...and can the choir say amen!

a new architecture department website for UW

1 week down...

so week 2 of teaching is almost over. i've got 5 classes. i thought they would be in nice neat packages...like sophomores in architecture 1, juniors in architecture 2 and seniors in architecture 3. but i've got only one architecture 1 class and it has students from 9-12 in it. then i've got three drafting orientation which is the precursor to architecture 1 and i am told should be used as a selling tool to get students interested in taking the entire sequence of architecture courses. then i have 8 advanced architecture students 3 of which are in a class alone. the other 5 are stuffed into my architecture 1 and drafting orientation classes. bummer for them, i'm trying to get this changed. its interesting, most of the drafting orientation students are itching to get on the computer, but i'm making them start by hand. the CAF curriculum for the arch 1 students encourages use of CAD, and i figure if they are going to spend 3years using CAD, what's the harm in starting to learn by hand? i feel like they can appreciate the benefit of the computer better by seeing what it is like by hand. also it seems there is more of a connection to what they are drawing.

being a new teacher is sort of like being a freshman. you don't know where to go for things and nobody tells you anything. you sort of have to learn the hard way. i know its just the first week of school but so far i like my students and for the most part they seem to like me...with a few exceptions of course =).i'm amazed that some of these students leave here and go to work for upto 6hours a day! thats as much time as they spend in school! there is a lot of bearacracy with the school system that it will take time for me to get used to....but luckily most paperwork can be submitted online.

the intuit teacher fellowship i got starts on the 30th...so i'm looking forward to that...incorporating the work of creative visionary environments, also known as obsessive places (read watts towers etc.) into my curricula is an exciting idea. i think i will have the most latitude in the drafting orientation classes for this. but i also hope to connect it to the chicago conservation club work on environmental action and art...use of recycled materials etc.


massive change opens this weekend. can't wait to check it out!

oh and my sissy started a blog about her journey through urban disaster research.