to the vocabulary. A Montessori Glossary Editorial Community will oversee the upkeep of the vocabulary and will consider all proposed terms and changes quarterly. The Montessori Glossary Community Project is supported by the Center for Montessori Studies at the University of Hartford. The Editorial Community is an independent entity comprising initial contributors Dr. Paige Bray, Bodeene Amyot Cairdeas, Rogier Dijk, Jeremy Donson, and Dr. Joshua Russell. We welcome new editorial community members to join us!
