Field School - Project Based Learning
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Anonymous
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Hi - I have heard that Field is largely project-based learning, but I wasn't able to confirm the approach on our visit (and maybe it varies by class?). If you have a high school student at Field, are you able to tell me how much is project based learning vs. tests/quizzes? I'm particularly interested in learning more about the approach to math and science. Are there also opportunities for make-up/mastery work? Thank you.
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Anonymous
| I'll try to be helpful: My kid graduated not too long ago. They definitely had math and science quizzes. Language quizes too. And yes, makeup work existed. They were routinely given opportunities to improve upon grades. And, yes, there were definitely projects. I think the project based model wasn't just reflective of the type of homework they had, but of how they were taught and learned in-class. I'm sorry I can't quantify what percentage of the work was project based. But I will say my kid enjoyed Field and has gone on to a great university. Did you go to an open house? I think the open house can reveal more than a tour. |
Anonymous
| OP here. Thank you! Very helpful. Unfortunately, we weren't able to attend the open houses due to non-movable conflicts. It sounds like field provides options, which is really what we are looking for in a school. We have had a lot of rigidity at the current school and I don't want that for high school. |
Anonymous
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Current Field parent and can confirm what the PP said. We have found science to be very focused on project based learning, developing hypotheses and testing them both individually and in groups. There are quizzes to ensure mastery at the end of a unit.
For math we have found the approach more rigid, and more focused on quizzes and proofs. That may be the nature of math? Our child generally loves the school and the creativity of the project based approach. They are typically even excited about most of the homework assignments because they are interested and engaged. |
Anonymous
I suppose your current school could be showing rigidity in a number of different ways but if you’re referring to a disdain for expectations around what and how students should think, Field would be a breath of fresh air. The Field philosophy is the antithesis of that, and the focus is on inquiry-based learning. I guess that means thinking, asking questions, and trying ideas, rather than just absorbing the information a teacher tells you to absorb. |
Anonymous
| How many new 9th grade students does field admit? |
Anonymous
| About 35-40. That assumes all or almost all the 8th grade class stays for HS, as has been the case the last couple years. |
Anonymous
| Project based learning is generally a load of shit |
Anonymous
Depends - is the goal to inflate grades to be better equipped in the college admissions arms race? Or do actually learn something? |
Anonymous
Project-based learning takes a lot of different forms. In some circumstances, I agree with you. It doesn't seem to add much. In others it's incredibly useful. I think there's something to be said for putting what is in a book into action and figuring out what happens when theory meets reality. |
Anonymous
| My child learns best by hands on work (testing theories, examining historical events from source documents or other historic records, working with groups in peer feedback on writing etc). The project based learning at Field has been outstanding for this. |
Anonymous
| +1 to what everyone has said. We have found the teaching methodology at Field to be very interactive and engaging. Try to see some classes in action. |