Waldorf Approach to Computers in Education Making Waves in Media - Toronto Waldorf School


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	Waldorf Approach to Computers in Education Making Waves in Media Friday, October 28, 2011 High School students using technology benefit by not using it earlier The New York Times has been running a series on the pervasiveness of technology in classrooms, the lack of results from these massive investments, and most recently, the Waldorf approach as a successful alternative. One of the most fascinating aspects of this series is the increasing number of parents working in Silicon Valley, the heart of the global digital technology revolution, who agree that computers do more harm than good in a child’s formative years . Despite this, governments are cutting school budgets for arts, music and physical education classes, all the while investing billions of dollars in classroom technology not proven to have any positive affect. It turns out that this approach benefits only one group: tech companies. It is very striking that the highest concentration of Waldorf schools in North America is in the very same place where personal computers were invented, where silicon chips are advanced, and which Apple, Google, Twitter, and Facebook call home. In the past week the blogosphere and comments to articles have been alive with parents and teachers attesting to this phenomenon. Many note that senior Waldorf students excel in modern technology and communications precisely because in their early years they used their time more productively by engaging in imaginative free play that develops their psycho-motor, creative problem solving and social capacities. In Waldorf classrooms, as the Association of Waldorf Schools of North America (AWSNA – the body that accredits Waldorf schools) states, "even seemingly dry and academic subjects are presented in a pictorial and dynamic manner, eliminating need for competitive testing, academic placement and behaviouristic rewards to motivate learning." Once the students are in high school, they embrace the fruits of the modern world, when they know that computers are a tool to be used and mastered, rather than a crutch they cannot do without. What a refreshing contrast to the argument that because we live in a wired world, our children must also be wired as early as possible. Indeed doctors are claiming this is dangerous thinking, and we should keep our children away from screens altogether when their brains are still developing so rapidly. It was Rudolf Steiner’s original intention, and one that the Waldorf movement globally continues to uphold, that Waldorf schools should be independent. This independence protects us from the pitfalls inherent in a government-directed pedagogical program where the politics of election-winning, deep-pocketed lobbying tech companies or educational fads influence what happens in the classroom. When Waldorf educators need inspiration for adjusting our rich curriculum, we look to a single important source: the children. As the children grow and change, we do too. It is the children who lead us to implement and refine a curriculum that best serves them, their healthy development, their will to work and learn and ultimately their capacities for moving humanity forward. This does not require being wired. It requires loving attentiveness. Who knew that revolutionary could mean staying the course? Ryan Lindsay View these articles and many more on our Facebook page and Twitter feed. p.s. New York Times is looking for responses to the recent articles regarding the popularity of Waldorf education in Silicon Valley and independent approach to computer use. Send your thoughts to letters@nytimes.com. They'll publish comments in their Sunday Review.