Bilal, Brenda, 1950-

Wright, Christina

Charlotte, North Carolina

J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections, University of North Carolina at Charlotte

2005-01-06

1 audio file (30:05) : digital, MP3

sound recording-nonmusical

spoken word

eng

Brenda Bilal was a 55-year-old woman at the time of interview, which took place in her office in Charlotte, North Carolina. She was born in Durham, North Carolina in 1950. She was educated at Fayetteville State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of North Carolina at Charlotte, and University of Texas; and was employed as a college teacher and a college administrator.

In part one of this two-part interview, Brenda Bilal discusses her experience with open education in the Charlotte Mecklenburg school system. Ms. Bilal describes open education as a method that gives students the opportunity to think creatively, make their own choices, and collaborate with others while following an individual educational path. She praises the open education system in Charlotte for its ability to cultivate diversity, and emphasizes the close connection between home and school life. Ms. Bilal conveys her belief that all students could benefit from an open education experience. In reflecting on college level education, Ms. Bilal discusses how learning communities in universities (programs that provide students with a community-based interdisciplinary approach to education) in many ways parallel open education. She concludes by describing the culture of mutual support, both academically and socially, that an open school education provides.

MP3 access copy created on ingest from WAV preservation master file. Interview originally recorded on minidisc and digitized using Digidesign 003 rack.

College administrators
College teachers

Bilal, Brenda, 1950-

Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools
Irwin Avenue Elementary School (Charlotte, N.C.)
National Learning Communities Project

Open plan schools
Education, Elementary
Multiculturalism
Educational tests and measurements
Active learning
Independent study

North Carolina--Charlotte

Interviews
Oral histories

1970-2010

Open schools in Charlotte-Mecklenburg

Living Charlotte : the postwar development of a New South city

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Digitization made possible by funding from the federal Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS) under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by the State Library of North Carolina, a division of the Department of Cultural Resources.

audio/mpeg

Brenda Bilal oral history interview 2, 2006 January 13, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://goldmine.uncc.edu/islandora/object/uncc%3A157)

Irwin Avenue Open School records, J. Murrey Atkins Library Special Collections and University Archives, University of North Carolina at Charlotte (https://findingaids.uncc.edu/repositories/4/resources/287)

OH-BI0409