After reading the research complied by the authors, Wanda Ribeiro and Juan Pablo de Jesus Pereira, of “seven ‘myths’ about the social participation of Waldorf grads” I was sold on Waldorf education. It seems to me that the student is in control of what they are learning and are able to discover and construct knowledge on their own. I feel that this is a rather authentic way of obtaining and retaining information.
The article and study discussed common concerns within the Brazilian community. One that I found interesting was that people were concerned about Waldorf graduates not feeling prepared to deal with professional competition within the job market. I found this interesting because I feel that is is more along personal lines. The research shown reflected this same idea among the graduates interviewed. Another myth I found to be intriguing was that Waldorf graduates are thought to not be able to obtain and maintain a job.
The authors gave a very simple and concise explanation of key concepts withing the Waldorf model. One of the concepts I thought was really cool was that the students are allowed to experience scientific phenomena prior to being introduced to the intellectual concepts. I feel that this may instill relevance and motivation to understand the phenomena experienced.
While in small group, in class we discussed our thoughts on the articles we each read. I believe that we all agreed that if we could go back in time and place ourselves in a Waldorf school as children. Coincidentally, several of the girls in our small group had read the same article. They talked about a study that was done to show Waldorf curriculum and brain development and the benefits. Ultimately, our group discussed the overall benefits that arise from a Waldorf based curriculum in terms of lifespan development.
Reference
Ribeiro, Wanda. Pereira, Juan Pablo de Jesus. (2007) Seven “myths” about the social participation of Waldorf graduates. ECSWE. Retrieved from http://www.ecswe.org/wren/documents/seven_myths.pdf
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