Media Mindfulness
Waldorf education produces graduates who are grounded in foundational childhood experiences of play, discovery, and social interaction, who can use what they’ve learned from those experiences for the rest of their lives.
Why are Waldorf schools concerned with media mindfulness?
The curriculum in a Waldorf school has always been cutting-edge in its intentional nurturing of the feeling life of children. Waldorf teachers create a mood of concentration, openness, and receptivity in the classroom, which demands not only the full attention of the teacher but also the united effort of a class.
This shared effort allows the curriculum to touch the hearts, as well as engage the minds and hands, of the students. Our teachers’ experience is that exposure to electronic media impacts students’ ability to join in this engaged mood in the classroom and decreases children’s ability to sustain an imaginative train of thought. Exposure to ready-made images reduces the child’s ability to visualize inwardly in response to written or spoken stories and information, limiting their ability to form their own pictures and respond creatively to the world.
Today, when we are surrounded by digitally mediated experiences, Waldorf teachers are particularly conscious about ensuring that students have daily experiences, in the classroom and the natural world, that support their full development: intellectual, emotional, spiritual, and physical. In doing so, Waldorf education produces graduates who are grounded in foundational childhood experiences of play, discovery, and social interaction, who can use what they’ve learned from those experiences for the rest of their lives.
What does media mindfulness mean in a Waldorf context?
This is a question for many parents considering Waldorf schools, as well as many parents whose children already attend Waldorf schools. Every Waldorf school has its own practices and policies with regard to the use of digital media. At the Waldorf School of Philadelphia, we ask parents to consider whether to expose younger children to any media, and to limit older children’s screen time on school nights.
We appreciate the challenges that such decisions involve, and we recognize that it is a privilege to delay media usage. We support parents making the transition to less media exposure, encouraging them to talk to teachers and fellow parents who often have helpful insights and experiences to share. We actively cultivate a transparent, collaborative culture that respects each family’s freedom while recognizing the impact each family’s choices have on a class community.
When do Waldorf students begin using electronic media?
Waldorf education protects childhood by prioritizing real-world experiences in children’s formative years. Throughout Early Childhood and the Grades, Waldorf school students are learning to live and work together in community. They’re developing and practicing capacities they will need forever, including creativity, collaboration, and empathy. We teach students to think for themselves before they begin to use digital media and devices, so that they develop habits of curiosity and independent thought.
We don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but we know that life skills like problem-solving and resilience will be necessary. We want students to speculate and form their own hypothesis before rushing to find an answer online. In our middle school, students take classes in digital citizenship and begin to understand media literacy, the lasting impact of online activities, cyberbullying, and the concept of a digital footprint.
Computers and other digital technology are useful tools. We recognize their centrality in the lives of teens and adults, and know from experience that our graduates step into digital life easily in high school, given their foundation in real-world-experiences, strong self-awareness, and critical thinking skills. Our media mindfulness approach enables students to develop a healthy relationship to digital media and technology when they understand the tools and can use them with maturity, in balance with other parts of their lives.
Sources and resources:
healthychildren.org from the American Academy of Pediatrics