Capturing the Educational Journey of a Lifelong Learner

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Learning Environment & Situational Factors to Consider

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My focus: Residential & Commercial Framing unit

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1.  Specific Context of the Teaching/Learning Situation

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How many students are in the class?  Is the course primary, secondary, undergraduate, or graduate level?  How long and frequent are the class meetings?  How will the course be delivered: live, online, blended, flipped or in a classroom or lab?  What physical elements of the learning environment will affect the class? What technology, networking and access issues will affect the class?

•  Students: about 59, 2 class periods

•  Secondary level, 11th & 12th grade

• Scheduled time is 2.5 hours.  With late arrivals and early dismissals, we end up closer to 2 hours

• Delivery method: Lab classroom and blended (provided laptops allow students to complete the online portion of the class.)

• Lack of internet in the home could affect our students’ abilities to complete coursework at home.  We provide laptops for students at school and they can catch up with provided time.

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2.  General Context of the Learning Situation

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What learning expectations are placed on this course or curriculum by: the school, district, university, college and/or department?  the profession?  society?

• The Advisory Team directs the curriculum, It is reviewed, recommended and then presented to our school board for final approval and purchase.

• Grading criteria A-D must be used to finalize summative assessments for semester grading. (Moving away from gathering points towards Evidence Based Reporting)

• State standards for Construction Trades CIP 46.0000 will be used

 

3.  Nature of the Subject

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Is this subject primarily theoretical, practical, or a combination?  Is the subject primarily convergent or divergent?  Are there important changes or controversies occurring within the field?

• This project is a combination of theory and practical exercises.

• This topic can also have a combination of convergent and divergent elements.  Baseline has typically consistent answers, but can find different ways to achieve the final goals.

• There can be changes within the building codes.  Especially as it pertains to Energy.  Usually the changes will be minimal when they occur.

 

4.  Characteristics of the Learners

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What is the life situation of the learners (e.g., socio-economic, cultural, personal, family, professional goals)?  What prior knowledge, experiences, and initial feelings do students usually have about this subject?  What are their learning goals and expectations?

• Our school is in a relatively impoverished rural county.  We see many Caucasians; Hispanic and African Americans are represented as well.

• Students who come to our class have a wide array of prior knowledge and skills.  Some will have a good baseline yet for others it is the first they have ever heard of the concepts.

• Students understand what construction is and the importance of homes but may not understand how the structures are built and maintained.

• Learning goals and expectations overview: understand framing methods, how to interpret prints to correctly complete task. Students must also be able to have vision and abilities to know what comes next in the process.

• Current statement of inquiry that drives the unit: The exploration of project components, systems and how they complement each other allows for its progression.   

• Expectation at the end: students will be able to meet a customers needs, interpret prints, transfer data, secure materials, & gather tools & additional supplies to complete an actual structure.

 

5.  Characteristics of the Teacher

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What beliefs and values does the teacher have about teaching and learning?  What is his/her attitude toward:  the subject? students? What level of knowledge or familiarity does s/he have with this subject?  What are his/her strengths in teaching?

• This is one of the more exciting and challenging units of the year.  Students can literally see their progress each day as they apply the knowledge gained in theory on the practical application.

• I like to teach in a constructivist manner that allows for students to explore and play within the constraints I provide. Labs and activities are heavily used during this unit to further develop the understanding of each method, beyond the in-house theory & practical lessons students will complete an online learning component outside of class.

• Working at a Career-Tech center gives me energy as students typically choose and want to be in my class.  This is a favorite unit of mine as I look at transferring data from a print to a board as a puzzle that challenges the mind.  Seeing a structure emerge from a piece of paper is exciting.  Turning a pile of lumber into a structure that can be enjoyed by many for years to come is fun and I love sharing this experience with the students in my family of learners. My strengths are forming relationships and teams. We build structures that are used by our county, so our learning is applied in a relevant manner. My paraprofessional and I work with to enhance understanding and the ability for students to use their learning styles through differentiated activities. I am very familiar with many techniques as I have been a builder for over two decades and have taught it for fifteen years.

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Questions for Formulating Significant Learning Goals

 

A year (or more) after this course is over, I want and hope that students will be able to complete the tasks learned in the unit for themselves and/or their employers.

 

My Big Harry Audacious Goal (BHAG) for the unit is:

 

Design and build a shed that will store all of our tools & fasteners enabling us to retire the old shed and trailer. 

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