David Pratt

PURPOSE:
A hyperlinking partnership continues to be explored with the “Hometown Perry, Iowa” museum staff and is being expanded to include the architectural firm of Wetherell, Ericsson, and Leusink of Des Moines, Iowa. The intent of this meeting was to involve students in a unique collaboration that would enhance their knowledge of architecture and design; require them to develop and organize resources; work well with others; acquire and evaluate information.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
The following strategies were designed to bring together three teams: the new staff of the “Hometown Perry, Iowa” museum; the employees of Wetherell, Ericsson, and Leusink Architects; and a new group of CADD students. This meeting was critical to a plan to involve students in the professional world of architects and museum specialists in order for them to appreciate and understand the demands and potential of technology.

ACTIVITIES:
(Note: This is a unit plan that may cover several days to several weeks. Not all of the following activities/standards will appear in the video clips used.)

Procedures:	Curriculum Standards http://www.intime. uni.edu/model/ content/cont.html	National Educational Technology Standards (NETS) Performance Indicators http://cnets.iste .org/sfors.htm
Strategy 1: CADD students traveled to the Carnegie Library in downtown Perry to meet with the campus architects, museum specialists, the “Hometown Perry, Iowa” museum staff. The goal of the meeting was to re-establish the collaborative relationship started the previous year. Students paired themselves with a mentor and were challenged to construct an architecturally related structure with K’NEX toy sets. The mentors selected one of six construction problems from a hat, and the mentor and student discussed the best approach to solving the problem. During this process, students and mentors were to relate interesting facts about themselves. This initial activity lasted 40 minutes. The facilitator documented student performance and student-mentor interaction during the entire activity. Students and mentors then completed an activity sheet that helped them organize their thoughts about what they had learned from the collaboration. Mentors were then asked to relate what they learned about the student, and the students reported their findings on the questions listed below. Question 1: As a team, what factors helped you build this structure? Question 2: If there were stumbling blocks, what were they, and how did you get around them? The facilitator then made connections between the collaborative activity and the interactive nature of the overall goals for the day.
Strategy 2: The second phase of the morning’s activities involved all students in *technology use presentations* that included the ability to work with AutoCAD software to exhibit: · previous course work, · use of digital architectural images, · experimental focus, and · the potential of the collaborative relationship. Student performance was documented as presentations continued and mentor comments were recorded for later use in debriefings at school.	International Standards for Technological Literacy Grades 9-12: 3, 4, 6, 7, 12, 13	Grades 9-12: 2, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10
Strategy 3: Students and mentors were engaged in a brainstorming session to work out the potential of the collaborative relationship. This activity resulted in re-affirming the future of the collaboration and the basis for implementing goals and activities. During the collaborative discussion, students were to document significant ideas on their clipboards. These notes were aimed at helping them maintain focus and aiding them during debriefings at school.	International Standards for Technological Literacy Grades 9-12: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 13	Grades 9-12: 1, 2, 3, 4, 6
Strategy 4: Follow-up tours of the Carnegie Building and the First Savings Bank allowed the students an opportunity to examine the professional realities of restoration and how their talents might be utilized in the future to document the architectural heritage of Perry. Again, students were asked to take notes as the tours progressed and were instructed to summarize what they had learned from the tour. These notes were used in debriefings at school in order to clear-up misunderstandings about the collaborative relationship and the realities of professional responsibilities.	International Standards for Technological Literacy Grades 9-12: 1, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10	Grades 9-12: 1, 2, 3, 4, 10

TOOLS & RESOURCES:
Software: AutoCAD 2000. Autodesk, Inc., (1999). AutoCAD 2000. Printed in Singapore. Available: http://www.Autodesk.com
3-D Studio Viz. Autodesk, Inc., (1999). 3-D Studio VIZ (release 3) Printed in Singapore. Available: http://www.Autodesk.com
Architectural Desktop 2.0
Inventor
Corel Draw 9. Corel Corporation (1999). Corel Photo-Paint 9. Available: http://www.Corel.com

Additional References:
Hepler, Donald E., Wallach, and Hepler. (1998) Architecture Drafting and Design. (7th ed.) Peoria, Illinois: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.
Plymat Jr., William. (1997). Victorian Architecture of Iowa (2nd ed.). Des Moines, Iowa: Palladian Publishing Company.
Woodward, George E. & Edward G. Thompson. (1988). A Victorian Housebuilder’s Guide: “Woodward’s National Architect” of 1869. Toronto, Ontario: General Publishing Company, Ltd.

