Happy Birthday to Dr. Montessori

歡迎辭 亞洲蒙特梭利聯合會創始成員邱振明先生 蒙特梭利說的Cosmic Consciousness是什麼？本人領悟，是聖賢老子（Laozi）的「道」。 道是「無為而無不為……萬民將自化」。道好像甚麼都沒有做，而萬民萬物都順著這自然定律自由發展。 如果老子加上蒙特梭利教育，那麼為師之道或者為家長之道，我認為是「無教而無不教，教師家長若能守之，萬童將自化。」 蒙特梭利的Cosmic Education本人詮譯為以天、地、人的自然之道去孕育孩子，此道「無教而不教」，看似無教，其實無所不教。 因為有洞察力和運籌帷握的教師，已透過預備好自由有序的環境，預備好自已，積極少干預，讓學生順其自然自化。此自然當然不只是大自然，因為人為的東西中都有其自然而然的部份。 蒙特梭利教育如何做得到？這兩天我們一起探討天地人自然教育之道，深化無教而無不教。 亞洲蒙特梭利會議自2009年開始舉辦，是蒙特梭利在亞洲發展的一大里程碑。亞洲各地的教師秉承蒙特梭利科學的教育精神和方法，將之融合於本土文化之中，系統整全而百花齊放。香港中西古今匯聚，今年在此舉行會議，有助集思廣益，激發創新思維。共勉之。 Welcome Speech Mr. Ralph Yau Founding Member of Montessori Asia Since the first-ever Montessori Asia Conference held in 2009, the development of Montessori education hit a significant milestone in Asia. Montessori educators in Asia put their spin on the integration of Montessori education philosophy and methods with the local Asian culture, for the proliferation of various Montessori education practices within the same Montessori philosophical framework in the region. This process is long, difficult and probably turbulent, and it needs a thorough understanding of the subjects followed by the in-depth reasoning and tests. In Hong Kong, practices such as multilingual language Montessori education and parent education have been emerged. Followed by Montessori Asia Conference 2017 to be held in this metropolitan city, we hope to advocate new thinking and education methods for Asian Montessori development through collecting the participants’ ideas, studying the Montessori education philosophy together and, sharing our experiences and practices within the regions. Let us encourage each other in our future endeavors!

Dr. Becky Lau Po-Lin President of Association of Childhood Education International – Hong Kong & Macau On behalf of the ACEI-HK&M, it is my great pleasure to welcome you to the Montessori Asia Conference Hong Kong 2017. It gives me both joy and satisfaction to see so many scholars, teachers and parents from around the world who have gathered here at the Education University of Hong Kong in order to promote Montessori philosophy and education; share research findings; extend best practices and motivate us with innovative ideas. Many of you have made a huge effort to join us and we thank you. This year we have a number of outstanding presenters from the Australia, Canada, China, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Macau, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan, Thailand, United Kingdom and United States of America to share with us practices and research that they have been developing in their own countries. I am sure that this will be a great opportunity for all of us to learn. The conference also offers us a timely space where we can reflect on our own practices. This conference is an opportunity to make new friends. It also offers us the opportunity to be challenged, to be excited and most of all to be inspired.

Welcome Speech Professor Joyce S. Pickering President of the American Montessori Society Board of Directors (2014-2017) It is my honor and pleasure to join you at this illustrious event. On behalf of the Board of Directors and staff of the American Montessori Society, I thank you for inviting me and I wish you an exciting and productive conference. The 7th Annual Montessori Asia Conference is the 7th time the American Montessori Society has participated with the event as a cooperating organization. I am thrilled that we have been aligned with conference organizers from the very start, and that our relationship is growing stronger every year. In our global society, collaboration is key to understanding and growth. The theme of this year’s Montessori Asia Conference is “Montessori Cosmic Education”. For me, the Montessori Method, though more than 100 years old, is still far more advanced than the present methods of traditional education, and I know that Montessori is a scientific pedagogy, which provides best practice: for America, for Asia, and for all nations and cultures! Maria Montessori’s work was built on extensive knowledge of child development and the science of how children learn at various developmental stages. I am sure that if she were still alive, she would be incorporating contemporary research in learning to expand her work. That job is now up to us. And the American Montessori Society welcomes the opportunity to collaborate with Montessorians across the globe on this important task.

