Peter Tuddenham
The TIES-ENDICOTT program is a model of learning for the future. I have
observed various on-line and graduate courses over the past ten years and
the TIES program stands out as a leader in this field.
A learning environment has been created that has a structure and process that
enables a depth and breadth of learning that offers the students a unique experience
in graduate education. As a program for educators it is unparalleled in its
ability to bring forth the core motivations, individual perspectives and heart
felt passions of the participants in a way that enables them all to develop
and transform themselves and their teaching/learning careers.
The program is conducted at a distance through frequent and regular written
exchanges among all the participants. The written texts and conversations
are prima facie evidence of an education process of significant individual
impact and learning.
The fact that students are dealing with their day to day lives and completing
their degrees at a distance provides an opportunity to test the validity of
the content and process of the program on a day to day basis. Often there are
unprompted written testimonials confirming this by the students themselves.
The overall approach of the program, while not traditional, is achieving
an impact and learning that is probably not matched in its profoundness by
many other graduate programs for teachers.
Peter Tuddenham
College of Exploration
Arlington, Virginia USA
Jack Comstock and Nisha Gupta
We enrolled in the Montessori Integrative Learning Program to expand our training
to include ages 6 to 12. What we have received is so much more than that. Through
the Montessori approach to adult education we have been engaged in a year and
a half of deep and fulfilling exploration of the Montessori philosophy and
practice. Exploring Cosmic Education from the perspective of the great visionaries
of our times, the program has fundamentally altered the way we perceive our
Universe and radically expanded our capacities for communicating this vision
of Cosmic Education.
The online Integrative Seminars provided the opportunity
to learn from our peers as well as gain wisdom from direct dialogue with
the authors of the books we were reading. Working online has allowed us to
participate in a way that is flexible and creative with our lives and provided an experience
much richer than the traditional classroom setting. The depth of exploration
and expansion of the Montessori philosophy in this program far exceeds
that of our previous training and has helped us become more centered as individuals
and as Montessori Educators for any age child.
Jack Comstock and Nisha Gupta
Montessori Teachers
New York, USA
Mary Ellen Mauntz
Having been involved in Montessori education for more than 30 years in the
classroom, in the head office and in the teacher preparation field, I was
thrilled when there was finally a way to earn my M.Ed. with an emphasis on
Montessori. This past year and one-half has been without question one of
the richest intellectual periods in my life. The required readings on Montessori
and the new sciences have been stimulating and the communication of our deepest
thoughts among fellow students in the dialogues has been an experience I
have never had in any classroom before.
The freedom to take what we have learned and create our own meaningful projects
has been a challenging but most fulfilling opportunity. All that I have learned
about how Montessori works for children has been exemplified for us as adult
learners in this program.
I cannot recommend this program highly enough. It takes distance learning
to a new standard and it is richly rewarding in so many ways, both personally
and professionally.
Mary Ellen Mauntz
Director of Training, Montessori International
Illinois, USA
Nanette Glencer
For the first time in my life, I feel educated. My previous
educational experiences afforded me the opportunity to learn many facts in
isolation.
A few professors connected their classes to the larger world, but these classes
were separate from the others. While I’ve always known that there was
something bigger than the experience I was having, I couldn’t put it
together. Now that I have had this understanding, I want to be able to share
this type of learning with children. If young people can have the experience
they will be inspired and have the intrinsic motivation to pursue the answers
to their questions.
I need to take the things I have learned and communicate
it with the members of my community. I need to remember my responsibilities
as a human and to improve the way I interact with my environment and my home planet
Earth. I need to be more active in the issues that concern the environment and
its inhabitants.
Nanette M. Glencer
Montessori Administrator and Teacher
Michigan, USA
Terri Domitrovich
As a 40 something stay at home mom for ten years, holding a bachelor’s
degree did not seem a sufficient credential for a soon to be Montessori school
administrator/teacher. This program provided me with an opportunity to remain
with my family while achieving a highly qualifying graduate degree paralleling
my secondary course enrollment at Houston Montessori Center.
I have never
worked so hard, nor been so fulfilled, while pursuing a course of serious,
academic study. The demands of the integrative process of reading/annotating
assigned texts, engaging in online seminars, and completing papers were
truly a life transforming experience. The unique combination of written texts,
audio elements, and graphics provided incredible material to synthesize and
to challenge current ways of thinking.
