Workshops/Seminars
Workshops based on the MLA/WER approach
All workshops and material are appropriate for public schools
(not all courses are available at this time).
Introduction
The following describes courses of study that are available for teachers who wish to study the MLA/WER approach. The approach is divided into three areas (Child Development, Methodology of Teaching and Curriculum). The first two of these concentrate mainly on theory, the third on practice although all courses are “hands-on” and are practical in design and execution.
All courses concerned with the MLA/WER curriculum incorporate non-intrusive techniques for monitoring students’ progress.
All courses are based on 15 hours or one unit of university credit. The content is however in modular format enabling teachers to select subject matter according to their specialism or areas in which they require training.
Introduction to MLA/WER Education 15 hours 1 unit
Stages of Child Development 15 hours 1 unit
Methodology of Teaching – The Temperaments 15 hours 1 unit
Structure and Organization 15 hours 1 unit
Storytelling – The MLA/WER Approach 15 hours 1 unit
(Storytelling also available as 3 or 6 Units courses)
The MLA/WER Curriculum – Overview 15 hours 1 unit
Learning to Write and Read 15 hours 1 unit
Teaching Arithmetic – The MLA/WER Approach 15 hours 1 unit
Teaching Geometry – The MLA/WER Approach 15 hours 1 unit
Teaching History – The MLA/WER Approach 15 hours 1 unit
Teaching Language Arts – The MLA/WER Approach 15 hours 1 unit
Teaching Science – The MLA/WER Approach 15 hours 1 unit
Teaching Art, Craft and Music – The MLA/WER Approach 15 hours 1 unit
Environmental Arts 15 hours 1 unit
Sequences in Nature 15 hours 1 unit
Kindergarten – The MLA/WER Approach 15 hours 1 unit
Independent Study (in 3 unit blocks) 45 hours 3 units
Introduction to MLA/WER Education (15 hours – 1 unit)
This unit provides an overall view of the MLA/WER approach to teaching and learning. It enables the student to experience individual aspects of the approach within the context of the whole. As such it provides a brief overview; detailed examination of each separate aspect of content is made in other units.
It is recommended that when participants plan a course by selecting from the various units offered, that they select and study this unit first.
Historical Background.
– Current position, particular emphasis USA.
– Research and outcomes; examining research from Europe and looking at outcomes.
Aspects of the Pedagogy.
– Breadth in learning; a thematic and cross-curricula approach.
– Curriculum content and its relationship to students’ inner experience, needs and interests.
– Outline of the approach; division into three areas – Stages of Child Development, Methodology of Teaching, The MLA/WER Curriculum.
Stages of Child Development.
– The three stages of child development.
– The subdivisions of these stages.
Organization and Structure.
– The “Main Lesson”.
– “Block Periods”.
– Main Lesson Book and its relationship to textbooks and assessment.
Further Aspects of the Approach.
– Discipline and punishment.
– The gifted child.
– The less able child.
Methodology of Teaching.
– Temperaments and personality types.
– The influence of methodology on the preparation of lessons.
– The influence of methodology on teacher interaction with students.
The MLA/WER Curriculum.
– What, when and how should content be taught.
– Relationship between curriculum and stages of child development.
Perspectives on the MLA/WER approach in terms of present day educational practice.
Monitoring Students’ Progress.
– Assessment procedures, grade by grade, for literacy and numeracy.
– Authentic assessment as it finds expression in the MLA/WER approach.
– Descriptions of a non-intrusive approach to monitoring students’ progress.
The workshop will be a balance between the sharing of information about the MLA/WER approach, and the participation in various activities through which the content will be examined. Content is, therefore, not only examined cognitively but is “experienced” by the students through different activities. As such it is an example of cooperative learning and also mirrors the way in which students learn through the MLA/WER approach.
Stages of Child Development (15 hours – 1 unit)
The Three Stages of Child Development.
– A study of the three stages of child development as they relate to mental, physical and social development.
– An examination of the relationship between the mental, physical and social.
– Study of the physical changes that indicate the transition from one stage of development to the next.
– Detailed description of the stages – birth to seven; seven to fourteen; fourteen to twenty-one.
– Description of stage subdivisions.
