The Neuroscience of Normalization (Montessori): Part 1

This is part 1 of a video of the keynote speech given by Julia Volkman at the South Carolina Montessori Alliance annual conference in October, 2010. Here is some basic information to help set context as you watch the video. Children's House is a Montessori classroom for children between the ages of around 3 to 6 (preK/K). Normalization is the term Montessorians use to describe the process of children opening up, settling in, and flourishing in their school environment. It is a resetting back to their natural state of joyful, kind curiosity. The talk focused on the application of the following Mind, Brain, Health, & Education topics to Montessori education: • Social-Emotional cognition (including mirror neurons) • Neuronal Pruning • Dynamic Skill Theory • Contextual learning • Executive Function • Inspiration and cognition