Do not train children to learning by force and harshness, but direct them to it by what amuses their minds, so that you may be better able to discover with accuracy the peculiar bent of the genius of each.
-- Plato

Waldorf in The Ottawa Citizen

Yesterday The Ottawa Citizen ran an article about The Ottawa Waldorf School that specifically addresses issues related to technology. It is worth the read and in the online version there is a lovely video that showcases some of the musical talent in their older grades and also some kinesthetic mathematics in the classroom.

The comments on the article are the usual mix of clarification, testimonials and harsh warnings about the cultishness of Wladorf, including a link to an old article that warns against Waldorf education since everyone truly believes in Gnomes.

In the end, Waldorf is a pedagogical approach, not dogma, not a cult.  If people are interested in learning more and considering this as an option that might work for their family, then this article is a nice Canadian resource to add to the growing list of accounts in the media about the benefits of the Waldorf approach to education and delayed integration of technology in the classroom.

Teaching without distraction (with video)