Children are children because they are not able to "moderate" on their own yet, hence, they need adults to raise them and supervise them. At the Kelowna Waldorf School, computers are not in the classrooms. Children are taught without the use of technology. Instead, they are building a strong base of concepts in all academic areas that are built upon each year.

Inside a Kelowna Waldorf classroom. The children are surrounded by natural materials, colourful hand drawn pictures, and take part in movement as part of their learning.The Kelowna Waldorf School was interviewed in CBC's Radio One's documentary about technology in schools this March. Additionally, there are many study's available to read on the internet. If you are concerned about the health effects of technology on you and your children, this website is a great place to start.

The Steiner Waldorf Schools Fellowship commissioned ITN to make this short film to look at some of t...

The Gift Of Learning http://youtu.be/0MDSYxFpqxs

"Gnomes & Fairies: It's a Waldorf Thing"

Written by Sarah Dhooge http://eastcoastmommacollective.com/gnomes-and-fairies-its-a-waldorf-thing/

Swimming, library program, skating, tumble time, music classes.

I had it all scheduled for the little man. LOVED the idea of 6 am coffee at the rink; followed by 5pm coffee at the soccer pitch. Go, go, go; learn, develop, achieve, succeed!

The “rug-rat race” had begun, I was full speed ahead racing.  My eco-granola-ey friends (that I adore so they won’t mind me calling them that) had  all listened, had all smiled at me and my big plans; so gracious in their ability to not comment, suggest, or judge. They just went along their merry way, playing outside in the mud, with their simple wooden and felted “toys” and of course those dolls with no faces. Outside, with the gnomes and fairies.

"Intrigued, I heard them talking about some Waldorf-thing, and I quickly jumped to the whole “oh yeah, it’s a Montessori-thing” (which, in my newly found experience, have realized is SO not the same thing). Then I started the dialogue with a few of these aforementioned friends, and they started to tell me a little bit about what it was all about. They were not selling it; just simply telling me what it had meant to them. So, I too, started reading about the whole Waldorf-thing for preschool and elementary education.

"So, my hats came on.

"First, my Speech-Language Pathologist hat came on, and I liked what I read: lots of songs, poems, legend and fable storytelling, following the young child’s lead in play. A focus on imitation, use of movement, foreign language learning, “people games”, and direct language arts (including reading and writing) instruction.

Next, my Crafty hat came on, and I liked what I read: classroom toys and equipment made of natural materials that encouraged imaginative play; “handwork” (beeswax and clay modelling, baking, sewing, knitting, felting, painting,wood sculpting, etc); and an (often) decreased use of computers and electronic gadgets.

Then, my own Eco-granola-ey hat came on, and I liked what I read: lots of outdoor play (and healthy snacks!); the opportunity to learn about, respect and explore the environment around them;  respect and learn about different countries, religions and cultures; a focus on independent thinking and feeling; and the incorporation of the seasons, music, visual arts, and drama into all curriculum years.

My Parent hat came on next, and I liked what I read: a focus on the building of imagination, problem-solving capacity, creative thinking, moral and social responsibility; academic excellence in addition to strong interpersonal skill development; respect and cooperation, not competition; positivity when looking into the future, and a focus on developing a child’s own spirit, compassion, and reverence.

of course, my Researcher hat had to come on. I started reading about all the curriculum, history, theory, opinions, the pros and cons, and the personal stories. How the Silicon Valley geniuses were all sending their kids; and how research (varying in quality with regards to research design) on these graduating kiddos  looked, well, pretty wonderful (oh, and I breathed a sigh of relief when my biggest fear, the whole “They don’t teach reading right away?!?”thing got extinguished by actually learning about the process and method of developing a passion for reading that is built into the curriculum.)

Finally, the most important hat came on: the Mom hat. I went and experienced a Waldorf Parent and Child Playgroup. I admit, I arrived sceptical despite all that I had read and heard (I also had my Business hat on, where I recognized that Waldorf schools do charge a tuition).

Here is what happened:

We played outside in the sand and grass with my son’s favourite things on earth: rakes and brooms and kitchen utensils (sweet!). We climbed and slid down the slide; we played in the wooden house (where, apparently, the gnomes live), and in the garden (also where the gnomes, apparently, live). We then held hands made a circle as “wide as the sun”, and sang a good morning song, welcoming everyone and shaking each others hands (little man of course danced in the circle then had to shake everyone’s hand, twice). Everyone waited, patiently, as my little man was allowed to make the rounds, stopping here and there to give a few hugs to his new friends.

