| Author | |
florasita
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 06 2007
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 907
|
| Posted: May 29 2007 at 5:28pm | IP Logged
|
 |
|
I found this site that carries units for teaching differnt subjects in waldorf curriculum .
http://members.cox.net/waldorfedu/
I am thinking to order the fraction unit for ds11 .
any other waldorf math sites out there ?
Thanks , Rox
__________________
May I rise & rest with words of Gratitude on my Breath
May I have the Heart & Mind of a Child in my Depth
May I forever remember to be a Light
May Peace Love & Hope be My Sight
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Leonie
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 28 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2831
|
| Posted: May 30 2007 at 5:54am | IP Logged
|
|
|
That looks interesting, Rox. Thanks!
This site is not specifically about Maths but does have lesson plans for Waldorf inspired units, including maths units....
__________________
Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
hopalenik
Forum Pro
Joined: Nov 17 2006
Location: Connecticut
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 230
|
| Posted: June 03 2007 at 9:58pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Do you know what Waldorf is? This is a school based on the theosophy society and is WAY WIERD....I had a friend whose kids were in one and while I think that they had some fabulous ideas about math, I would be very leary of letting anyone have my address and name from the group. They are a cult which tries to pull the wool over everyone's eyes and someone manages to get public school funding at the same time...
Just some thoughts.
Holly
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Lissa
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 28 2005
Location: California
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 748
|
| Posted: June 04 2007 at 10:29am | IP Logged
|
|
|
hopalenik wrote:
Do you know what Waldorf is? This is a school based on the theosophy society and is WAY WIERD....I had a friend whose kids were in one and while I think that they had some fabulous ideas about math, I would be very leary of letting anyone have my address and name from the group. They are a cult which tries to pull the wool over everyone's eyes and someone manages to get public school funding at the same time...
Just some thoughts.
Holly |
|
|
Holly, there is definitely a lot about Waldorf that is "out there," but there are aspects of Waldorf education which can be used to good effect by Catholics. It isn't a cult, actually, but there are people (most vocally the Waldorf Critics / PLANS group) who object to Waldorf schools getting public funding, which has happened in some charter school situations.
Their objection is because Waldorf is based upon a belief system called "anthroposophy," which strikes many people as a religion--and so the argument is that a school with religious underpinnings should not qualify for public funding.
The "pulling the wool over people's eyes" part comes from the way Waldorf schools do NOT advertise that the pedagogy is based on anthroposophy or that most Waldorf teachers are active anthroposophists. For many parents of children enrolled in Waldorf schools, this connection becomes quite a shock when it is discovered later on. Some parents feel deceived by this--although I do have to wonder how one could make the decision to enroll a child in a Waldorf (or any) school without thoroughly investigating its philosophy. Any parent who does a simple Google search for Waldorf will learn about the anthroposophist underpinnings in a heartbeat.
As for Waldorf educational methods, there is much that even devout Catholics can learn from the Waldorf approach. I've written quite a lot about this on my Lilting House blog—Waldorf series, including a post called "If You Love Waldorf So Much, Why Don't You Marry It?" (scroll down the page to find it) which explains why I can't embrace EVERYTHING about Waldorf, but do find many Waldorfy elements useful in my home.
The Waldorf approach to math is quite charming! Math, like other subjects, is approached in a "main lesson" style, which means that there will be a 3-4 week "math block" several times a year, during which a 2-3 hour chunk of time every morning is devoted to math studies. But this doesn't mean 2-3 hours of sitting at a desk doing worksheets. Waldorf seeks to engage the whole child--"head, heart, and hands"--so a typical math main lesson might look something like:
circle time with opening verse or prayer
singing and/or recorder playing
movement games--tossing beanbags while skip counting by 3s, for example, or doing step-step-jump, etc
Then the teacher or parent might tell a story to illustrate a math concept. For example, in first grade, if the class is learning basic addition, the story might be about a squirrel gathering nuts, and he has five nuts in his whole already and then finds four nuts on a tree, two nuts on the path, and six nuts in a farmer's wagon. The story would be much more vivid and colorful--not just a glorified story problem, but a real animal fable or fairy tale (gnomes are often used as characters in the math stories), and the math concept would not be spelled out overtly during this story; it would be drawn upon later to bring the concept to life.
