How do we meet the child in a technological world?

In this episode, Mrs Janet Barry speaks to our School Coordinator, Mr William Bester, about how Waldorf education strives to meet the needs of today's children in a technologically driven world.

 In a world increasingly shaped by technology, how do we meet the needs of the child? This episode explores the impact of technology on child development from a Waldorf perspective. We discuss how technology can dull the human faculties needed for healthy growth—such as imagination, empathy, and connection—and how Waldorf education strives to counterbalance these effects. Join us as we examine ways to foster human connection, critical thinking, and emotional development, while still recognising the role of technology in our lives. Discover how Waldorf education offers a path forward in nurturing conscious individuals through dynamic education in the digital age. 

We hope that you are able to learn a bit more about how Michael Mount Waldorf School nurtures conscious, creative, independent thinkers who are prepared for life. Please share this episode with others who are interested in a holistic education for their children.

Transcript

PODCAST, EPISODE 5: HOW DO WE MEET THE CHILD IN A TECHNOLOGICAL WORLD?
William Bester and Janet Barry

How do we meet the Michael Mount child in a technology-driven world? 

The growth in technology in recent years has been exponential – and the challenge to us as educators in schools is to navigate our approach to technology in a way that does not undermine the very principles with which we are trying to work. For that reason, we need to first understand what the effect of technology is on the human being. In Waldorf schools, we should not be having the conversation about whether to embrace technology or not. Instead, the question needs to be – what do we do to support the healthy development of the child in a technological world? 

So, how does technology affect the child’s development? 

If one looks at early child development, the small child learns through imitation and relationships. Young children form concepts through their experiences and interactions with the world. Therefore, if a parent is always seen on their smartphone or if the child is on an iPad, we need to ask ourselves what concepts of life they will begin to formulate. How will this affect their lives later on? 

In our Waldorf early childhood classes, we nurture the bodily senses. If the child is bound by screens and technology, one begins to see a deficit in physical development. As a result, they will not be able access imagination which later translates into individual thinking in the Primary School, which will impact their relationship-forming and their ability to interact with other human beings. What we are seeing in the High School particularly, is that students are suffering increasingly from depression and anxiety. Many are putting out an image to the world on social media that is unrealistic. It is about “my picture” of life which creates a disconnect in true human reality and an inability to see the effect of their actions on other human beings. In effect, what technology does, is that it dulls the human being’s ability to develop human faculties in a balanced way. So, the very thing we are trying to develop in Waldorf schools – learning through connection, relationships, and experience – becomes dulled from a very early age. 

So how do we address these concerns within an educational setting?  

The question for a Waldorf school is not about whether we should embrace technology. Our children are born into it, and we cannot stand in opposition of it. However, it is our mission to produce a consciousness of what moments in our curriculum we need to create in order to balance the negative effects of technology. How do we develop feelings as an instrument of perception? How do we develop empathy to know what is needed in the world? Yes, we all use ChatGPT, social media platforms, Zoom, and other technological offerings in our lives as valuable tools, but what we have to focus on is strengthening the critical thinking, physical, emotional, social and moral development of the young human being. We need to rely on intuition and imagination for human growth and development. We need to create processes in the classroom where our children can meet and perceive the other. Schools need to assess differently – Waldorf schools test understanding, not content. In essence, we need to develop human connection thereby we stand for the imperative of humanness. 

How is Waldorf education at the forefront of these efforts? 

Waldorf education is more current now than ever. It is the soft skills, the human qualities, that will be the valuable resources of future generations. This positioning on technology is no longer considered alternative thinking. It is a topic being discussed worldwide as we see the rise in anxiety and depression in our young adults. 

What is important to us, is to consider the appropriate milestones when introducing technology to our children and to moderate their use of technology. This needs to be done while striving to preserve each child’s sense of self in the world and ensure that we develop well-rounded human beings equipped for this new world of digitalisation. In essence, we teach children to use technology, we don’t use technology to teach children.