World Wide Web Sources:
Marsha Willard & Darcy Hitchcock. (1999). The Accountability Hot Potato. Work Teams Newsletter. Issue Number 33. Denton, Texas: Center for the Study of Work Teams. University of North Texas. Available: http://www.workteams.unt.edu/

ASSESSMENT:
The skills and competencies assessed were pulled from the following resource: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/
issues/methods/assment/as700.htm
Follow the blue links to “Think Critically” and, “Skills and Competencies Needed to Succeed in Today’s Workplace”. In the link, “Think Critically,” look for the “Socratic Seminar” rubric sample. This was the model used in rubric development. Rubric assessment concentrated on the following issues.

Resources: Identifies, organizes, plans, and allocates resources
Interpersonal: Works with others
Information: Acquires and evaluates information

Note: In the video the facilitator is utilizing a clipboard to record student performance, interaction success, potential problems, creative solutions, questions to be resolved at the end of each activity, and issues to be discussed in debriefings to be held at a later date.

Note: The architecturally related challenge with the K’NEX toys included the following choices.

Build with small base/broad top
Build a geometric structure
Build the highest (stable) structure
Build a 2 foot horizontal structure with a base point 1 inch square
Build a structure with the greater strength at the top of the construction
Build a structure with as many regular polygons as possible

CREDITS:
David Pratt, Perry High School, Perry, Iowa
Prattdave@perry.k12.ia.us
Bill Clark, President; Hometown Perry, Iowa
Pam Jenkins, Director of Research; Hometown Perry, Iowa
Erin Kaufman, Executive Assistant; Hometown Perry, Iowa
ekaufman@hometownperryiowa.org
John Leusink, Architect, Wetherell, Ericsson, and Leusink Architects, Des Moines, Iowa

TIMELINE & COURSE OUTLINE:
This activity was specifically developed to reaffirm the continuing collaboration with the “Hometown Perry, Iowa” museum. The ongoing nature of activities associated with the collaboration will continually change and evolve. The collaboration is expected to last well into the 21st century.

Collaboration activities are currently being designed to fit into five different CADD courses. Special Problem Contracts are available for students who wish to specialize in current collaborative projects. Current projects include:

documentation (both 2-D and 3-D) of the Carnegie Building.
continued experimentation with architectural details in downtown Perry.

The only reenacted segment of this activity was “Strategy 1.”Prior to the meeting, students spent two 55-minute periods working with the K’NEX toys to develop strategy ideas. The students developed the K’NEX strategy objectives and construction choices themselves. Presentations given by the students in “Strategy 2” were unrehearsed.

COMMENTS:
The Past
Lastyear, we arranged for three meetings at the high school. “Hometown Perry, Iowa” museum staff visited the classroom and discussed their local historical interests. Student drawings were examined and possible future collaborative efforts were discussed. The CADD program was enhanced when a $6,500 grant from the Perry Community School system was awarded to this facilitator to purchase cutting-edge hardware and begin the “Hometown Perry, Iowa” museum collaboration.

The Present
The students who participated in this activity share a common vision. They all see technology becoming an important part of lifelong learning. They have embraced its potential and are keenly aware of its impact on their futures.

The Future
The development of this particular learning activity was unique and provided all participants with a new window from which to view the impact of technology in our future. The exchange of ideas and the potential for a shared vision will continue to evolve through:

e-mail contact.
information processing.
file sharing.
hyperlinking.
2-D, 3-D, and animated presentations.
cross-application experimentation.
upgrading of software and hardware.
development of special graphics.
contributions to the historical record of the Perry area for future generations.
the purchase of peripherals and other devices (such as palm-readers).
greater use of the Internet and its vast resources.

Technology Resources:
A paradigm shift in software development is currently underway. Many major companies are already using 3-D virtual graphics around the world. Tina Rhodes, an architect and participant in this exercise stated, “These students are very knowledgeable about software. This is important because there is little time to learn new commands on the job.” The development of 3-D models is faster than conventional 2-D approaches to 3-D models. The technology resources that have recently been purchased are in preparation for this paradigm shift in software development. Current teaching practices already involve intensive use of the Internet, which will change the way we interact and explore our options.

