This paper explores how robotics can be used as a new educational tool in a Montessori early education classroom. It presents a case study of one early educator’s experience of designing and implementing a robotics curriculum integrated with a social science unit in her mixed-age classroom. This teacher had no prior experience using robotics in the classroom beyond a three-day professional development workshop. The case study was constructed by collecting data from surveys, interviews, and a personal blog written by the teacher documenting her experience. The outcome of this research project is a set of suggested criteria for effectively integrating foundational programming and engineering concepts into Montessori early education, based on the inclusion of Montessori tangibles, the need for teacher confidence, and the encouragement of student collaboration.
Elkin, M., Sullivan, A., & Bers, M. U. (2014). Implementing a Robotics Curriculum in an Early Childhood Montessori Classroom. Journal of Information Technology Education: Innovations in Practice, 13, 153-169.