Welcome Speech Professor Tsui Kwok Tung Associate Dean The Education University of Hong Kong

【香港亞洲蒙特梭利會議 2017 】 籌委會主席劉詠思 開幕詞 蒙特梭利博士在 {教育與和平} 一書說到 : 「教育正帶領人類走向一個新紀元，其終極目標是使個體及社會獲得更高的發展。要達成此目標並非一觸可及，不僅影響的因素眾多且困難重重，但如果我們對人類共同的使命有所共識，瞭解到這是人類必須完成的任務，每個人都能同舟共濟，一切問題便可迎刃而解。這使我們的努力有了明確的方向。但人類共同的使命是什麼呢？ 人類共同的使命只是特定幾國的責任？還是匯集所有人類的力量？是靠工業的進步或文化的提昇？而每個個體所應負的責任是什麼呢？是保障自己及他人的生存？或是保障獲得教育的機會？我們有比這些目標更高的使命，不僅符合個人及團體的權益，而且與全人體人類，甚至於宇宙間天地萬物的和諧相關。而在我們達成這項宇宙使命時，科學將扮演的重要角色。」 要認識任何事物，都要用觀察及思考，這是人對科學應有的態度。作為蒙教老師，科學教育的需要，是我們能從微觀到宏觀, 又能從宏觀到微觀。我們有責任觀察及思考孩子、繼而觀察及思考成人、再繼續觀察及思考社會、又再繼續觀察及思考世界、最後是認識宇宙。懂了宇宙後，又要回歸孩子。 從事世間（宇宙間）最偉大的工作（教育）是協助一個人建構自己成為「人」。微不足道的我們，秉承蒙特梭利博士以宇宙觀的宏大整體來看待兒童，視兒童整體（這一宇宙存在物）的統合發展能力為無窮、無盡、無邊、無際、無疆及無界之宏觀廣闊去洞悉生命, 也是喚醒人類潛能的道，使之無限。 愛是大自然為了某種目的饋贈給人類的特殊禮物。在這一點上，它類似於所謂“宇宙意識”的作用。我們必須盡我們的所能珍惜它、熱愛它、發展它。在所有生物中，只有人才能夠將愛的力量昇華。珍惜愛的力量是大自然賦予人的使命。這種力量把整個人類凝聚在了一起。愛不是一種概念上的東西，而是一種實實在在的力量。 大學的英文是university, universe 即宇宙。 這次2017年香港亞洲蒙特梭利會議在大學內舉行，而主題是 Cosmic Education 宇宙教育，有著重大象徵意思! 作為香港蒙特梭利研究及發展學會的主席，主辦這次亞洲蒙特梭利會議2017, 得到全亞洲的教育大學拼名第二及全球的教育大學拼名第十三的香港教育大學幼教系的協辦，亦能與全世界擁有最多蒙特梭利老師會員的美國蒙特梭利協會及長期為香港及澳門教師服務的港澳兒童教育國際協會合辨是我幼教生涯的光榮。 首要感謝的是我已故的恩師香港幼教之母陳淑安老師，2012年她就是在這裏獲頒院士榮耀，她給我的遺物是她珍藏的幼教書藉及她的院士袍，她的遺言是期望我餘生都能為幼兒教育服務。所以這次能在同一地點舉辨會議，對我來說意義重大。沒有她，便沒有今天的我。她的教育精神一直帶領著我。需要感謝的人實在太多，不夠時間一一致謝，盡在不言中。還要感謝的是來自各方好友，無私分享他們的教學成果。又要感謝的是我校團隊，伴我在香港走了十年不容易的蒙教路。更要謝謝我的學生們，謝謝你們努力為孩子學習。最後要謝謝的是各位參會者，希望大家能享受會議過程，謝謝! Montessori Asia Conference Hong Kong 2017 is the first Montessori education conference event to be held in the university in Hong Kong. This marks the important recognition of Montessori Education by the Chinese teachers and scholars. With this important event, we are grateful to American Montessori Society (AMS) for offering Professional Development Hours for the attendance of conference, which remarks the high international professional standard met by the coming Montessori Asia Conference. And we believe, our greatest joy and highest sense of purpose is found in the participations representatives from different Montessori organizations including American Montessori Society (AMS), Association Montessori Internationale (AMI) and China Education Society (CES) in the same Montessori education conference. This brings in a new era of harmonious collaboration and interflow among the Montessori educators in Chinese regions. Our concerted effort becomes so crucial for future in spreading the Chinese culture, history and customs through the framework of Montessori philosophy. Let us join hand in hand to experience this important moment and to turn a new page of history for the contribution of Montessori development in Asia! Thank you!

香港亞洲蒙特梭利會議2017 Montessori Asia Conference Hong Kong 2017