Online classes

I started to work online with students when, in 2015, someone from my daughter’s high school wanted to learn about co-housing but at the time I was out of the country. I had been teaching at her high school previously, working with a history teacher going through the periods from Mesopotamia through Egypt and to Rome, discussing how the social and political aspects of life affect how buildings are designed and what buildings are important to people in each time-frame.

The online class on co-housing worked out well for both of us and the demand increased over time. Now I offer online classes on a regular basis.

The online classes are on-to-one in-person one-hour sessions for four consecutive weeks and each student receives individual attention. This provides an opportunity to go with the pace of the student and respond to the interest of each student as they progress through the class.

There are activities to do between classes and are based on how much time can be spent on the assignments taking into account the school workload.

The classes are held via Zoom

Thanks to the online conferencing tool Zoom as a way to effectively communicate, we have students in the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Germany, Switzerland, Belgium, the UK,  Mexico, Barbados, Australia, the Philippines, Timor, Malaysia, Thailand, Pakistan and Oman with a plan to expand into additional countries throughout the year.

The PowerPoints, links, images and class schedule are posted on Basecamp.

Basecamp is a site that can be shared and every time information is posted you and your student will be notified and able to access the information immediately.

During the class, I go over images and concepts with the student, discuss the topic in-depth, answer questions and work with the student on drawing designs and constructing models.

The sessions are made up of four one-hour one-to-one video classes with activities to do between the meetings.

At the end of the class, the student has a set of drawings, sketches, scale drawings, a model and a greater understanding of the built environment. If the student is interested in moving forward in their exploration of architecture, we can do a succession of classes based on the student’s interest.

I am glad to discuss the classes further with a parent or guardian either by phone or a video chat via Zoom. Sometimes it’s helpful for me to speak to the parent/guardian and student, answering questions and providing examples of what the class will be like.

For Homeschool Students

An option for homeschool students is to have more than one student in a class participating online. With a parent present and the students in one location, the students can have an additional productive hour learning and work together with a parent available assisting the students with their drawings and models, after the formal class hour is over.

We can accommodate up to six students in a class. The students can be on their own computers or in a class setting.

The Details

We offer classes Tuesday through Thursday and on Saturdays.

There is no charge to students or their families to access Basecamp during the workshop period or to use the teleconferencing tools.

The fee for one student is $175 USD or the equal amount in all other currencies.

For more than one student participating in a class, the fee is $155 USD or the equivalent in all other currencies per student.

For group classes to be offered in schools or after school programs, the fee is lower and can be determined after understanding the size of the class and the number of sessions. I fully support public schools and will be glad to work with teachers and parent groups on the fee.

Materials

The materials needed for the online workshops are:

• Drawing paper. This can be newsprint, copy paper or other paper that is easy to obtain.
• Pencil and eraser
• Ruler

If the student chooses to create a model after drawing their design:

• Cardboard: This can be poster board, cardboard cut from boxes or other material that is paper but has a stiffness and easy to cut with scissors.
• Glue or tape
• Scissors

Materials that are nice to have but not necessary:

• Color pencils and markers.
• Color paper
• String and wire
• Tape measure
• Fabric scraps for the model
• Paper towel and toilet paper tubes for the model
• Straws
• Any other materials that you come across that can be used for a model from paper egg crates to pieces of screen or clear plastic.
• As we work on the models, the students are encouraged to look for items around the house that can be used. This does not need to be a big expense. It’s best for students to think about what can be creatively used or re-used.

Age requirements:

The age range is 8 to 16 years, grades 3 through 12.

For any other questions, please send an email to us at Arc101ForKids@proton.me.

-Dora Taylor