Autumn/Winter 2014 • Volume 19 • #2 2 • Table of Contents
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Number 2 á Autumn/Winter 2014 Autumn/Winter XIX Volume Research BulletinResearch Waldorf EDUCATION RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR RESEARCH INSTITUTE Research Bulletin Volume XIX • Number 2 Research Institute for Waldorf Education P.O. Box 307 Box P.O. Wilton, NH 03086 Wilton, WALDORF EDUCATION WALDORF RESEARCH INSTITUTE FOR Table of Contents From the Editor Elan Leibner . 3 From the Executive Director Douglas Gerwin . 5 The Value of Risk in Children’s Play Joan Almon . 7 Learning in Relationships Thomas Fuchs, translated from German by Nina Kuettel . 17 Encountering Sophia in the Classroom: Gender Inclusion in the Waldorf Curriculum Kristin Agudelo . 27 Imagine Knowledge: A Livable Path Paula C . Sager . 39 The Formative Qualities of Foreign Language Teaching Erhard Dahl . 47 Core Principles of Waldorf Education: An Introduction and First Discourse Pedagogical Section Council of North America . 52 A Contribution to the First Core Principle Elan Leibner . 55 A Contribution to the Second Core Principle Holly Koteen-Soul . 57 Research Bulletin • Autumn/Winter 2014 • Volume 19 • #2 2 • Table of Contents A Call for Reports on Responsible Innovation Elan Leibner for the Research Bulletin . 61 Report on the Online Waldorf Library Marianne Alsop . 63 Report on Waldorf Publications Patrice Maynard . 64 Indices of Past Research Bulletins . 65 About the Research Institute for Waldorf Education . 71 Research Bulletin • Autumn/Winter 2014 • Volume 19 • #2 From the Editor Elan Leibner ear Readers, so-called ÒsafeÓ playgrounds and offer many My previous editorial (Volume 19, Number more benefits for the children who use them . D1) elicited an unusual number of comments . If Almon and her colleagues have their way, The themes of renewing and making Waldorf a new generation of capable and responsible education more localized seemed to touch a risk-takers will rise from the ranks of todayÕs nerve . Thank you to those who responded . toddlers . We can only hope that many adults These themes are continued in this issue; will read and follow her suggestions . several articles describe and advocate new Thomas Fuchs is a university researcher approaches, and we are sending out a request working in Germany . In a thoughtful and for papers that document innovation in schools . comprehensively researched article, he At the same time, we continue to publish describes how the entirety of a childÕs learning research that describes the physiological and process is based on relationships with others . theoretical foundations of sound practices For human beings, every cognitive development already familiar to most of our readers . from birth onwards is a social process, and the These two directionsÑthe one Òdeep-wardÓ cognitive epicenter of our physiology, the brain, that seeks to renew and inspire practicing can develop as the instrument of cognition teachers, the other Òout-wardÓ that provides only through relationships with other people . supporting evidence through contemporary He concludes with a useful section on what scientific research and language for what contemporary cognitive research can and Waldorf education is already doingÑhave been cannot offer educators, and shows that what signature gestures of the Research Institute for we do know about brain development suggests Waldorf Education (RIWE) since its inception . pedagogical practices that will seem rather During an Institute Board retreat in May of this familiar to Waldorf educators . year, Susan Howard described the history of Kristin Agudelo is a humanities teacher the Institute, and those of us newer to RIWEÕs at the Merriconeag Waldorf School in Maine . work came to appreciate how presciently Her contribution makes a persuasive case for the founders saw the need for both of these the need in Waldorf schools to enhance our gestures . awareness of women in the study of history . Joan Almon is a founding member of Drawing from an important lecture by Rudolf the Alliance for Childhood, an organization Steiner and from contemporary educatorsÕ whose first great deed was to help restore thinking on the subject, as well as her own play as an acceptable component of early historical examples, she gives compelling childhood education . Now she is setting her reasons for introducing transformational sights on another Òfour-letter wordÓÑrisk . In figures from the most remote past to more a persuasive (and in places surprising) piece, modern times, who can be, but rarely are, she details the benefits and debunks the myths included in the curriculum . Agudelo is a concerning risk on the playground . Many new voice in these pages, but judging from years of tracking playgrounds of different the passion and fullness of her