This document provides information about a lecture given at the VIII International Congress of Montessori Europe in Amsterdam in October 2007. The lecture discussed making schools that foster children's "cosmic potential" according to Montessori principles. It introduces the speakers, Anne-Marie Poorthuis and Jos Werkhoven, and outlines practical resources for teachers to explore space, time, language and relationships through activities and materials inspired by the cosmos.

1. netwerkimpuls
Making school with cosmic potential
in Montessori education
Anne-Marie Poorthuis +31-35-6564827
Koninginneweg 98 poorthuis@netwerkimpuls.nl
1241 CX Kortenhoef www.netwerkimpuls.nl
The Netherlands
Anne-Marie Poorthuis is initiator of ‘Netwerkimpuls’, a
network organization for organizational consulting and
research.
In 2007 she does scientific research on the network
approach and works on a PhD.
Uitgeverij De Arend
Jos Werkhoven +31-35-6564739
Koninginneweg 98 Uitgeverij@DeArend.nl
1241 CX Kortenhoef www.DeArend.nl
The Netherlands
Jos Werkhoven was for thirty years a montessori teacher.
Since 1996 he is a publisher and developer of educational
material.
Anne-Marie Poorthuis
His aim is the advancement of cosmic education. Jos Werkhoven
Uitgeverij De Arend

2. Making school with cosmic potential
in Montessori education
Starting-points
Ü
The cosmos is example and source of inspiration
Ü
Every child is unique ànd humanity
Ü core everything has a relation
From a
What does that mean for the teacher or school
management?
Ü
Every day once again making school
Ü and building on the pedagogical relation
Inquiring
Ü and leading the movement
Following
This is a hand-out of the lecture given on the
VIII International Congress of Montessori Europe, Amsterdam
October 26 - 28, 2007.
The book ‘Making school with cosmic potential’ will appear in
2008 (both Dutch and English).
You can order the book from www.DeArend.nl or directly
through the mail Uitgeverij@DeArend.nl
2 Uitgeverij De Arend 3

3. Every day once again making school
With love for everything there is
Ü
To be released and see every day as a new start
me choo
an d ti sin Ü once again everything as an ingredient
To see
gf
ce iel
pa Ü build with the burden of yesterday, try to make
Do not
ds
s
of
o
relations once again
fa
ir y
tten
i n qu
vie
w env pr Ü cosmic potential that appears
Enjoy the
tion
i
ep nment
ld
are
ro
wor
d
Inquiring and building on the pedagogical relation
With hope on what is possible
ng
follo
wi
adi
Ü world view: to question total space and time
a cosmic
n g and le Ü
a prepared environment: to choose the fields of attention
Üof learning: to develop professionalism
a way
Ü
a network: building relations from a core
Following and leading the movement
With faith in what is going to happen
Ü on the movement that has been made.
To trust
Ü use of the cosmic potential.
To make
Making school with cosmic potential
4 5

4. We reflect: with love
with wisdom with justice
with the four virtues of Plato
time choo
sin
nd
ea gf
the wisdom by with we question space and time and
Ü
pa
c
with hope iel
ds
s
of
contributes to the pedagogical relation
ofa
ir y
tten
i n qu
the justice by with we choose fields of attention and
Ü
vie
w env pr
tion
i
h fai
ep nment
w it t h
ld
are
contributes to the pedagogical relation
ro
wor
d
the measure by with we build relations and contributes to
Ü
the pedagogical relation
ng
follo
wi
adi
the courage by with we develop professionalism and
Ü
n g and le
contributes to the pedagogical relation
with measure with courage
Making school with cosmic potential
6 7

5. A summary of the practical resources Practical resources
For the teacher and/or the child
The idea of the Powers of ten
Inquiry of space and time Ü of ‘Powers of ten’ of Kees Boeke, discovery of
The idea
Ü of the powers of ten by Kees Boeke (1950)
The idea space.
The lines of life by Jos Werkhoven (1997)
Ü Eams Office; (1995) Powers of ten (CD), (1982) P. en P.
The material of sentence analysis by Maria Montessori
Ü Morrison (book), http://www.powersof10.com
In Dutch: Natuur en techniek; (1980) Machten van tien,
ISBN 9070157489.
Prepared environment
Ü stages of Maria Montessori
The three The illustration is from the original publication; Kees Boeke, Wij in het heelal,
het heelal in ons, 1959, Uitgeverij Muusses en Meulenhoff.
0,01 metre high - 0,0001 m2 0,1 metre high - 0,01m2
Way of learning
Ü of the ‘lusmodel’ (Dutch for loop model) by Els
The idea
Westra-Mattijssen
Network of relations
Ü
The actor-network analysis by Anne-Marie Poorthuis (2003)
1 metre high - 1 m2
10 metre high - 100 m2 100 metre high - 10.000 m2
8 9

6. Practical resources Practical resources
The idea of The lines of life The material of sentence analysis
Ü of ‘The lines of life’ of Jos Werkhoven, discovery
The idea Ü
The material of sentence analysis by Dr. Maria
of time. Montessori, discovery of the structure of the sentence
In Dutch: Uitgeverij De Arend Kortenhoef; (1997) De lijnen Nienhuis, Zelhem, The Netherlands.
van het leven, Jos Werkhoven, ISBN: 90-802860-3-6 Ü
Discovery of cosmic essences and patterns; application
End of 2007 also in Russian language: Ëèíèè æèçíè Jos Werkhoven
Not yet available in English. Please contact Uitgeverij De
Arend (see back of this booklet)
ten times billion
The line of everything
ten times million
The line of man
ten times thousand
The line of culture
ten times one
10 The line of myself 11

7. Practical resources Practical resources
Prepared environment The actor-network analysis by Anne-Marie Poorthuis
The three stages of the prepared environment by Maria With the actor-network analysis the teacher or the child are
Montessori inquiring into and building networks of entities and positions
Ü
The concentration of the teacher is focused on the around their initiatives.
environment.
Ü
The teacher draws the attention of the child.
Ü
The activity of the child is most important in which the
initiative initiative i p s g
concentration of the child appears. l
Way of learning
Ü of the ‘lusmodel’ (Dutch for loop model) by Els
The idea Üthe initiative in one or two words and place it in the
Name
Westra-Mattijssen. middle as the core of the network.
Ü all the entities (people, ideas, things) involved and
Identify
place them in a wide dynamic circle.
Ü the (potential) actor-positions involved and place
Explore
them between the circle and the core. The actor-positions
in the network, viewing from the core, are network initiator,
network partner, network agent, network supplier and
network user. Fill in the (potential) actor-positions with as
much detail as possible, e.g. names.
Ü the network. Focus on perspectives, themes,
Appraise
missing information, potential relationships and actor-
positions.
Ü for the network in practice. Develop relationships
Prepare
with the identified people in order to fill in the actor
positions.
12 13

8. Notes: Notes:
14 15