– Timeline of the stages and subdivisions.
Evaluation of Stages.
– Comparisons of the stages with the theories of other educators and psychologists e.g. Piaget, Erikson, Bruner.
The Relevance of the Developmental Theory in the Context of the Elementary School.
– Extended study of the second stage of child development.
– Interrelationship between physical growth and mental attributes.
– Descriptions of the cognitive, affective, psychomotor with regard to stages and subdivisions.
– Descriptions of the elementary school students’ thinking; pictorial, uncritical and unspecialised.
– Comparisons and contrasts between elementary school students’ thinking and adults’.
Relevance to the Curriculum.
– Relevance of these stages to the content of the curriculum.
– Relevance of these stages to the methodology of teaching.
Methodology of Teaching – The Temperaments (15 hours – 1 unit)
Historical Background.
– Historical outline.
– Basis for the methodology.
Formation and Growth of Temperament.
– The way temperament is formed.
– Descriptions of the relationship between physical organism and mental faculties.
– Growth of temperament through the three main stages of child development.
– Strength and weaknesses of each temperament.
Teaching and the Temperaments.
– Teaching according to the personality or temperament of each child.
– Teacher’s temperament and her/his interaction with students of each temperament.
– Classroom organization.
– Seating according to temperament.
Lesson Content.
– Preparation of lesson content in relation to the temperaments.
– Recognising inner needs.
– Balancing outcomes and motivation according to temperament types.
– Storytelling and the temperaments.
Structure and Organization (15 hours – 1 unit)
Organization of the Day.
– Starting the day; circle time, music and verse, rhythmic activities.
– The daily timetable.
– Completion of the day.
Aspects of Structure.
– “Block Periods”.
– The “Main Lesson”.
– Main Lesson Book and its relationship to textbooks and assessment.
The Rhythmic Aspect.
– Building a rhythmic aspect into the lesson plan, the lessons for the day, program for the week and year.
– “Inbreathing” and “outbreathing”.
Classroom Organization.
– The physical organization of the classroom.
– Considerations concerned with planning student groupings.
– Awareness of ambience and atmosphere in the classroom.
Storytelling – The MLA/WER Approach (15 hours – 1 unit)
Historical Background.
– Importance of storytelling throughout history.
– Qualities of a good storyteller.
Storytelling and the MLA/WER Approach.
– Overall view of the relationship of storytelling to the curriculum.
– Story content vis a vis particular age groups.
– Exploration of available literature suitable for storytelling.
The Skills of Storytelling.
– An examination of the techniques and skills needed to tell stories.
– Guidance and practice in story writing.
– Guidance and practice in storytelling.
– Group and self-assessment of skills.
Storytelling and areas of the Curriculum.
– The relevance of storytelling in history/social studies.
– The relevance of storytelling in the introduction of mathematical concepts.
– The relevance of storytelling in science.
– The relevance of storytelling with regard to behavioral changes in groups and individuals.
The MLA/WER Curriculum – Overview (15 hours – 1 unit)
Historical setting.
– The first MLA/WER curriculum.
– Application and adaptation to modern day setting.
Determinants of the Curriculum.
– Main determinants of the curriculum.
– Detailed examination of the balanced development of the affective and cognitive faculties as it relates to curriculum content.
MLA/WER Curriculum and the First Stage of Child Development.
– Imitation and the expression of psychomotor skills or “willing” consciousness.
– Stages of the development of memory.
– Storytelling, repetition and prediction.
MLA/WER Curriculum and the Second Stage of Child Development.
– Forces of growth and “awakeness” (mental maturation).
– Rhythmical processes.
– Development of feeling and imagination.
– Inbreathing and forgetting.
– “Main lesson” subjects for the elementary school child.
– Description and evaluation of overall curriculum content for each grade.
Learning to Write and Read (15 hours – 1 unit)
Preparatory Work.
– Straight and curved lines.
– Exercises and activities for kindergarten and 1st grade children designed to develop spatial relationships.
– Imitative powers of action.
– Appealing to feeling and imagination.
– Place of theoretical and cognitive.
– Movements concerned with straight and curved lines.
– The place of “Form Drawing” in prereading.
Introduction to Decoding.
