Today we have a special videoconference between two construction trades classes in Michigan. New Buffalo High School and Wayne-Westland High School are reporting to each other on their construction house project. Thanks to Steven Michael from Wayne RESA, a webcam, Polycom PVX, and a cable modem, the Wayne-Westland class is presenting from their construction site!
After introductions, Wayne-Westland started a tour of the house. The sound of boots in empty rooms echoed through the house. Students explained the various section of the house including:
A custom fireplace.
Shelves.
Custom windowsills
A window in the master bedroom.
Tile on the bathroom floor.
Walking through the house.
The siding.
We found that it was easier to hear the students after they had stopped at a location vs. when they were walking around the house. Background noise of construction vehicles and people walking around the house caused audio issues a few times and made it hard to hear.
Then our class shared their construction project, using a model and photos. Finally, the students asked each other questions. Unlike the elementary exchanges where usually students immediately talk about social topics, the high school students started with good questions related to their content.
- Have you faced any major problems on your house this year?
- How big is your house and what does it cost?
- Have you had any work related accidents this year?
Next year we hope to do this again with a class somewhere in the southern U.S. where construction is somewhat different than here in Michigan. So if you have a construction trades class and would be willing to work with us next spring, let me know!
I also thought the presentation was great. The differences in the type of houses and the programs was very interesting for our students. I liked the on-site connection but it was, at times, distracting to the presentation. I did like how patience each group was with the technology side of the VC. This is a great group to connect with as it does deal with real world applications.
This is great feedback. We can use this info to help plan better audio systems for upcoming events. I looked at some of the footage, and it does indeed seem that the students were patient and engaged. If you have suggestions to improve the content side – to increase the learning that occurs – that will help our future events, as well. Thanks to everyone for your help.
Ken
Wayne RESA
Manager of Video Telecommunication Services
The feeling at our end was that this was a great experience. The students were engaged throughout the videoconference. They were excited to be able to show their house off and just as excited to interact with the students at New Buffalo. I do have to make one correction. The students at Westland are all members of the Construction Trades Class at William D. Ford Career Technical Center in Westland.