Google Sketch Up

When looking at different Internet software applications offered, one thing I look for is ease of learning the software. While I found Google Sketchup to be easy initially, it was hard for me to refine the dimensions to what I needed. After spending a little time with the tutorials, which looked simple, I did not find myself any further along than when I first started. I found after several practice sessions, I was able to begin to develop basic shapes. I am sure my students will pick it up quicker than me. I would suggest that the student would be better off completing the tutorials before beginning a project design.

I see great value in students using this drawing software to work out designs for prototype projects in making either cabinets or furniture. Besides being able to get the software for free, it is a powerful tool in the hands of an artist. For most of my students the 3d nature of the product will help them visualize their project much more easily. Students can share their work collaboratively in Google 3d Warehouse. Besides storing the design the students have access to thousands of drawings, including specific designs relating to Adirondack chairs, which I will be assigning to them during the semester.

The student will have to create a Google account for themselves and I will have to have the program downloaded by the IT staff, since all downloads are restricted at our school. In fact, this is the type of program that is hard for out IT staff to work with since each student has to download it separately instead of by using a common image.

Once a student gets proficient at this free version he/she can upgrade to a more powerful version ($500) to make more professional drawings. What I like best about this software is that you not only can store your own designs to share either publicly or privately, but you can download so many drawings of others. The perfect collaborative tool for emerging designers of cabinets and furniture.

Computer-Based Instructional Objects

After pouring through the exhausting amount of WebQuests available on the internet, I have come to a few conclusions about these instructional objects. First, that was too much information to digest in such a short time. Also, it is not easy to develop a quality WebQuest that students are motivated to work through. Using someone else's WebQuest may not always be the best for my students' use. Finally, developing and maintaining a WebQuest can suck the time and life out a teacher.

As with most anticipatory sets in lesson plans the introduction to the WebQuest has to grab the attention of students. The basic quest provided has to lead the students somewhere interesting that they really want to go to. This may be easy for younger students, but high school students are not so easily excited. I found one that would appeal to their sense of value ($$$ that is). It is designed for students with minor learning disabilities, similar to those I see in the Career Tech Center. It is called Prepared and Ready for Work. The opening intro gets the students thinking about making a living, buying things that they want, and what type of career they might find interesting.

While I thought CareerCruising would have been more helpful to accomplish some of this, the author did a commendable job in this webcast. Our school is lucky enough to have a license to use CareerCruising. One consideration that a teacher must consider is who is going to use the WebQuest. Can they work independently? Are the sites they are directed to content appropriate? Are the sites distracting so that students with attention issues are not sidetracked easily? The sites I visited in this WebQuest dealt with those issues well. It made good use of scaffolding strategies to help the stents along without giving them the solutions.

I suppose we all realize how much time it takes to develop these WebQuests. It would probably be a great idea to start small- don't bite off more than you can chew at first. I noticed that many WebQuests that I visited were incomplete and had broken links. The author must periodically revisit these sites to update the information and perhaps its relevancy. That is a tremendous load on the teacher which can be quite draining. So how do you find the time and energy to build a quality WebQuest? I tell my students something my father once said to me when I complained about having to read a very thick book in English Lit class. He asked me, "Can you eat a whole watermelon in a single bite? No, but if you take one bite at a time, you'll find before long, the watermelon will be gone. And it tastes pretty good that way!"

So maybe it's time to take my first bite.