Inside the gingerbread-esque house, we played in the open, cozy space: In the corner, a simple, pretend kitchen with dishes and utensils, all wooden and easy for little hands to manipulate, and table with chairs for all the little ones to sit at. There were dolls and cradles and doll clothes, all knit and sewn with care (all the little girls went to town.) Wooden ride-on toys; felted fruit and gnomes to play with and felted balls to play catch with. We baked bread as a collective; singing along the way. We ate a healthy communal snack, on real china with little glass cups (my how little hands can handle this, if we patiently give them the chance!). Then more circle time with songs and songs and more songs; all with movement and dance and general, all-around glee.

My first day, I left in tears. Honestly, I have never in my entire life of working in schools and daycares and preschools, have I EVER been in such an environment. Warm, accepting, peaceful, supportive, calm. The type of environment that I felt in my heart would foster the development of my little man into a caring, kind, responsible and positive person. A good soul.

All hats, research and opinions aside; I left with my own soul completely happy.

The proof (I needed) was in the pudding; and little man fell fast asleep with a sweet smile, his still-warm bread clutched tight to his chest."

Visit: http://eastcoastmommacollective.com

Howard ArsenaultChris Cooksey and Geoff HoffmanGaby KnodelPart of our large Sunday clean up crew, Jenny Newell and Erin Wilkinson

He attended the Waldorf School in Stuttgart and studied at the Ulm School of Design before starting work in the design department of the car business in 1958.

Born on December 11, 1935, in Stuttgart, Germany, he was the eldest son of Dorothea and Ferry Porsche, who, along with Ferry's father Ferdinand Porsche, founded the business that grew into the sports car maker.

He is pictured here with the 911 prototype in the early 1960's.

By Rehema Ellis
NBC News

From the moment you walk into the Waldorf School of the Peninsula there are clear signs that something different is happening.

Allysun Sokolowski, a third-grade teacher,  greets each one of her 29 students by name and shakes their hand as they enter the classroom. It's easy for her because she's known these kids at the Los Altos, Calif., school for a while.

"I've been teaching the same children from first grade, second grade and now we're in third grade. And I will teach these children all the way through eighth grade," she said.

It's the Waldorf way.

Teachers establish a strong bond with students. As a result, Waldorf teachers quickly point out there's no need for tests or grades.

"I don't need grades to know how well they're doing," said Sokolowski. "I know their strengths, I know their weaknesses. I know what will be hard for them and where they will shine. I'm their teacher with a capital 't.'"

The intense student-teacher connection might help explain why students from elementary to high school are thriving. The school boasts a nearly perfect graduation rate.

Read the whole story and watch the video HERE

Here is a comment from TechMom in Silicon Valley:

"I'm a tech writer (programming manuals). My husband's an engineer. We met at Apple. I now work at Adobe. And... we send our kid to this (Waldorf) school.

"After much research, we found Waldorf to be the best way to build our kid's mind, not just to fill it. And from 20 years of experience in tech, I can tell you that strong minds are much more successful in tech than are filled minds. Of all the brilliant people I have worked with, very few had tech at home growing up. Instead, we had books, math, and the ability to self-focus, to think rationally and creatively in a controlled, extended manner. These things strengthened our minds so that, when we encountered tech, we didn't just use it, we created and innovated it. We *owned* it, as they say. Not vice versa.

"The knitting in Waldorf builds rational thinking (ask any knitter :-). The woodwork is about building confidence and, very importantly, focus (lest you hurt yourself). There's much more, but for us Waldorf is incomparable at the task of engineering strong, capable, flexible minds. And, as Steve Jobs believed, there's power in combining tech and art, science and beauty, as equal partners. Waldorf is the *only* educational system that gives equal time to both halves of that equation."

The American Academy of Pediatrics says,

"In a recent survey, 90 percent of parents said their children under age 2 watch some form of electronic media. On average, children this age watch televised programs one to two hours per day. By age 3, almost one third of children have a television in their bedroom. Parents who believe that educational television is “very important for healthy development” are twice as likely to keep the television on all or most of the time...

"At the time, there was limited data on the subject, but the AAP believed there were more potential negative effects than positive effects of media exposure for the younger set. Newer data bears this out, and the AAP stands by its recommendation to keep children under age 2 as “screen-free” as possible. More is known today about children’s early brain development, the best ways to help them learn, and the effects that various types of stimulation and activities have on this process."

(The full report will be published in the November 2011 issue of Pediatrics.)

Many high tech employees who have children have spoken about their desire to keep their own children away from computers and technology (see the video clip here).

My Fox New York published this today,

On the subject of Waldorf Education and computers - great read!