Professor: Wakeford Course format: Seminar Number of respondents: 16 Total Enrollment: 21 Class Composition: Froshs: 5 Sophs: 9 Jrs: 4 Srs: 3 Concs: 5 Non-Concs: 10 Don't Know: 1

Instructor Average: 1.25 Course Average: 1.34

“Fieldwork and Seminar in Secondary Education” focuses on school reform and teaching methods through observing an actual school environment. There are no prerequisites stated for the class, but students must pre-register and apply in order to secure a spot in the seminar.

The students particularly admired Professor Wakeford’s efficiency. They felt he followed the goals he set at the beginning at class, and managed class time very effectively. Most of the respondents thought he was very kind and as well as responsive to students needs. There were a few minor complaints that he wasn’t critical enough of student’s work or the material itself.

The class members thought the readings chosen by Wakeford were very relevant to the subject matter. They also valued the different opinions presented by the various authors. One student said, “I had my favorite readings, of course, but all readings were useful.” The students admitted that there were a great deal of assignments, but they were worthwhile. The class requires two short papers and one longer paper, as well as several brief responses to be written throughout the course. An end of the semester presentation was also required. Students felt that the largest time commitment was mandatory 32 hours of fieldwork at a school.

Students spent six to ten hours per week on this class, but noted that half of their time was spent observing. The reading assignments were manageable, and the class appreciated only reading half of a book at a time. This class received high praise, and is strongly recommended to anyone who wants to become a teacher. However, even non-concentrators enjoyed the course because it gave them firsthand insight into American education policy and hands-on experience.

View ED/0090 in the Brown Online Course Announcement.