– Storytelling and image making in the introduction of the consonants.
– Artistic element in introducing the consonants.
– Introducing the vowels.
– Creation of students’ first readers.
– Working from the whole to the parts.
– Examining an eclectic approach to the teaching of reading.
– Examining an approach which develops reading skills within the context of the students’ experience.
Development of Reading.
– Individualised reading programs.
– Child-centred approach to the teaching of phonics.
– Development of the different reading skills.
– Temperaments and reading.
– Monitoring and assessment.
Teaching Arithmetic – The MLA/WER Approach (15 hours – 1 unit)
Initial Contact.
– First contact, a twofold process.
– Content and rhythmic processes.
– Rhythmic processes and becoming numerate.
– Pedagogy and its relationship to motivating students.
– Introducing the four processes.
– Presentation of material so that it is in harmony with the student’s global, pictorial view of the world.
Curriculum Content.
– Examination of content according to each grade.
– Arithmetic in a cross-curricula approach.
– Development of reading skills in the content area of mathematics.
Methodology.
– Arithmetic and its relationship to main lesson, block periods and subsidiary lessons.
– Storytelling and the introduction of new concepts.
– Importance of imagery and pictorial representation in the understanding of mathematical concepts.
– Rhythm and learning.
– Efficacy and outcomes.
Monitoring Students’ Progress.
– Assessment procedures, grade by grade, for numeracy.
– Authentic assessment as it finds expression in the MLA/WER approach.
– Descriptions of a non-intrusive approach to monitoring students’ mathematical progress.
Teaching Geometry – The MLA/WER Approach (15 hours – 1 unit)
Basis for Teaching Geometry.
– Beginning with inner not outer perception.
– Form and symmetry.
– Students’ innate feeling for form and symmetry.
– The subject area of “Form Drawing” and its relationship to the teaching of geometry.
Examination of content through grades – Phase 1 (Grades 1-3).
– Form drawing exercises as foundation for later study (grade 1).
– Form drawing exercises to include repetitive patterns (grade 1).
– Extension of form drawing exercises to include symmetrical forms and mirror images (grade 2).
– Free artistic form drawing with emphasis on the circle, the triangle, the square (grade 3).
Examination of content through grades – Phase 2 (Grades 4-5).
– Initial teaching of formal geometry.
– Construction of simple geometrical figures.
– Inter-relationships between the forms (grade 4).
– Introduction of more complicated shapes such as ellipse & ending with the theorem of Pythagoras (grade 5).
Examination of content through grades – Phase 3 (Grade 6).
– Geometrical proofs.
– Simple projections.
– Building mathematical knowledge (proofs and principles) upon previous knowledge acquired by observation.
– History of geometry to include Babylonian, Egyptian and Roman history.
Methodology.
– Examining an approach which begins with inner perception, moves to artistic expression, finally develops understanding and skills for abstract analysis.
– Biographical detail as part of methodology.
Teaching History – The MLA/WER Approach (15 hours – 1 unit)
Objectives in Teaching History.
– Nurturing and developing the affective nature for the various historical periods.
– Studying the balance between teaching discrete areas of knowledge and transmitting a feeling for human development as a whole.
Content.
– Examination of curriculum content through each grade.
– Teaching local history.
– An approach to teaching the Ancient Civilizations with special reference to Mesopotamia, Egypt, Kush, Greece, India, China, Rome.
– Development of reading skills in the content area of history.
Methodology.
– Teaching through biographical Studies.
– The role of storytelling.
– A cross-curricula approach.
– Knowledge of temperament and its relationship to the teaching of history.
– The MLA/WER main lesson as a technique for teaching history.
Empathy and Perspective.
– Study of history as a means of developing moral judgement and respect for human endeavour.
– Study of history as a means of developing perspective and counteracting egotism.
– Examining the balance between experiencing historical events and gaining a cognitive understanding of the historical process.
Teaching Language Arts – The MLA/WER Approach (15 hours – 1 unit)
Content.
– Examination of curriculum content through each grade.
– The MLA/WER Approach to the teaching of grammatical structures and spelling.
– Examination of descriptive material which should appeal to student’s imagination and feelings.
– Detailed study at each grade level of appropriate student literature.