As students weaved their own understandings
into this process, a conscious group awareness seemed to spontaneously
evolve. While it is a challenge
to juggle family time and online time, the benefits of this program far outweigh
the sacrifices needed to complete the course of study.
Terri Domitrovich
Montessori Consultant and Teacher
Montessori Charter School, Nevada, USA
Cynthia Burns
As my experience unfolded I began to realize that
this graduate program design was very similar to the classrooms that I had
created for my students based on the Montessori approach.
Professionals who are engaged in this M.Ed. find that they are easily able
to blend their work and academic lives. The virtual campus is an intimate
classroom setting that encourages ideas to be presented, shared and built
upon by all participants.
My thesis, as well as my entire graduate focus is directly related to my
professional life.
Cynthia Burns
Montessori School Head
Hawaii USA
Michelle Muggridge
When I was applying to the Montessori Integrative Learning program, I expected to learn a great deal about the Montessori approach and philosophy. I am learning this, but even more, I am learning about myself, my purpose and the wonders of the universe. I am becoming a better contributor to my environment and a better citizen of the world. All of these things needed to happen so that I can become a better educator. I love this program and the many individuals that I "meet" every day.
Michelle Muggridge
French Immersion Teacher
Nova Scotia, Canada
Carolyn Magnussen
Co-learning with other committed educators about ecoliteracy, systemic thinking, sustainable culture, and communication gave me new impetus to help transform my Montessori class.
Carolyn Magnussen
Montessori Directress
Oslo Norway
Babeth Fassa
I am very happy being part of this program. It is true Montessori education because it is Cosmic Education. We have the same kind of learning environment that we try to prepare for the children. We have teachers/professors who do not interrupt but from whom we can feel a kind and constant awareness. The syllabus is broad, deep and thought provoking. The opportunity of living this integrated experience is much more than the acquisition of knowledge; it is a formative experience, which is bringing me important enrichment in my worldview.
Bebeth Fassa
Montessori Consultant
Porta Allegre, Brazil
Joan Tansi
What is most remarkable about this program is the learning community. No other graduate schools offer the integrated course work as well as the cosmic perspective in Montessori.
Joan Tansi
Montessori Teacher
Massachusetts USA
Tay Duckworth
The cosmic context must be the new paradigm for life, - including teaching
and learning. Within this context are the interrelated topics: integrative
learning, ecological literacy, contextual thinking, and dialogue.
For me, integral learning is experiencing how everything
is interdependent; or it can mean learning in an "everything is related" way.
The ultimate view of integrative learning would be a combination of
both of these simultaneously. That is what happened for me in the M.Ed. program:
learning how everything is interrelated, or integrated, IN an integrated
manner.
Taylor Duckworth
Public School Montessori Teacher
Connecticut USA
Dan Marchione
When I reflect on my experience in the TIES program I am grateful to have had the opportunity to work in this learning environment. It challenges you to think of your pedagogy in a whole new light. Since dedicated educators and a knowledgeable faculty support your efforts, the challenging online experiences, reading, and research add immeasurably to your professional practice. I know this because as a childhood Montessori alumnus and adult Montessori educator, I now see the unfolding of this great work.
Dan Marchione
Middle School Principal
Texas, USA
Jessica Duncan Wersta
This program has been one of the most important things that I have done
in my life. This is a course like no other as it is not just a passive learning
experience it is a catalyst for individual and collective change.
What we learn in TIES gives us the tools to invoke positive, large scale change.
The on-line aspect to the course is fitting as it makes Montessori
learning accessible to people all over the world. The connection of
students and professors in their respective corners of the globe is
a poignant symbol of the inter-connection of the Universe.
Jessica Duncan Wersta
Vancouver, Canada
Connie Laufersky
Completing my Master's through the TIES - Endicott program has been a deeply
fulfilling experience. As a Montessori teacher, I was looking for a learning
environment that was unique, and embraced the uniqueness of its participants
as well. I found I was comfortably able to express my views and perceptions
while listening to the views and perceptions of others. The program is designed
to meet the needs of individual students, in a very "Montessori" approach.
I also found the curriculum challenged me, not only intellectually, but emotionally
and spiritually. I have grown as a person, a teacher and a student while
many of the things I've learned will integrate into all areas of my life.
Connie Laufersky
Middle School teacher
Texas, USA