School Background Information:
The city of Perry has a growing population of 7500. The majority of our population is employed locally. About 1/4th commute to Des Moines. The district has an enrollment of 1370 students with 561 at the high school. Our ethnic breakdown is as follows: Asian- 1%, Black-1%, Hispanic-19%, and White -79%.

Teaching Strategy:
The central purpose of this strategy is the preparation of students to lead productive lives consistent with the basic Tenets of Democracy. This collaboration was designed to enhance:

Self-reflection
Tolerance
Power Sharing
Critical Thinking
Decision Making
Responsibility for self
Opinion formation
Social responsibility
Social connectiveness
Making Meaning

In addition, the enhancement of student achievement involved:

Students at the Center of Their Own Learning;
Principles of good Learning;
Aspects of Information Processing;
Standards from the Industrial Technology content discipline, and
Tenets of effective citizenship in a democratic society

A central purpose of this activity was for students to see themselves as key players in their own learning. The preparation of students to lead productive lives is modeled by strategies that encourage, support, and enhance responsibility for self. Social connectiveness provided the means by which the students were able to practice self-reflection, Tolerance, Power Sharing, Critical Thinking, Decision Making, opinion formation, social responsibility, and Making Meaning. The larger goals that have been represented here were utilized to develop the dispositions and skills that students need to succeed.

Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model Components Highlighted in This Activity http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/modelimage.html
(Note: This is a unit plan that may cover several days to several weeks. Not all of the elements from the Technology as Facilitator of Quality Education Model that are described below will appear in the video clips used.)

Individual Responsibility and Civil Involvement with Others: In “Strategy 1,” students had prepared the K’NEX activity to break down the usual barriers that people experience when first meeting one another. The students had decided in advance that small group or one-on-one collaboration could quickly establish a sense of equal responsibility. Having practiced the activity on two previous occasions helped them anticipate problems that they might encounter with their partners. Brainstorming solutions that promoted the best interests of the group resulted in a greater sensitivity to the problems encountered during the collaborative activity.
Information Processing For “Strategy 2,” each student was given only two weeks to prepare for his or her technology use presentation. One drawing could have been selected from previous course work to illustrate their interests and skill level. Architectural drawings were developed from digital images to show how various pictorial views might challenge collaborative opportunities. The preliminary research process involved students in a continuing dialogue over the suitability of the graphic images. It was evident from watching the video that these students could easily translate technical information in a variety of formats. The analytical abilities of these students are reflected in how easily they presented their research without preliminary presentation practice.
Principles of Learning: “Strategy 3” involved the use of an informal setting, in this case the basement of the old Carnegie Library in downtown Perry, and three collaborative parties that have had an opportunity to “make meaning” out of two previous interactions. Direct Experience in the collaborative process gave the student the opportunity to make new connections and to be actively involved in his or her own learning. The notes that were developed from this session placed students in a compelling situation that was used in follow-up debriefings to promote new insights into the collaborative process.
Content Standards: Strategy 4” involved the students in a campus tour of two buildings being restored in downtown Perry. The goal was to allow the students to see and understand the relationship between technology and the practice of restoration. During this tour a deeper understanding of innovation, problem solving, and research and development surfaced in the students’ notes. Connections between technology and society were established. Follow-up debriefings confirmed that the students understood the impact of technology in their own community and its promise for the future.

Student Characteristics:
All CADD classes are elective and most of the students that take these classes are sincerely interested in improving their abilities in this area. The students represented in this activity are typical and they are competitive in the learning environment. They are self-reliant and work as a team to solve their own problems. This practice is not by chance but by design. Each student is encouraged to utilize the knowledge of others and to capitalize on the special skills of their peers. The varying of delivery strategies helps meet the needs of diverse learners and helps them stay on task.

School Background Information:
Perry has a growing population of 7500.
The majority of our population is employed locally. About 1/4th commute to Des Moines.
The district has an enrollment of 1370 students with 561 at the high
school.
The breakdown is as follows: Asian 1%, Black 1%, Hispanic 19%, White 79%.

Evolution of the Activity:
The collaboration started last year with two Special Problem Contract students and now includes all CADD students throughout the year. The intensity of the collaboration will be worked out over the summer months by direct contact between the facilitator and the partners involved in the collaboration. Through the school year, e-mail, hyperlinking, direct mail, and occasional meetings will meet communication goals. This unique “Hyperlinking Partnership” is ready for the 21st century.

(Learning activity format adapted from National Educational Technology Standards for Students Connecting Curriculum & Technology http://cnets.iste.org/index2.html)