No! Your data is safe with us, and you won't need to be looking over any shoulders to make sure something nefarious hasn't popped up. Montessori Computers is a screen free computer science curriculum. We rely on specially designed materials that illustrate abstract concepts in a way that learners can engage with their hands. Our goal is to use hands on materials to help students visualize the functions going on inside the computer. Through use of our materials, students will develop knowledge that will support them in the creation of their own hardware and software projects.

Computers can be taught at multiple levels. Computer Science and Computational Thinking are the emphasis of Montessori Computers. Computer Literacy describes the ability to sit down and use programs on a computer (making word documents, spreadsheets, or using the internet). While Computer Literacy is important to today's students, it is not the focus for Montessori Computers. After working with our materials, students will have a good idea of what is going on inside the computer itself, how it works with all those ones and zeroes, and how the hardware and software work together.

There is mounting evidence that increasing time in front of screens has negative consequences for developing minds and physical health. Students today are fairly surrounded by screens for entertainment and, more and more, for academics. As parents, we want more opportunities for our children to engage the real world with all of their senses. We want to reverse the trend of sitting kids down in front of a screen for many hours a day.

At the same time we recognize that kids need to learn and understand computers, and we want to make the underlying science accessible to them. The fact is, you don't need a computer to work with the underlying concepts that make computers work. Montessori Computers is our effort to offer an alternative to screen based learning, and we think that the benefits are well worth the effort. 

No! The teaching materials and manuals have all been developed keeping in mind that many educators today have not studied computer science. Our mission is not just to teach students, but to teach the teachers who work with them as well. In fact, as we began showing friends and family our materials in the early stages of development, more than one adult said they would be interested in seeing more.  While the materials are accessible for students as young as 5, we believe that they are an excellent introduction to computer science for students of all ages.

Montessori Computers has a road map to take students from the basics of computer language and logic through to working competently with single board computers, but we haven't quite arrived at the destination. Module 1 has been completed and tested in the classroom by Montessori teachers who have helped us develop the lesson plans and teacher's manuals, and we are ready to introduce these materials to the public. Future modules are in development. Once we have had the opportunity to fine tune the next round of materials and introduce them to our pilot program schools, we will bring them to market.

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