Organization of learning environment in Waldorf schools. Pedagogical inspirations for early school education

The educational ideology presented by Rudolf Steiner has both ardent supporters and opponents. But without a doubt it can be an inspiration to change the way of thinking about the way the learning environment is organized. Despite the lapse of many years since its inception, Steiner’s pedagogy has not lost its appeal and can provide a valuable source for the construction of modern holistic constructivist education, according to which the student is not only active but also becomes a partner of the teacher in the process of developing their knowledge, skills and socio-emotional resources. The article presents the assumptions of Steiner’s education in the perspective of the two most important areas of organization of the learning environment: the role of the teacher and the methodology of work. Through analysis of the texts, the method of organization of the educational process will be presented, which can be used in elementary schools in grades 1-3.

I Am that I Am: Subjectivity and World View in the Science Fictions of Philip K. Dick

<p>In this account of American science fiction writer Philip K. Dick's work, the aim has been to describe the involvement of assumptions inherited from philosophical and scientific discourse in both the understanding and experience of subjectivity. It is argued that Dick's representations of identity both picture the tensions engendered by the prevalent reality standard with which he had to deal and, in their development, come to articulate a path beyond the impasse this standard presents. The fundamental insufficiency of the world view Dick's fiction both encounters and embodies is epitomised by the twin questions with which he characterised his work: 'what is human?' and 'what is real?' In coming to terms with the significance of these questions the work of the Austrian philosopher and scientist Rudolf Steiner has been engaged as a critical foil to Dick's fictionalising. Special attention is given to the epistemological basis of Steiner's anthroposophy and its account of the world and our peculiar situation in it that, far from asserting any external and unvarying standard of truth, describes a process essentially evolutionary and unfixed. It is claimed that in Steiner, as in Dick, the human contribution to both identity and reality constitutes the validity of each, a matrix of subject and object from which one's self is delivered, in each instance a new beginning.</p>

I Am that I Am: Subjectivity and World View in the Science Fictions of Philip K. Dick

<p>In this account of American science fiction writer Philip K. Dick's work, the aim has been to describe the involvement of assumptions inherited from philosophical and scientific discourse in both the understanding and experience of subjectivity. It is argued that Dick's representations of identity both picture the tensions engendered by the prevalent reality standard with which he had to deal and, in their development, come to articulate a path beyond the impasse this standard presents. The fundamental insufficiency of the world view Dick's fiction both encounters and embodies is epitomised by the twin questions with which he characterised his work: 'what is human?' and 'what is real?' In coming to terms with the significance of these questions the work of the Austrian philosopher and scientist Rudolf Steiner has been engaged as a critical foil to Dick's fictionalising. Special attention is given to the epistemological basis of Steiner's anthroposophy and its account of the world and our peculiar situation in it that, far from asserting any external and unvarying standard of truth, describes a process essentially evolutionary and unfixed. It is claimed that in Steiner, as in Dick, the human contribution to both identity and reality constitutes the validity of each, a matrix of subject and object from which one's self is delivered, in each instance a new beginning.</p>

Abrechnungsempfehlung Anthroposophische Medizin

SummaryDie Anthroposophische Medizin (AM) gehört zu den Therapieverfahren der Besonderen Therapierichtungen. Sie wurde vor 100 Jahren von der Ärztin Dr. med. Ita Wegman und Dr. phil. Rudolf Steiner, dem Begründer der Anthroposophie, entwickelt.

A Educação Financeira Escolar no 6º ano do Ensino Fundamental em uma Escola Waldorf

Este artigo busca apresentar uma investigação, realizada no âmbito de um mestrado profissional, sobre a educação financeira escolar em uma escola Waldorf no 6º ano do ensino fundamental nas aulas de Matemática desta turma. Realizou-se uma pesquisa qualitativa com um estudo de caso com registros em um caderno de campo, entrevistas semiestruturadas, análise documental e observação participante. Como fundamentação teórica utilizou-se os trabalhos de Rudolf Steiner para compreender a Pedagogia Waldorf e o ensino e a aprendizagem de Matemática e Educação Financeira. A pesquisa ainda contou com a realização de um trabalho de campo, em uma escola Waldorf do estado de Minas Gerais. Como resultado da pesquisa e com a intenção de propor diretrizes aos professores, foi produzido um produto educacional para a Educação Financeira Escolar no 6º ano do ensino fundamental.

