Open Spaces—Closed Learning?

The article investigates the teaching-learning process that is occurring in a number of open schools in the United States. According to the author, open spaces do not necessarily ensure freedom in the classroom. Freedom to learn, to grow, and to choose a learning activity does not appear to be a function of walls or the dearth of them. According to author J. Dewey, freedom is a mental attitude. If freedom is characterized by exploration and experimentation, then children must be given with not just the opportunities to explore and experiment but the materials to examine and investigate as well.