Open Classroom Charter School of Salt Lake City

The Open Classroom (often referred to as "the O.C.") is a K-8 charter school with a long history in Salt Lake City, Utah. It began as a private school and became a K-6 optional program of the Salt Lake City School District in 1977. In 2007, it became a district charter school and expanded to include a middle school and a pre-k program. It is not a part of the Open classroom educational movement of the 1970s. The O.C. is currently located in the former Lowell Elementary building.

Philosophy

The O.C.'s philosophy is somewhat unique. It is centered around the ideology that everyone is a learner; teachers, parents, and of course students. The O.C. does not incorporate desks or other stricter methods of teaching, and instead members of a classroom meet in "circle", where literally all the students sit in a circle. The curriculum is centered around choice-oriented learning, with students choosing what they want to learn for some, but not all, classes.

Co-oping

One key facet of the O.C.'s philosophy is "co-oping". Co-oping is the system in which parents must "co-op", or help teach in their student's classroom, for at least three hours a week per child they have enrolled. This is central to the O.C., as it is largely based around small group learning, where instead of learning as a class, students go around to different centers and learn different concepts at each.^[1]

"Helping in my child's classroom... made it so most of the Open Classroom became like an extended family to me, my husband, and my kids." -An Open Classroom parent.

Famous alumni

American actor Patrick Fugit was a student in the O.C. He is most well known for his leading role in Cameron Crowe's film Almost Famous. He has also appeared in as Evra the Snake Boy in Cirque de Freak: The Vampire's Assistant, and in a 2006 episode of the television drama House.^[2]

External links

• Open Classroom Website

References

1. ^ http://ocslc.org/philosophy/
2. ^ http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0297578/

Edited by Leo