– Grade by grade analysis of teaching for the development of verbal skills and confident public speaking.
Methodology.
– The MLA/WER methodology for the introduction of formal grammar.
– Use of innate rhythm and movement in the teaching of parts of speech in younger elementary school students.
– Place of analysis and abstraction in the older elementary school student.
– Studying an approach which emphasises that subject matter should be taught so that it directly relates to the inner experience of children.
– Application of the concept of the three day cycle involved in the learning process.
– Classroom organization conducive to successful language development.
Monitoring Students’ Progress.
– Assessment procedures, grade by grade, for literacy.
– Authentic assessment as it finds expression in the MLA/WER approach.
– Descriptions of a non-intrusive approach to monitoring students’ reading progress.
Teaching Science – The MLA/WER Approach (15 hours – 1 unit)
Introduction.
– Overall view of content of science curriculum grade by grade.
– Hierarchal structure of various subject areas studied under the umbrella of science.
–
Home Surroundings.
– Study of Home Surroundings as a prelude to the later specialised subject areas in science.
– Study of, and practical activities in, farming, gardening and house building.
as a prelude to the later subject of environmental studies.
Natural History and Nature Study.
– How, when and why of teaching nature study.
– Comparing and contrasting the human, animal, plant and mineral kingdoms.
– Interaction and dependency of different kingdoms with each other.
– How, when and why of teaching botany.
Physics.
– How, when and why of teaching physics.
Methodology.
– Role of stories, biography, music and poetry in the study of science.
– Importance of developing in-depth observation.
– Value of cross-curricula approach in the teaching of science e.g. the study of acoustics bringing together physics, music and physiology amongst other things.
– Use of imaginative and pictorial methods.
Teaching Art, Craft and Music – The MLA/WER Approach (15 hours – 1 unit)
Art.
– Study of an approach which considers that an experience of color in the early grades is more important than the development of outer perceptions and the creation of form from these perceptions.
– Role of artistic expression in the main lesson.
– Expression of inner perception through painting and drawing in all subject areas and in all grades e.g. mathematics, social studies and so on.
– Learning the techniques and gaining experience in the use of water colors.
– Learning the techniques and gaining experience in line and shaded drawing.
– Pedagogical study of color.
– Implications of the study of color when applied to the classroom environment.
– Importance of developing a knowledge and deeper awareness of color in students.
– Need to work with color in a systematic way through each of the grades.
– Study of therapeutic benefits of color.
– Relationship of color to the different temperaments.
Craft.
– Examination of the craft curriculum grade by grade.
– Understanding the pedagogical background of curriculum content.
– Place of craft in the overall curriculum, both as part of the main lesson and also as a separate subject area.
– Importance of the choice of raw materials used in craft lessons.
Music.
– Examination of the music curriculum grade by grade.
– Understanding the pedagogical background of curriculum content.
– Place of music in the overall curriculum, both as part of classroom activity and also as a separate subject area.
– Specific instruments and their role in curriculum and structure of the day.
Mollet Learning Academy (MLA) exists for the benefit of teachers,
parents and educators who wish to bring about
the best possible education for our children.
It was established in April 2012. Previously, it existed as WER (WideHorizon Education Resources and Waldorf Education Resources – initially registered in Christchurch, New Zealand in 1988). WER wrote and produced physical lesson material for teachers mainly on the Ancient Civilisations but also on Fractions, Multiplication Tables and History of California.
Dr. David Mollet, President of WER, had carefully researched hemispheric brain development in children and how this should be nurtured and developed. Obviously education has a crucial role to play in this development.
All material written and produced by WER met the very rigorous standards required by David. For example, there was emphasis on students experiencing what it might be like to live in an ancient civilisation. This was partly achieved through a variety of strategies including the use of the students’ imagination through stories, both autobiographical and biographical, dramas and a variety of art and craft activities; and music whenever this was possible. Both fractions and the multiplication tables were introduced through stores or dramas etc.
WER obtained legal compliance from the State of California for all their material and were encouraged to submit for state adoption. They were successful at the initial stages but were then recommended to insert multiple choice questions as an assessment tool. All the material already included monitoring and assessment procedures that were appropriate for our approach. It was believed that the inclusion of multiple choice questions was not appropriate and the result was that we could no longer continue with our submission.
