これまでは教科書を教え、テストして教師の教えた事が子ども達にどれだけ理解されているか確かめ、評価する。教師の指導が中心となって展開され、子どもはそれに従う、受身的な授業が一般的でした。一人ひとり異なった個性や、一人ひとり異なった能力をもった子ども達を、教室の中で一斉に同じ目標に向かって指導する教育。そうすることは時代の要請でもあり、そのような教育にも必要性があったのでしょう。しかし、そこでは、子どもの特性、個性、人間性は見過ごされてきました。
Until recently, education has been structured around text-books, classroom layout, testing and assessment. In traditional education, the teacher-student relationship is central to learning. The teacher is the center of learning and the classroom is traditionally closed to the outside, and students function passively. Teachers pass information to the students, students take a rote relationship to the information and then testing takes place. This kind of classroom does not deal with the unique characteristics of each student. There are no adjustments for an individual’s unique abilities and interests. The idea that all students have identical goals and personality does not play a part in the educational process. This traditional “closed” form of education does not develop individual critical-thinking skills and overlooks the individuality of each student.
本校のオープン教育というのは、そんなこれまでのやり方を大きく転換するものです。教育のあらゆる場で、これまでの型にはまった学習習慣にとらわれず、心を開いて自由に工夫を試みること、常にそのような大気の中で学んでいく姿を象徴するものがオープン教育です。
OE represents a major change in the learning environment. It is based on the student being the center of learning. Each student is individually encouraged to make meaning out of what they learn. Each student has significant and unique contributions to make to the classroom learning environment. OE seeks to develop an open mind, a flexible learning environment, and an atmosphere of learning without limitations.