A few days ago a story on the cover of The New York Times profiled a school in Silicon Valley that eschews technology. Wait, parents who are on the forefront of the technology revolution choosing to send their children to a school that is technology free? Why?
The Waldorf School of the Pennisula (one of close to 200 Waldorf schools in this country) has a teaching philosophy that focuses on creative, hands-on learning. While most educational institutions in our country have rushed to put technology in every classroom, followers of the Waldorf approach feel that computers inhibit creative thinking, physical activity, attention spans and guess what? Social skills!
So many children with special needs miss the social clues surrounding their interactions with their peers. They are excluded from groups. They are unable to establish long-lasting friendships. They have difficulty tracking group conversations. They stand too close, they stand too far, and they stand in the middle! How can these children begin to solve this mystery?