Some years later No Child Left Behind (NCLB) was introduced. David believed the application of NCLB was harmful to students’ development. He established a non-profit, the Teachers Education Institute (TEI). TEI’s main purpose was to provided reports, based on international comparisons, on what worked and, perhaps more importantly, what doesn’t work as far as optimising childrens’ wellbeing and learning. The research reports are available as itemised below.
David was saddened to see what was occurring in the UK (his homeland) and the USA (where at that time he lived). He had now been at this work since 1967, some 45+ years and felt he needed a rest. He had been fortunate to make a significant contribution to New Zealand education in the mid-1980s (please see thank you letter from New Zealand Minister of Education) and if, through no fault of his own, was unable to make a contribution to UK or USA education, he should accept that.
He was very comfortable in New Zealand and decided to spend more time there and also have time, at long last, for his leisure activities (hiking, camping, dancing, competitive bridge etc). Unfortunately for David, at the same time he met someone who saw the value of his work and persuaded him that his input was too valuable for it to be ignored. So David came out of the retirement that he never entered and has begun the work again.
Obviously, the world has greatly changed in the last few years and is rapidly changing almost daily. He realised that he needed to convert his material for social media. He is now involved in that process. It means that he has to learn new programs and adjust his mindset, once again, to this new initiative.
He is greatly saddened by what he sees as the politicisation of education in the UK and USA and the danger of that occurring in New Zealand. The consequence of this politicisation is disastrous for a society and is probably the main reason for the present rapid decline of those societies. Obviously, it would be helpful if he funding could be required so that at the age of 74 he could do fun things but he accepts that probably this is not going to occur and that he must plough on alone as he has done for the last 45 years.
For business plan please click
http://molletlearningacademy.com/corporate/MLABusinessPlan.pdf
For overall content of Ancient Civilisations please click
Program Overview Ancient Civilisations
For overall content of Ancient Kush please click Program Overview Kush
For overall content of History of California please click
Program Overview History of California
For overall content re improving reading and language skills through history please click Overview Reading History
For overall content re MLA approach to teaching
mathematics please click Overview Teaching Math
For overall content re MLA approach to teaching
fractions please click Fractions Teacher Handbook
For overall content re MLA approach to teaching multiplication tables please click Multiplication Tables Teachers Handbook
Previous PowerPoint presentations converted to pdfs for wordpress
Ancient China P_China
Ancient Egypt P_Egypt
Ancient Greece P_Greece
Ancient India P_India
Ancient Israelites P_Israelites
Ancient Kush P_Kush
Mesopotamia P_Mesopotamia
Early Humankind/Prehistory P_Prehistory
Ancient Rome P_Rome
Fractions P_Fractions
Multiplication Tables P_MultiplicationTables
The following free sample lessons (sorry limit one at present) are available in this order: Ancient Civilisations (Ancient China, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, Ancient India, Ancient Kush, Ancient Israelites, Ancient Rome, Mesopotamia, Prehistory/Early Humankind), Fractions, Multiplication Tables, History of California, See below titles for descriptions.
Ancient China (Lessons 4/5 of Module 2)
Mathematics, Counting Rods and Chinese Abacus
Ancient Egypt (Lesson 3 of Module 3)
Papyrus – how it is made, activities etc
Ancient Greece (Lesson 1 of Module 2)
Story “Parrhasius and Helena”, Guided Reading,
The Court of Law, Simulate an Athenian Court of Law.
Ancient India (Lesson 3 of Module 2)
“Asoka and the Mauryan Empire,” “India’s National Emblem,”
Assessment Rubric for India’s National Emblem,
Ancient Kush (Lesson 2 of Module 2)
Story “Expedition to Jebel Barkal,” “Jebel Barkal: A Poem,”
Guided Reading, Review Exercises
Ancient Israelites (Lesson 2 of Module 1)
Story “Abraham,” Father of a Nation, Guided Reading
Ancient Rome (Lesson 3 of Module 2)
“The people of Rome speak out,” Story “Julius Caesar,”
Crossing the Rubicon, Guided Reading
Mesopotamia (Lesson 4 of Module 3)
Story “Gilgamesh,” “The Death of Enkidu.”
