MAR 30 – APR 14: Centro de Terapia Antroposófica, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, Spain. In Search of Self-Renewal: Eurythmy Retreat and Nature Drawing with therapeutic eurythmist & artist Jason Yates and Sarnia Guiton. 604-740-0676 sarnia@sophiaservices.ca www.sophiaservices.ca --- In Search of Self-Renewal – a eurythmy retreat in the Canary Islands – March 30 to April 14, 2016 --- Balancing the artistic practices of eurythmy and nature drawing, this retreat will focus on developing practical methods for self-renewal. The Canary Islands are a Spanish archipelago located 62 miles (100 km) west of the southern coast of Morocco. We will visit several of these islands before and after our retreat on Lanzarote – Gran Canaria, Fuerteventura, Tenerife and La Gomera. The Centro de Terapia Antroposófica on the island of Lanzarote is well established and offers many facilities and therapeutic services. In Gran Canaria we stay at Anatot, an organic, small farm with rustic, simple lodging, authentic to the Canary Islands; in Tenerife at Hacienda Cristofero, an anthroposophical center with many facilities. There are a maximum of 22 places available and a minimum of 10 needed to be financially viable. Contact: Sarnia Guiton – 604-740-0676 – sarnia@sophiaservices.ca
AUG 4 – 20: A Kenyan Eco-Safari -Through Goethe’s Eyes with naturalists Mark Riegner & Anthony Mwaura, arranged by Sarnia Guiton. 604-740-0676 sarnia@sophiaservices.ca www.prestigeholidayskenya.com www.sophiaservices.ca. A Kenyan Eco-Safari … Through Goethe's Eyes --- August 4 to 20, 2016. Join Prescott College environmental studies professor and naturalist Mark Riegner, Ph.D. of The Nature Institute, local safari guide and naturalist Anthony Mwaura, and group leader Sarnia Guiton, on a 16-day Safari in Kenya. This is an exciting opportunity to experience and study in depth the wildlife on safari in the East African environment, focusing on the study of form, structure, pattern and metamorphosis of animals, birds and plants, applying methods developed by Goethe. We will try to imagine, and even emulate, how Goethe would have experienced nature in East Africa. This trip will be especially valuable to Waldorf teachers and anyone who has an interest in holistic science. Contact: Sarnia Guiton – 604-740-0676 – sarnia@sophiaservices.ca
PublicationsA Maypole Dream by Marjorie Rehbach and Christine Nietert. 50% off and free shipping to US addresses. International shipping only $5 (USD). More ... Courses and Programs20% off tuition for Sophia Institute courses and programs! Valid November 21 through December 31, 2015, midnight PDT). Get 20% off any Sophia Institute courses and programs when you enroll during the promotional period. To receive the 20% off tuition enter promo code PROMO2015/20%OFF in the comment section of the Sophia Institute enrollment form. This promotion applies to either the regular tuition rate or the prepaid/discounted tuition rate. Chapter 3 of The First Three Years of the Child by Karl Koenig deals with the mystery of developing thinking on the basis of having acquired the ability to speak.
One of the most amazing aspects of this subject is the fact that we develop our thinking and ultimately also our logic through the medium of language. If we concern ourselves with languages we find that each one has not only its own unique vocabulary, but also its own unique structure, grammatical rules, and logic. Think for instance of the relative simplicity and straightforwardness of the English language with its preference for short and clear sentences. On the other hand the German language, as another example, and interestingly considered to have the same roots as English, has the tendency to create lengthy, but logically sequenced, sentences, often interrupted or - as the case may be, enhanced - by little side notes or anecdotal aspects, then, as if by necessity, ending with the verb or perhaps the explanation, which gives the whole convoluted thing its sense and meaning, possibly evidenced with this very sentence just given. The Spanish language, to mention another example, shows the strong tendency to being expressive and full of soul and feeling, while clearly showing the strict logic pointing back to the Latin language roots of the Roman times. Depending on our native language we develop our own personal logic and way of thinking - an important insight that we should cherish in our time where we are meant to be engaged with people from other cultures than our own as one of the aspects of the Michaelic Age that we live in according to Anthroposophy. In addition to these thoughts about languages it is helpful and perhaps extremely important when working with many of today’s children to realize that some children (and adults) think as it were “in pictures”. This thinking in pictures can be regarded as another language or perhaps as a synthesis of languages, and we need to be aware that it does have its own logic and sequencing that might be different from what we are used to. Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is a gifted animal scientist who has designed one third of all the livestock-handling facilities in the United States. She also lectures widely on autism—because Temple Grandin is autistic, a woman who thinks, feels, and experiences the world in ways that are incomprehensible to the rest of us. Temple Grandin states in Thinking in Pictures the following: “I THINK IN PICTURES. Words are like a second language to me. I translate both spoken and written words into full-color movies, complete with sound, which run like a VCR tape in my head. When somebody speaks to me, his words are instantly translated into pictures. Language-based thinkers often find this phenomenon difficult to understand, but in my job as an equipment designer for the livestock industry, visual thinking is a tremendous advantage. Visual thinking has enabled me to build entire systems in my imagination. During my career I have designed all kinds of equipment, ranging from corrals for handling cattle on ranches to systems for handling cattle and hogs during veterinary procedures and slaughter. I have worked for many major livestock companies. In fact, one third of the cattle and hogs in the United States are handled in equipment I have designed. Some of the people I've worked for don't even know that their systems were designed by someone with autism. I value my ability to think visually, and I would never want to lose it. One of the most profound mysteries of autism has been the remarkable ability of most autistic people to excel at visual spatial skills while performing so poorly at verbal skills. When I was a child and a teenager, I thought everybody thought in pictures. I had no idea that my thought processes were different. In fact, I did not realize the full extent of the differences until very recently. At meetings and at work I started asking other people detailed questions about how they accessed information from their memories. From their answers I learned that my visualization skills far exceeded those of most other people.” In early November, the Lantern Walk affirms symbolically that light can continue to shine even as the light and warmth of the sun are waning. Now light and warmth come more from our homes, and from the fellowship of friends and family. Carrying a light into the darkness in the company of others – as we do during the Lantern Walk – can be reassuring.
