Strategies for opening the traditional classroom

Many of the ideas presented in this issue can be used effectively by teachers who are not involved in open education. For example, the strategies suggested by Joseph W. Landon in the accompanying article can be applied in both traditional and transitional classrooms. A former president of the California Music Educators Association and former vice-president of MENC's Western Division, Landon is a professor of music and education at California State University, Fullerton. In the May 1973 issue of MEJ he described his observations in British primary schools; here, he deals with techniques for individualizing music education. It must be realized, of course, that individualized instruction and open education are not the same thing. Individualized programs, packets, and contracts may accommodate an individual student's pace and may offer some alternatives in selection, but once selected they generally place restrictions on the student's choice of activities, materials, and mode of operation, and they generally predetermine the outcomes. Nevertheless, what Landon describes can be effective tools for “opening up” the traditional learning environment, for moving toward a modified or transitional classroom, and for recognizing to some degree students' individual styles.—Ed.