In reading this article about education, I was reminded of the tension between providing a breadth of knowledge and a depth of knowledge in our schools. At first glance, I went to my default which is that children need to have the opportunity to delve deeply into an area of interest; they need time to explore all aspects of a subject of interest, not just an introduction to a topic. I then recalled conversations with colleagues whose stance is that we have an obligation to teach a wide range of knowledge so as to create a well-informed educated populace. As I pondered these two ideas I again recognized Maria Montessori’s brilliance. Continue reading →