The “Christology” of Bely the Anthroposophist: Andrei Bely, Rudolf Steiner, and the Apostle Paul

The article focuses on R. Steiner’s perception of the Gospels and the impact of that view on Bely’s works. The latter had always valued Steiner’s lectures on Christ and the Fifth Gospel, the “Anthroposophic” (relating to the philosophy of human genesis, existence, and outcome) Gospel, the knowledge of which had been received in a visionary way. In addition, Bely was an esoteric follower of Steiner and often quoted from Apostle Paul’s 2 Corinthians, “Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men”. The citation occurs in Bely’s philosophical works (The History of the Formation of the Self-Conscious Soul, “Crisis of Consciousness”), autobiographic prose (Reminiscences of Steiner), the essay “Why I Became a Symbolist…”, and letters (to Ivanov-Razumnik and Fedor Gladkov). Bely’s own anthroposophic and esoteric ideas relating to the gospel sayings are also examined. The aim of the research is to show through the example of one quotation the specifics of Bely the Anthroposophist’s perception of Christian texts in general. This provides a methodological meaning for understanding other Biblical quotations and images in the works of Bely because anthroposophical Christology is also the key to their deciphering.

Atividades Artísticas e Artesanais na perspectiva da Pedagogia Waldorf

O presente estudo explorou no discurso da Pedagogia Waldorf a possibilidade de uma educação voltada para o futuro do ser humano, baseado na própria propositura, que é a de capacitar o sujeito para o enfrentamento dos desafios do mundo contemporâneo, integrando ciência e arte por meio de atividades educativas, práticas artísticas e artesanais, harmonizando as forças do pensar, sentir e fazer. O objetivo deste estudo foi o de verificar a relação entre o interesse despertado pelas atividades artísticas e artesanais em relação à formação de atitudes individuais que expressem criatividade, organização e colaboração, em um grupo de alunos matriculados no período da manhã no Ensino Fundamental I regular em uma cidade pequena do interior paulista que no contra turno escolar, frequentam um projeto educacional, com base nessa orientação pedagógica. Como referencial teórico, apoiamo-nos em Rudolf Steiner (2005;2015), Schiller (1990), Lanz (1990,2003,2005), Hahn (2007) e Walter Benjamin (2014).

Influence of Alternative Lifestyles on Antibiotic Use during Pregnancy, Lactation and in Children

Alternative lifestyles are likely to be associated with distinct usage of specific medicinal products. Our goal was to find out whether the intake of antibiotics during pregnancy and by children differs according to whether the mothers have alternative or conventional lifestyles. Therefore, we investigated the use of antibiotics by pregnant women and by children up to 11 years of age participating in the KOALA Birth Cohort Study. This cohort comprises two recruitment groups of mother–infant pairs, one with alternative lifestyles (selected via organic food shops, anthroposophic clinicians and midwives, anthroposophic under-five clinics, Rudolf Steiner schools and relevant magazines, n = 491) the other with conventional lifestyles (no selection based on lifestyle, n = 2343). Mothers in the alternative lifestyle group more frequently adhered to specific living rules and identified themselves with anthroposophy more than mothers in the conventional lifestyle group. The results revealed significant differences in antibiotic use during pregnancy and in children from 3 months to 10 years of age between the two groups. The rate of antibiotic use in children was consistently lower in the alternative lifestyle group than in the conventional lifestyle group. Antibiotic use in pregnancy was higher in low educated women, and maternal antibiotic use during lactation was higher after an instrumented delivery in hospital. Antibiotic use in the infant was higher when they had older sibs or were born in hospital, and lower in those who had been longer breastfed. After adjustment for these factors, the differences in antibiotic use between the alternative and conventional groups remained. The results suggest that an alternative lifestyle is associated with cautious antibiotic use during pregnancy, lactation and in children.

Revisiting the original reasons for excluding inorganic fertilizers in organic farming—Why the ban is not consistent with our current scientific understanding

This paper reviews the original reasons of the organic farming movement for excluding mineral (inorganic) fertilizers. In this paper, their theories and decision criteria for excluding use of inorganic fertilizers in crop production were revisited. Original reasons for banning inorganic fertilizers were subjected to scientific scrutiny, which was not possible when they were formulated 50–100 years ago due to limited knowledge of the soil-crop system. The original reasons were as follows: Rudolf Steiner, the founder of biodynamic farming, played down the physical role of plant nutrients and pointed out “flow of forces” as being most important for soils and crops. Eve Balfour and Albert Howard, founders of the Soil Association in England, claimed that inorganic fertilizer increases the breakdown of humus in soil, leading to a decline in soil fertility. Hans-Peter Rusch, the founder of biological organic farming, considered inorganic fertilizers to be imbalanced products not matching crop composition and not in synchrony with crop demand. When testing these historical statements as scientific hypotheses, older and modern scientific literature was used for validation. Steiner’s belief about the “flow of forces” has not be verified using current methodologies. The claim by Balfour and Howard that inorganic fertilizers accelerate soil organic matter decomposition is not substantiated by data from long-term field experiments on carbon and nitrogen cycling in soil-plant systems. The statement by Rusch that inorganic fertilizers supply crops inappropriately is difficult to uphold, as the composition, time, and rate of application and the placement of fertilizer in soil or on foliage can be fully adapted to crop requirements. In light of accumulated scientific evidence, the original arguments lack validity. The decision to ban inorganic fertilizers in organic farming is inconsistent with our current scientific understanding. Scientific stringency requires principles found to be erroneous to be abandoned.