Montessori Roermond Introduces AI and VR to Young Pupils
amsterdam, maandag, 29 september 2025.
Primary school Montessori Roermond is taking a pioneering role by integrating AI, VR, and digital literacy systematically into education. Together with Mediawegwijs, they offer practical lessons to pupils from Year 1 to Year 8, where they learn gaming, programming, and even composing music with AI. The enthusiasm of the pupils is high, and the lessons help them navigate the online world better.
Montessori Roermond Introduces AI and VR to Young Pupils
Primary school Montessori Roermond is taking a pioneering role by integrating AI, VR, and digital literacy systematically into education. Together with Mediawegwijs, they offer practical lessons to pupils from Year 1 to Year 8, where they learn gaming, programming, and even composing music with AI. The enthusiasm of the pupils is high, and the lessons help them navigate the online world better [1].
Practical Lesson Day
The lesson day at Montessori Roermond is packed with practical activities and substantive discussions. Lower-year pupils create living drawings on tablets, play with LEGO, and learn programming with the Bee-Bot. Upper-year pupils work with VR headsets, discuss cyberbullying, gaming addiction, and knowledge about AI. ‘We see that children develop skills that they encounter less frequently in regular lessons,’ notes a Year 7 teacher [1].
National Tour by Mediawegwijs
Mediawegwijs, an organisation specialised in digital literacy and media awareness, brings these lessons nationwide. The programme began in and around Amsterdam and has grown into a national tour, from Groningen to Roermond. The enthusiasm of pupils and the subsequent excitement among teachers is notable. Pupils who struggle in maths lessons flourish during these lessons [1].
Compulsory Component from 2027
Digital literacy will become a compulsory component of primary education from 2027. Schools that integrate these lessons into their regular curriculum now are thus leading the way. Montessori Roermond is one of the schools that have warmly embraced this initiative. ‘Learning becomes fun when you get to discover and experience things: making, testing, talking, improving,’ says a teacher [1].
Implications for Media Literacy and Democracy
The integration of AI and digital literacy into education has significant implications for media literacy and democracy. In an era where fake news and disinformation are growing problems, it is crucial that children learn how to critically engage with information from a young age. Mediawegwijs offers lessons on VR, cyberbullying, gaming, gaming addiction, AI, distinguishing between fake and real news, and dealing with influencers [1].
Practical Tips for Readers to Identify Fake News
To identify fake news, readers can follow these practical tips: check the source, see if the article appears on multiple reputable sites, look out for spelling and grammar errors, and use fact-checking sites such as Full Fact or Snopes. Additionally, it is important to think critically about the information you encounter and diversify your sources [2][3].