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With heavy eyes, I read the same paragraph for the third time in a row. My last dose of caffeine was definitely wearing off. I needed to do something – anything – to push through and continue studying.
Yes, I’ll admit it. Anthropology 101 wasn’t my favorite class. I didn’t do all the required reading. The midterm was in 6 short hours and I wasn’t prepared.
So – facing these odds, what does an overwhelmed college student decide to do? Well… waste time on the internet, of course.
Keep in mind, this was way before the “always on” high speed internet nirvana that students enjoy today. In fact, I took great pains to muffle the squelching soundtrack of the internet connection with my coat; my roommate was a light sleeper. Ahhh, the good old days of dial up…
I sifted through a few pages and wound up on a site to register domain names. My inner procrastinator jumped at the idea of playing a game. “What domain names can I find that are available?”
In a burst of energy, I typed in common words, phrases and people with a .com, to no avail. Page after page came back with a red banner stating that the domain was already taken. And, then it happened. A green banner with a simple, pleasant message: Available. The domain? MariaMontessori.com.
As a Montessori alumnus through Upper Elementary, I was intrigued. With the last $20 available on my credit card, I reserved the domain name. I felt like I had found a secret wormhole in the internet. Doesn’t everyone know about Maria Montessori?
What Happened Next
Nothing. Nothing happened with the site for years. In fact, I almost let the renewal lapse in a particularly financially lean year. The $20 annual fee was hard to justify, especially when I had no specific plans for the site.
And – yes – I passed the Anthropology exam (barely).
I’m glad I kept the domain, however. More than a decade after I registered it,
MariaMontessori.com (MM.com for brevity) is now one of the most trafficked sites about Montessori education in the world, with a bevy of content produced by Montessori teachers, trainers and parents.
How did this happen?
The Spark That Started the Fire
While sharing war stories at the 2009 Refresher Course, many administrators lamented about our challenges with spreading the word about authentic Montessori, especially in the digital age. With so much misinformation online, it was a challenge to convince parents that Montessori was the best option for their children.
Does anyone have any ideas? What can we do?
I sheepishly volunteered that I have a unique domain name we could use…. and the rest is history.
3 Facts About MM.com That May Surprise You
- MM.com is sponsored by a group of Montessori administrators.Surprise! We are not Montessori teachers, parents or trainers.
MM.com is sponsored by The Montessori Administrators Association (MAA), an all-volunteer, inclusive group of school leaders from around the world. Many of us are Montessori trained (and used to work with children) and our role provides a unique perspective into the needs of all people in the Montessori community.
- We want to help youOne of the problems we see again and again is the lack of access to high quality, easy to digest information about Montessori.
To accomplish our goal, MM.com has a compendium of articles, tips and how-to’s for you to use – free of charge.
- It’s a collaborative effortWe are privileged to work with writers from around the world who share their perspective from their practice of Montessori at different levels. Their contributions form a digital portrait of modern Montessori practice, which you can use to better serve your school community.
Don’t Look This Gift Horse in the Mouth: How to Use MM.com
Although the content on the site is geared towards parents, our goal is to help administrators run better schools. Use the information to help parents better understand why Montessorians do the things we do.
Let’s face it, some aspects of Montessori can seem strange to people, especially in the light of modern culture. Why do we have a three hour work period? Why aren’t parents allowed in the classroom like the neighborhood preschool? And, is cosmic education some kind of cult initiation?
I know that you work hard to provide quality parent education about Montessori. Use the content on the site to buttress your efforts – as a second opinion of sorts – to strengthen any case you make about your practice.
How You Can Help
Did you or a member of your staff write a great article that resonated with your parents? Share it with us! Not only will you help further the Montessori movement, we will link back to your school website and promote your brand to hundreds of thousands of people from around the world.
Please direct all submissions of content to Matt@BergamoSchools.com.
I was a former/owner of a pre-school that utilized many of the Montessori methods. I have studied and strongly believe in this system for the education of children. Would love to get involved with your organization. The one matter that concerns myself at this time is that her system is not easily accessed to all children, in particular families with low income that cannot afford private school fees. This is completely contrary to what and why Dr. Maia Montessori developed her system for underdprivlegded children. I believe we need to addresse this and find solutions as to how we can bring her education to all children. I currently volunteer with refugee children to whom I can tell you cannot afford to place their children in a Montessori school. I live in Cleveland, Ohio and would love to get involved and bring this system to the children that she originally designed it for.
Respectfully, Michelina D’Addario Finch
Not only is Montessori schooling out of reach for many families, the teacher training is out of reach for many prospective teachers.
In response the the two comments above:
Decades ago, the Head Start program was Montessori based. (Education trends are ever evolving in the federal system, however.)
There are also Public Montessori schools nationwide, beginning with preschool-age children and potentially serving a child’s education through high school! Cincinnati, Ohio is capable of serving this entire age span in a public Montessori setting. I thought Cleveland had at least Pre/K-8th?
@Michelina D’Addario Finch: This video of the Advocacy Workshop at the last Refresher Course may be of interest to you–https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tt5iT6-x1sk
@Mary Windmiller: There is a scholarship (or perhaps more) set up to help a certain number of people take AMI Montessori training. While this does not solve everyone’s problems, it does help. Yes training is expensive and time demanding, though there are generally two formats of 9 months and three summers. That said, the alternative of less demanding and cheaper training (sometimes to the point of being a couple of months long) can yield less than satisfactory preparation for being a Montessori guide.
It’s great to hear the history of this domain. I’m on the leadership of Minnesota Montessori Network and spent hours surfing the internet looking for content for our social media campaign during Montessori Ed Week in Feb. It’s helpful to know the context and lens for Montessori sites.
I’m also an alum and current parent. I’m doing a lot of thinking, research and planning for MNMN around the alumni community. I’m having a hard time figuring out why there isn’t more being done to follow alumni, gather data and tell stories (beyond the Montessori Mafia) about Montessori Kids. We’re the boots on the ground and the best marketing tool out there for Montessori. If you ever cross paths with people interested in this type of work, please feel free to pass on my contact info.
Yo soy de lengua espanola, me gustaria entrar en este campo, para trabajar.
Can I find a copy of the picture of the little girl with pony tail trying to mimic the painting of the professional dancer? I love it so very much.
I am so happy I came across your website. I am a parent of a nearly 2 year old who has been researching Montessori via the internet and books since I was pregnant with my daughter. I must say that I love the way your website is organized and the matter in which you explain things. It is so easy to grasp the topics you educate and share on. Thank you so much for this gift.