Public Waldorf Education and Teach Unicef on educational reform strategies

"Our highest endeavor must be to develop free human beings who are able, of themselves, to impart purpose and direction to their lives."

Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925) 

After reading about two websites with educational reform strategies, one being the Alliance for Public Waldorf Education and another being Teach Unicef.

The Alliance for Public Waldorf Education or APWE's main reform agenda includes reforming educational curriculum to focus on Rudolf Steiner's educational methodology. One of the beliefs is that students should not be taught technological literacy in schools until sixth grade because of the need for young kids' brains to gradually develop in cognitive and socio-emotional ways that face to face relationships provide. They believe in relationship building through hands-on learning, creative play, visual and dramatic arts, music, exploration in nature, and movement. It provides teachers with materials for whole child assessment. They also are working towards implementing Waldorf programs and opening public Waldorf schools.

The Teach Unicef program is an initiative to inform educators on global learning and citizenship. It offers in class student workshops to teach them of the need for humanitarian action in the world and issues of human and child rights, while teachers receive student magazines, lesson plans, and webinars.

I support the agendas of both of these organizations because I believe in the necessity for children to form positive personal relationships in schools and classrooms off the screen, and to spend substantial time in movement, physical activity, arts learning, and time in nature. I think that children will adapt to technology just as quickly at 11 years old, as they would at 5 years old. I think there is no reason to rush this immersion. I also believe that Waldorf education would widely benefit communities, and allow children access to more holistic learning that is not currently provided in most public curriculums, while at the same time meeting national and state standards.

I also support the UNICEF program because it is so important that we raise students to be conscious, compassionate, and mindful consumers and global citizens, and learning how many of our actions and purchases affect other children and people worldwide.