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Learning
& Education
. Setting
a Few Standards
There's some fear -- an understandable one -- that school standards can lead to 'teaching to the test'. But as with any learning, a mutual commitment on the part of the teacher and the students ... to take on tasks that both challenge and interest ... is usually likely to result not only in genuine learning, but in creativity and rock-solid competency, as well. ... That would appear to be the case with classes in Applied Architecture at Mt. Abe, which this year, for the first time, included Applied Architecture II. The courses are taught by Paul Stetson and address a variety of State Standards, including: Speaking [1.15]; Problem Solving [2.2 and 2.3]; Historical Connections [6.4]; Geometric and Measurement concepts [7.7aaa]; and Designing Solutions [7.19]. How did they manage all this? ...
They focused on covered bridges. ... In the process, they not only learned about the history and the folklore, they also learned about design, the framing truss systems and members, and the tools used for construction before the days of pop rivets and heavy steel. ... But the learning didn't stop there. In fact, that was only the beginning. ... In early September of last year, the class took a field trip to five covered bridges in our DownStreet neighborhood -- including the Sequin, the Spade Farm, the Lake Shore, the Quinlan, and the Shelburne Museum bridges. Once on site, the students got busy inspecting the details of each bridge -- the boards and trusses, the roofs and walls, even the undersides, taking notes and measurements along the way. ...
Originally, the unit was supposed to last only a part of the semester. But the students became so involved in the project, they ended up spending the entire semester on it. ... As you'll see, their efforts show. ...
Once the drawings were underway, students began working on the undercarriages and decks. From there, it was timber-framed. The students worked in tandem on the drawings, the band saws, and more. Miniature timbers were cut and trusses built, including, in some cases, laminated units. Boards were cut and the walls and roofs covered.
... They stayed as close as possible to the details of the originals and, slowly ... with a lot of work and team efforts in which they often divvied up the tasks ... they worked toward their goal. ... By the time the semester had come to a close, there were five amazingly detailed replicas of the covered bridges they'd explored. ... ... Not only that, but the student project was featured on the Vermont's Covered Bridges web site. ... ... ******* ******* If you would like to submit something for our Learning & Education section, don't hesitate to let us know. Simply e-mail us at learn@downstreetmagazine.com. The e-mail should contain your name, address, and a phone number where we can reach you. You may also send a copy of your proposed article. The text can either be included in the body of the e-mail, or you can send it as an attachment in just about any word processing format. If your piece is accepted, we will pay a small honorarium for your interest & your time. [See Freelancers Wanted for more details.] ******* ******* If you would like to advertise in this section, or throughout the magazine, please visit our Advertising Info Pages ... or call, write, or e-mail ads@downstreetmagazine.com. ******* ******* . |
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