Adaptability and Flexibility
Adolescent practitioners share stories and updates from their own schools in this series. If you’d like to share an update with us, please send an email to Kari@IMTIOhio.org. We’d love to hear from you!
Orientation graduate and Administrative Consultant Gena Engelfried discusses her investigation of tools for helping adolescents pursue connection and self-expression in the new digital landscape.
Our adolescents, in the midst of their need for social connection, have been faced with a huge hurdle. Our adolescent practitioners, in the midst of their desire to serve the adolescents, are also feeling thwarted. Adaptation and flexibility are the keys to our human survival and, as a Montessorian, I have faith that we have the tools we need. If I look at the Study of Human Progress and the Building up of Civilization as a discipline AND a historical trajectory, I can see the tools for this crisis lie in technology. As a humanist and a lover of literature, I admit to being a bit of a Luddite when it comes to tech, but in the face of our situation, it is clear to me that we have the means to stay connected through this miracle of computer technology.
Adaptation and flexibility are the keys to our human survival and, as a Montessorian, I have faith that we have the tools we need.
With this in mind, I am researching a brave new world of options, including, but not limited to the following:
Flipgrid is the one that seems to offer the most networking options. I have started a chat there - anyone can join.
Go to www.flipgrid.com. The flipcode is "flipgridmontessori" and the password is Orcharddrive. There are three "topics" to play with there.
This may be the only option for us for the time being - but it I believe it is better than losing momentum. It's a way to connect virtually and share ideas. If we can master the platform (or one like it), it would be a way to connect with students and provide opportunities for social self-expression. Using these tools, students can work together or on their own to create projects, explore topics or do research.
I have also been thinking of ideas for Occupations - i.e. weekly menu making, mushroom raising, household energy auditing, grocery inventory, etc. that could be helpful during the time of social distancing. Of course, service projects could include calling elderly neighbors, doing non-interactive gardening, creating singing telegrams to be delivered electronically, etc. I have no doubt the students will lead the way when it comes to dreaming these things up - and they will do it with style. I have nothing but faith that they will find a way to overcome all of today's challenges.