The focus of the 16 essays in this book is the physical environment of learning, specifically the man-made or built environment. The authors contend that educators have tended to overlook the influence of built environments on the learning process--a process not confined to schools, but involving play areas, tree houses, and the city itself. The…

The first part of this paper synthesizes a model for conducting inservice activities to assist schools in defining assessing the extent of open education and in identifying the action steps needed to move toward greater open education in classroom and school. Some of the implications of the basic assumptions underlying open education are…

This book contains detailed descriptions of forty programs in early childhood education. Programs are innovative in the sense that each respresents new departures and approaches for the implementing school systems. The book contains two main sections: Section I, Innovative Programs in Early Childhood Education, and Section II, Resources Section,…

The success of educational expansion can be seen in the decline in illiteracy rates, improved achievement scores, more years of teacher training, innovative curricula development, and in the greater independence and openness of young people. Despite such positive trends, a crisis in confidence in our system, stemming from the great expenditure in…

This report examines the Ford Foundation's efforts in developing and implementing alternative schools to the public schools or in providing seed money to new alternatives designed for public support. The publication begins with a look at the origin of the alternative school movement and then describes several kinds of school alternatives assisted…

This document contains a State-by-State directory of 464 alternative public schools. Each listing in the directory contains the school name, address, grade levels, and enrollment. For purposes of this directory, an alternative public school has been defined as any school within a community that (1) provides alternative learning experiences to the…

This book is one of a series of four in which issues affecting the organization and work of the British Infant School are considered. The series ("Young Children Learning") is designed to express current educational theory in terms of the practical work of teachers and children in infant schools. The books include recent research into…

The purpose of this study was to investigate whether there were significant differences in the reading attitude and reading achievement of first grade children in open concept classes which utilized an individualized language experience approach to reading as compared to children who were instructed in basal series in more formal classes. The…

Addressing the question, "How can we teach all educable children to read effectively?" the papers in the first part of this volume look at several topical concerns in reading: "On Relocating the Reading Program: Finding a Better Barn for Our Sacred Cow,""The Transitional Open Classroom,""A Computer Program for Initial Screening of Problem…

Three hypotheses concerning the problems of disadvantaged children developed during the 1960s: (1) they are deprived; (2) they are deficient in certain skills and knowledge; and (3) they are not so much deprived or deficient as they are different, with strengths that should be respected and maximized. These hypotheses provide a background for four…

The education program of Northeast High School is based on the philosophy that education should be an experience in which students control some of their own learning experiences and learn how to handle them. This report describes modular scheduling, student achievement, and student and teacher attitudes toward modular scheduling. In a survey of…

This paper presents in descriptive and practical terms a rationale for working towards openness in the classroom. Open education is defined as a humanistic approach designed to offer support to the children in their move towards self-realization. More than classroom structure, open education is a way of thinking about children, learning, self and…

This annotated bibliography lists approximately 50 publications dealing with the general topic of open-plan schools in Canada. With a few exceptions, all the publications listed were published between 1970 and 1973. Entries are organized into three separate sections for studies and other material produced by school boards and associations, studies…

While millions of dollars have been spent to build open space schools, relatively few have been allocated to teacher education, inservice training, and followup supervision. If a school district has a genuine commitment to an educational format that stresses student initiative and responsibility, backed by funds for staff development, teachers…

The Library Resource Centre at Dundee College of Education is used as an example to describe the role of a resource center within a model of an open learning system. Identifying learner's needs, staff development, and library instruction are considered in terms of effective support strategies. (Author/LRW)