Prehistory/Early Humankind (Lesson 2 of Module 2)
The Crô-Magnons including story “The Lascaux Caves”,
Guided Reading and “The Cave Paintings at Altmira.”
Fractions SubUnit 3.4 Drama: A Tale of Fractions
A free lesson/drama involving students in a drama about the Pied Piper of Hamelin
Multiplication Tables SubUnit 3.7 Ten Times Table: Mr. Pickles
A free lesson, activities, story, game/, patterns,
cooperative learning activities about the ten times table
History of California Lesson 5.6 The Gold Rush: Part 1
A free lesson describing the background of the gold rush and life in the gold fields
For video clips please see
Ancient Civilisations
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pOQnKaVN5b0&feature=plcp
Ancient China
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nI1jiB8h88Q&feature=plcp
Fractions
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C3n0-bYsQiM&feature=relmfu
Multiplication Tables
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glc6ColEhGE&feature=relmfu
McLaren Rd talk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g2Pk1c6tkLw&feature=relmfu
Be the ONE who listens
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBP4OxJX_AE
Since advent of social media all material is now in pdf format (no postage or processing fee). Physical copies (postage/processing fees apply) can be provided at additional cost – please contact MLA.
Each SubUnit (not Unit) costs USA $19.95 NZ $24.95
(This price includes permission to photocopy)
1. The MLA approach to education believes in developing the creative and imaginative side of the student in harmony with the intellectual and cognitive. To achieve this, MLA Teaching Packs make stories and drama an integral part of the lessons and involve students through storytelling, art, simulations, drama, craft, discussion and creation of a personal record.
2. There are MLA Teaching Packs for teaching
a) Ancient Civilizations/World History
b) History of California and
c) Mathematics (Fractions and Multiplication Tables)
3. In a MLA Teaching Pack you will find teacher guidelines, stories providing an in-depth experience, information sheets presented in an interesting and stimulating format, activity sheets, suggestions for further research, maps with related activities, questions for discussion and assessment, dramas for class/school performance, guidance for the student’s personal record or portfolio, a variety of review exercises and contents designed and structured for authentic assessment
4. For an explanation of the philosophy behind the writing of these packs click here
(David Mollet’s HomePage)
5. If you are interested in how your students can work with top quality papyrus (imported from Egypt) click here.
6. We have also customized our material for USA public schools. This material includes monitoring and assessment procedures for students some of which are not based on the MLA approach.
7. Information on workshops/presentations for introducing the MLA approach into public schools available at: here (WideHorizon) and here (Waldorf))
8. Click here to read what teachers think about our lessons/newsletters.
“These resource packs contain unbound, ready-to-use reproducible masters, that are varied, simple, and appealing to students. The interactive strategies suggested are suitable for independent, small-group, and whole-class assignments.”
(Grade 6 Course Models – California State Department of Education)
9. Click here to go to author’s experiences in the Waldorf world.
10. Click here for details of on-line courses accredited by San Diego State University.
Dr. David Mollet davidmetis@gmail.com
NZ: h 09-555-2021 m 022-101-1741, 41 Hilling St, Titirangi, Auckland 0604
USA: 619-463-1270, 6656 Reservoir Lane, San Diego, CA 92115 (Skype waldorfedu)
1) The material was initially written for New Zealand teachers but on request from USA teachers, monitoring and assessment procedures were added. To view this material please visit https://molletacademy.com/
WideHorizon Education Resources (WER) https://molletacademy.com/widehorizon-2/ Waldorf Education Resources (WER) https://molletacademy.com/waldorf/
2) MLA is also involved in researching on an international basis, what works and what doesn’t work. Most of the research results can be seen at https://molletacademy.com/research-reports/ while a draft of a book The Task for New Zealand Education is at https://molletacademy.com/the-task-for-nz-education/
3) Blogs at http://www.molletlearningacademy.blogspot.co.nz/
4) Business Plan at http://molletlearningacademy.com/corporate/MLABusinessPlan.pdf
5) Papyrus https://molletacademy.com/papyrus/
Mollet Learning Academy (MLA) 