Bay area Educator Workshop

Field-Based Curriculum Design for School Settings
DATES: April 30-May 3, 2015
LOCATION: Berkeley and the Athenian School, Danville, CA (We will use both locations.)

TUITION: $550 per individual. (Group rates may apply. Like all Field Academy programs, financial aid is available. Inquire today!)
Note: This is not a residential retreat.

CREDIT: If you are interested in receiving graduate credit for this workshop, please contact us by March 31st.
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
This training is for teachers working in traditional schools who want to integrate more field-based* and experiential education into their classes. We will look at how to make field education realistic for teachers in public, charter, and independent schools. Participants will assume the role of students taking part in an experience within the community, and transition to the role of educators as we study how to blend field-based learning into traditional academic courses. The workshop will cover how to do assessments for field-based curricula, how to plan effective experiences,  risk management and logistical planning, how to teach students to be effective learners in the field, and how to build student leadership.  The weekend will include a field-based education experience for participants to  study how the Field Academy works from planning through to reflection and assessment. As part of the training, each participant will develop a module of curriculum and an implementation plan specific to your professional setting, with assistance from the Field Academy. 

DAILY SCHEDULE
Thursday, April 30th:  5pm-8pm
Friday, May 1:  9:30am-6pm
Saturday, May 2:  9am-6pm, evening session possible (ie. until 9:30pm)
Sunday, May 3:  9am-1pm
Note: Exact meeting times may change.


*The Field Academy uses the term “field-based” to encompass the practice of engaging students in “the field” through an exploration of the individual, the group, and the larger systemic context. Educational terms like experiential, expeditionary, place-based, adventure education, and critical pedagogy, while not interchangeable, are all relevant.
THE FIELD ACADEMY
The Field Academy takes groups of teenagers out into the world to explore the big questions of our times, like the role of water in our lives or the meaning of home. Students talk to people from all walks of life — community leaders, ranchers, artists, business people — across every race and class. They dive into experiences like camping, coal mining, river rafting, town hall meetings, and lobster fishing. Students learn how to enter a community and connect with people, to learn by hearing people’s stories, observing deeply, and sharing experiences with them. The Field Academy offers a unique kind of field-based learning by teaching students to create true connection with new communities. Along the way they learn leadership skills, team building, and how to dialogue about hard issues like race, authenticity, and identity.