Disciplinary Expert Tour- Meeks

Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters Apprentice and Training Program

Elk Grove Village, Illinois

Trades workers in the United States are part of an aging workforce. In Illinois, 25% of the skilled labor force is over 55 years old and 58% are over the age of 45 (Underwood, 2015).

In my experience, this has held back the skilled labor force from adopting new technology. On most sites I have worked on the carpenters prefer string straightening to laser levels, and paper blueprints to digital. I have even been on a site where the lead carpenter wanted hand-drawn blueprints because he didn't like the look of blueprints drawn with CAD software. Due to the lack of new technology on many worksites, I decided I would visit the Carpenters training center in Elk Grove.

My contact for the tour was Kina McAfee. Kina is the assistant coordinator for the training center. She took me on a tour of the facility and also took the time to go through some of the different training areas and different technology that was being used.

Technology Involved:

Laser Levels- One tool that I observed being used often was a laser level. While laser levels have been around since the 1980's they are still not a tool that has been very prevalent in residential construction. With some technology improvements and the tool now being affordable, the training center has moved to using laser levels to guide with squaring, leveling, and plumbing walls.

Televisions and Tablets- At first when I saw the television I assumed that they were strictly for educational purposes. When I saw the TV was being housed in a job box I realized that this was something that was used on a job. This made me curious, so I asked Kina about them.

Both televisions and tablets are becoming more common on the job site. They are primarily used in commercial and heavy construction. These pieces of technology allow for teams on a construction site to look over details together. Tablets are beginning to take the place of paper blueprints as well. Tablets allow for use of a live document. In years past if you ran into problems or had questions regarding details on a blueprint you had to take down notes or call the architect in order to get clarification. Now you can simply meet on a quick zoom call and the architect can immediately update a drawing.

Battery Powered/Cordless Tools- Most tools that were being used were battery powered. This is something that has also been becoming more and more popular as the battery life for these tools has increased dramatically over the past 10-15 years. Another tool that was used was a cordless nail gun. Passload guns with a disposable cartridge were used throughout the site. Almost all tools were cordless to eliminate the need for compressors and generators.

Google SketchUp- The last piece of technology that I observed being used was Google SketchUp. SketchUp was used to show a 3D model to give the teams a better idea of what the final product looks like. The Carpenter's training center also offers classes to the new and veteran carpenter's so that they can learn to utilize the program.

Teaching Implications:

I think overall this confirmed that we are doing a nice job staying up to date with the construction industry. My classroom utilizes many different cordless tools. We also have a large TV that we use to go over shop rules, display presentations, and look over projects as a group.

There were a few things that we do not utilize in the classroom. One that I feel we need to improve on is using laser levels. I currently only have laser surveying equipment. I have some grant money leftover and I think I will be using it to purchase a new laser level to at least introduce students to using it.

Another item that we do not use in the classroom is Google Sketchup. I feel that we are actually ahead of what the carpenter's union is using. Google SketchUp is very limited in my experience. I have also had professional architects use SketchUp for some of the blueprints I have used. All of these prints have been riddled with errors. I feel that this is due to the limited error-checking ability built into the software. I think I will stick with AutoCAD and Revit for architectural drawings. These 2 programs are much more powerful and are more commonly used by architects.

The last piece of technology that I saw used at the training center was an IPad/Tablet. I don't feel that these are necessary. Any sort of print that I have in digital form can easily be sent to a student's Chromebook. I also try to limit the number of screens that are out in the classroom. Students tend to drive nails/screws etc. into just about anything. I am certain that if I had a school-owned tablet in class, at some point I would find it damaged at the end of class.

Do- The technology used at the training center has been selected to allow carpenters to work as efficiently and quickly as possible. Another benefit of this technology is that it improves communication and helps with clarifying ideas.

Mean- These tools will allow workers to be quicker and more efficient. The downside is that in some cases it can make for poorer construction. Tools like nail guns do not allow the user to feel as if they are making a connection. Sometimes the nails may blow out the side or not have a firm hold. A major implication in construction today is that material advancements have led to buildings burning more quickly. The burn time on an average house has gone from 15 min in the 70's to less than 5 in a modern house. This gives the homeowner significantly less time to react in an emergency.

Relate- The Ipad on the job site changes the relationship with the architect. Carpenters can receive live feedback and clarification on site. This has significantly improved communication and has allowed for more efficiency as there is less downtime when waiting for clarity, and there are fewer errors in construction.

Think- Power tools mean that the carpenter must be aware of safety at all times. Power tools when used improperly and not maintained can cause significantly more damage to both people and the building itself.

Be- Most of the tools used on site are used specifically by tradespeople. Some of them are also used by architects and engineers.

Overall, I felt that this trip and project were beneficial. It's always good to evaluate your curriculum and technology used to ensure that you are meeting both the needs of our students and the demands of the workforce.