A fieldtrip to Pacific School of Innovation and Inquiry was actually so much fun! Jeff, the principle, explained about the school very briefly at the beginning and it sounded like it was very similar to Monument Mountain High model that I saw for the discussion post prior to the day. From his presentation, I really liked how the teachers are involved in the personal inquiry projects and that it all roots from start from asking questions and learning to ask questions. The way I understood is that students are freely choosing their topic of interest and are given a guideline to execute the full process of initial research and coming up with a final product. What I particularly enjoyed learning about is that teachers are providing lessons that students express interest in learning. For example, Jeff was doing a lesson on psychology, because one of the students requested assistance in learning about the psychological aspect of their project and other students were also free to join in as they wanted to. After the tour, I poked my head into that classroom and was surprised how focused and engaged the students were in the class. I also liked the collaborative commons that allow students to work independently, yet engage with other students, so it’s less of an isolated education experience.

I also really enjoyed the maker space they had for all kinds of arts and tech-based projects, which was very resourceful and proves that the scope of inquiries go beyond strict academics. However, I did initially worry about Jeff’s explanation about how their science lab can be used without teacher supervision once they learn about the safety protocols. As someone from a science background knowing the potential hazards that could happen, this fact stressed me out a little. I do think supervision is absolutely necessary, but I also understand this is not the case always and they have a teacher stepping in for science. Overall, the trip was very enjoyable and although the lack of structure seemed that teachers need to take on a completely different approach, it was definitely benefitting the learning of the students at PSII. There were a lot of adaptations that could come from this model of education, especially about asking questions and the journey to find an answer or produce a project.