After the story, the children might make a drawing for their main lesson books. These are large blank books which the children fill with pictures and text, sort of creating their own textbooks. The math main lesson books usually have drawings of the figures from the stories--the squirrels, or the math gnomes, or whatever--and often you'll see a big drawing on one side and then the addition facts or mult. tables written out (in bright colors, very artistically) next to the drawing. Again, this is all done by the children. Google "waldorf math main lesson" and you'll find many examples.
In the older grades, these drawings give way to elaborate and beautiful geometric shapes and patterns.
Third grade has a measuring block, I believe, and the children begin with measuring their hands, arms, height, and then move to measuring the rooms of the house and beyond.
Christopherus Homeschool Resources has some great info on math & other subjects.
Hope this is helpful! 
__________________
Lissa
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
Leonie
Forum All-Star
Joined: Jan 28 2005
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2831
|
| Posted: June 04 2007 at 5:48pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Nice explanation, Lissa. And thanks for voicing your concerns, Holly.
We like parts of Waldorf - the emphasis on art and nature, the interesting main lessons, esecially in Maths. But we don't subscribe to the philosophy and theory. I think one can use parts of this and parts of that in one's Catholic homeschool - actually, the Church has often done this very thing, through the ages.
I have been more careful in a school setting,and in homeschool co-ops, when teaching - the children are one step removed from their family and I am aware that families have different standards.
But in our own home, a little bit of Waldorf ( and CM and classical ed and unschooling) seems to work...
I forgot about the Christopherus Homeschool Resources site - I have spent time in the past, perusing their ideas.  Thanks for the reminder - Rox, some nice resources there for Maths.
__________________
Leonie in Sydney
Living Without School
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
chicken lady
Forum All-Star
Joined: Feb 27 2005
Location: N/A
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 2315
|
| Posted: June 04 2007 at 7:20pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Thanks Lissa for the link to your blog! I love much of Waldorf, I have read and studied alot about Rudolf Steiner, and much as you have concluded I have as well.
I think Willa had some good links to Waldorf sites.....WILLA are you out there?????
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
hopalenik
Forum Pro
Joined: Nov 17 2006
Location: Connecticut
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 230
|
| Posted: June 07 2007 at 11:38am | IP Logged
|
|
|
Hi,
My concerns just stem from some very disturbing experiences that a friend of mine encountered and she rues the day that she ever got involved witht the program. I was very interested in the Waldorf thing as being complementary to Charlotte Mason several years back but I can not get past the disturbing things that went on in one particular school and how many wierd things happened to this family after they pulled their own children out of said school. They may have some wonderful ideas but I feel that everyone should hunt around Waldorf schools/sites with their eyes wide open....
Holly
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
florasita
Forum All-Star
Joined: April 06 2007
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 907
|
| Posted: June 07 2007 at 6:38pm | IP Logged
|
|
|
Yes I absolutly know what waldorf is in fact I have written very much about new age cautions etc. on my blog .
It is nice to see concern for others regading this as many are not aware of it .
I am a missionary who's work is intercession / protection beleive me I know the cautions and practice of prudence big time ! 
I am just looking to use the way of math instruction not taking on the religious philosphies of anthroposophy
which some waldorf people say is not a subsitute for religion . To know the fine line is not always clear to people .
I am fully aware of how subtle evil can creep in etc.
I'm a person who could very easily end u running after fairies all day if I didn't follow spiritual direction and know how to properly discern
Waldorf is not a cult . Are there messed up people using the waldorf methods and philosophies .Of course there are . There are really wicked catholics . Really wicked wiccans etc. We cannot label and put people into boxes . Beleive me I know people within our church we should be really careful of who are not nice people and if people knew what they are capale of would probably want them shot . Is it because they are catholic ? Being catholic or waldorf etc. is not what makes a person messed up .
This was about math . back on track Roxie
Yes I think it absolutly we should educate each other if not quite sure . take it from someone whose been there and done it though when we are meant to warn others they don't always wanna hear it
__________________
May I rise & rest with words of Gratitude on my Breath
May I have the Heart & Mind of a Child in my Depth
May I forever remember to be a Light
May Peace Love & Hope be My Sight
|
| Back to Top |
|
| |
|
|
4Real Forums : Living and Loving Numbers
Topic: waldorf math anyone used this ?