American Waldorf schools have adopted the Lantern Walk tradition from its European heritage. The walk is celebrated around the time of Martinmas, November 11. From France comes the legend of St. Martin, who as a young man passed under an archway in the city of Amiens and found a destitute beggar there. Martin tore his own cape in half, to cover and warm the beggar. After a dream the following night, Martin was convinced he was to devote his life in service of all humankind, and became the patron saint of beggars and outcasts. A gentle and unassuming man, he brought light and warmth to all those whose lives he touched, hence his association with the lantern. In third grade, through the themes of creation stories, house building, and farming, the children are brought literally down to the earth in their education. The students themselves bring a special blend of capability and innocence, plus a powerful energy for work. Enthusiasm, from the Greek word meaning “infused with divine spirit,” is the quintessential third grade characteristic.
The students are connected to all that surrounds them in the world, yet they experience a profound change in their inner lives during “the nine-year change.” The preeminent mode of learning up until this age is imitation, where the child primarily replicates what teachers do and say. The child begins to experience a new emergence of self wherein s/he becomes and feels more separate and distinct, more an individual. With this change, the child can be more objective and critical, but also experiences a period of separation and loneliness. The curriculum for the third grade is designed to help the child stand as an individual on the Earth, confident of his or her ability to become a valued member of the human community. The stories of the Old Testament provide a metaphoric picture for the child of the separation from the parental home (Garden of Eden) and of the ability to make one’s way in the world through individual good deeds and the laws of the community (Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil). During these language arts blocks, students are introduced to the parts of speech in grammar, spelling, and cursive writing to facilitate their own independent writing skills. They typically learn Hebrew as part of their study of the Hebrew legends as well. On the practical side, the themes of house building and farming show the child how basic human needs are met on this Earth. The solidity of the foundation of a house, the firmness of the floor joints and the uprightness of the stud walls give the child a picture for his or her own development. Likewise, the farming block creates a picture of the bounty of the Earth and of the human responsibility to care for our collective home. Children study how human shelters have been made by many cultures. The native American way of life is especially interesting for students at this age. The study of measurement in the mathematics curriculum allows the children to discover how human beings orient themselves on the Earth. The children learn about the earliest attempts to mark the passage of time by watching the cycles of nature to the later inventions of the water clock and sundial, which they may construct as a class. How distance is related to the measurements in the human body (e.g., the king’s foot being “a foot”) is a fascinating discovery for how the human being is truly the “measure for all things.” Further topics in mathematics include carrying and borrowing, number patterns, and word problems. Rhythmic math movement work also continues. They also learn about money and currency through the stories they hear and may open their own market for the school to visit. Later in sixth grade, business math will leverage this foundational learning. In music, the children begin singing rounds and playing a stringed instrument, as well as the soprano recorder. In the arts and handwork, the children spin fleece into yarn, and continue painting, crayon drawing and modeling with clay. In handwork class, the students learn to crochet their flute cases and further develop dexterity of fingers and flexibility of hands. German and Spanish continue with stories and much more complex games, rapidly expanding vocabulary to hundreds of words. Lessons are filled with conversation. The class play, related to their studies and intended to bring forth each student’s innate gifts, is shared with the school community. |
Sophia Institute offers a variety of programs, courses, publications and other resources to anyone interested in Anthroposophy and Waldorf/Steiner inspired education. Currently there are students from all over the world enrolled in the Sophia Institute online courses. Sophia Institute publications are available worldwide. The Sophia Institute newsletter and blog provide insights and information concerning the work of Anthroposophical initiatives, Waldorf/Steiner Schools, the Camphill Movement, and related endeavors. More ...
|