Courses, Electives & Seminars
Morning Course 2012
Parzival
Eric Muller
To us it is given at no stage ever to rest.
- Rudolf Steiner
Rudolf Steiner considered Parzival by Wolfram von Eshcenbach to be one of the most important and profound epics ever written. It is taught in every Waldorf high school in the 11th grade. During this course, we will explore the following questions: Who was Parzival? What makes this medieval masterpiece so relevant to our time? How does it inform the art of teaching? What pedagogical insights can we gain from Parzival? Why is Parzival taught in the 11th grade? What does a Parzival main lesson look like? What is the Grail? How can Parzival’s journey support our own individual spiritual quest? What is the difference between the Grail Stream and the Arthurian Stream?
These are only some of the questions we will pursue. This course will be valuable for those wishing to deepen their understanding of spiritual development, as well as those intending to teach Parzival in a Waldorf high school. It is not essential to have read Parzival, though it is helpful (we suggest the Penguin edition).
Electives 2012
Stained Glass — Lawre Stone
Stone Carving — Patrick Stolfo
Painting — Martina A. Muller
To Infinity and Beyond: Projective Geometry — Karen Sipe
Drawing — Martina A. Muller
Handwork — Almuth Kretz
Descriptions
Painting Course
Martina Angela Muller
Evolution and change underlie any developmental process: the human biography, the realization of an idea, a path of initiation as in the tale of Parzival. In this course we will work on form and color sequences as they metamorphose through stages of becoming, awakening, realization, maturity and finally dissolving. We will work with oils and acrylics on long, narrow wood panels and paper. No previous experience is necessary.
From Color to Form
Martina Angela Muller
In this drawing course, we will work on drawing with colored mediums like pastels, chalks and colored pencils. We will start with color sketches in nature and work towards creation of imagery that could be used for black board drawing and other curriculum related illustrative needs. Character of color, color blends, composition, and basics of human, animal and plant forms will be covered that will culminate in creating one large colored image at the end of the course.
To Infinity and Beyond
Karen Sipe
Projective Geometry, taught in most Waldorf high schools in the 11th grade, teaches the student as much about geometry as helping them discover who they are. What is this concept of infinity? How can the student relate to it? During this session, themes of connectedness, relations between unique and separate points, and the beauty that they offer will be explored. Bring an open mind and a sharp pencil.
Stained Glass
Lawre Stone
Stained glass is a wonderful arts block to accompany the Waldorf high school 11th grade curriculum, which focuses on Medieval History, Parzival and the exploration of the inner life of the human being. This class will explore the techniques and artistry of traditional stained glass. Students will use the copper foil method to create an individual panel approximately 12” wide. Concepts and techniques will include: 2-dimensional design principals, color selection, pattern making, cutting and shaping of glass, foiling and soldering. If enrollment is sufficient, kiln-fused glass techniques will be included. This class will run during both the morning and afternoon sessions.
Stone Carving
Patrick Stolfo
Participants will choose a 12-20 lb. piece of alabaster from which to begin the sculptural steps that include chiseling, rasping, sanding, and polishing. Softer than marble, this stone varies dramatically in color and grain. Stone carving calls forth a unique process of intuitive exploration in ‘discovering the form that lies dormant within it’. The sculptor listens, while the stone speaks. Tools and other materials will be provided. Please note that both morning and afternoon sessions must be elected.
Seminars 2012
Early Childhood Development and Pedagogy — Andree Ward
Remembering Ourselves: Teaching High School History — Stephen Sagarin
Developing Clarity of Thought: Number and Geometry in the Waldorf Curriculum — Karen Sipe
Descriptions
Early Childhood Development and Pedagogy
Andree Ward
What are the essentials of Waldorf Early Childhood Education? What guides the teacher in her daily work with the children in her care? Is there a specific curriculum or activities that make the program a “Waldorf” program? Or, are there more fundamental insights that make a Waldorf education possible in any culture or setting? In the words of Rudolf Steiner, “Essentially, there is no education other than self-education...”
In this seminar, we will build an overview of Waldorf Early Childhood Education and the self-education of both the children and the teacher. This course will serve as an introduction to Waldorf Early Childhood Education in general and as an introduction to the Alkion Center's Early Childhood Specialization in the Teacher Training Course. If enough people register, we also have the possibility of working with Channah Seidenberg, a master teacher of voice and lyre, who will work with us on Steiner's indications about music with young children in “the mood of the fifth”.
Remembering Ourselves - Teaching History in High School
Stephen Keith Sagarin
According to Owen Barfield, it is through the study of history that we “re-member” ourselves, embedding ourselves in the life of humanity in a way analogous to the way our individual memories give meaning to our individual lives. Without memory, we are adrift as individuals; without history we are adrift as a society. Waldorf high schools teach history in two streams: First, the history of the world from ancient times through modern times, and, second, the cultural history of the Western world through the histories of art, technology, drama, language, music, and architecture. We will tackle history teaching according to the concept of a development or evolution of consciousness. Historical artifacts and events are seen, then, as symptomatic of this development.
Developing Clarity of Thought - Number and Geometry in the Waldorf School
Karen Sipe
Exploring mathematics from counting to calculus. Curriculum and classroom practices throughout the grades, explored in dialogue with participants.