inaugural kinds have shown that appropriately designed, contribution, it seems safe to assume that we risk-encouraging settings are as secure as the will hear from her again . Research Bulletin • Autumn/Winter 2014 • Volume 19 • #2 4 • From the Editor Another first contribution comes from work of Waldorf pedagogues . The resulting Paula Sager, an early childhood educator document, which is included as part of this working in Rhode Island . She discusses the issue, was widely disseminated to Waldorf role of imagination in developing healthy and teachers in independent Waldorf schools and insightful cognitive relationships with nature in public charter schools working with Waldorf and with children . Readers who followed principles . Several of the recipients asked for Frederick AmrineÕs series on the philosophical additional content to enhance the study of this roots of Waldorf education will not be surprised document . Various PSC members agreed to by her tribute to Amrine for inspiring her in the write short contributions in support of such a writing of this piece . She is well grounded in the study, and the first two (one by Holly Koteen- work of the European philosophers and poets Soul and one by me) appear in this issue. discussed in that series . Further contributions will appear in future Yet another teacher writing for the first issues of the Research Bulletin . time in our Bulletin is Erhard Dahl, a language A Call for Papers arises as a direct follow- teacher working in Germany . His article up to the aforementioned editorial of the last describes some of the subtle but crucially Bulletin. In a process that I named ÒResponsible important aspects of language teaching in a Innovation,Ó teachers are encouraged to Waldorf school, especially the opportunity to follow a protocol of study, discussion, develop flexibility of thinking and appreciation experimentation, and then review of new of cultural perspectives through discussion possibilities in the curriculum . We hope to of linguistic differences among languages . publish the reports of their work . Dahl reminds us that, like other subjects in The Online Waldorf Library and Waldorf the curriculum, foreign language is a tool for PublicationsÑtwo branches of the Research cultivating suppleness and liveliness in the Institute dealing with virtual and actual minds of our students . putting-the-word-out effortsÑround out this The final contributions to this issue issue with brief reports on their extensive and come from members of the Pedagogical fruitful work . Section Council (PSC) . A few years ago, Finally, an index of past issues is included in a brief document titled ÒCore Principles for your convenience . of Waldorf Education,Ó the Council tried to distill the core thoughts that guide the Happy Readings! Authors who wish to have articles considered for publication in the Research Bulletin should submit them directly to the Editor at: waldorfresearchbulletin@gmail .com . Research Bulletin • Autumn/Winter 2014 • Volume 19 • #2 From the Executive Director Douglas Gerwin iving organisms have three choices: They can and special care will be taken not to duplicate grow, they can decay, or they can take on new services already offered on our own sites . Lforms . Following a huge organizational growth With growth in traffic, especially from spurt last year with the acquisition of Waldorf abroad, the OWL continues to serve a Publications (formerly AWSNA Publications), worldwide readership, mostly in English but the Research Institute for Waldorf Education increasingly in Spanish . More than 700 books (RIWE) focused its attention initially on an and some 1400 articles are now available for outpouring of publications and booksÑboth downloading at no cost to our readers, who printed and electronic . These will continue topped 65,500 site visits during the first half of with the publication of new and revised titles this year . (previewed in the last Research Bulletin) as the The Research InstituteÕs website has also Institute now shifts its attention to innovative been expanded this year with pertinent non- forms of collaboration and research as a result anthroposophical research that supports the of a retreat staged during the spring term . Waldorf approach to educationÑspecifically in At the suggestion of its trustees, the the areas of child development, brain research, Research Institute invited a circle of guests to technology, and the essential role of play in a attend a weekend retreat in the context of its young childÕs life . annual board meeting to explore two distinct Thanks to a growing pool of available yet related themes: Òtechnology and morality translators, a further 10 titles underwent in educationÓ and Òassessment and morality translation from English into Spanish during in education .Ó From a stimulating ten hours the