I have personally benefited so much from this course offered in the College of Family and Consumer Sciences as it encompasses a broad overview of various life skills and the values within our society. My role in this course was to work on the structure once a week, create entries on what we were doing, and complete critical thinking writing assignments and applications throughout the semester.
Students learn how to measure, cut, and utilize different building tools, all while developing teamwork and leadership skills. It’s like a very interactive shop class that uses heavy duty tools to build an actual home, designed for self sufficient living. The entire project was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed working with other students in different departments from my own. Everything is supervised and students receive some training, but mostly individuals quickly learn through experience.
I never knew about the various housing designs available that incorporate green living practices within the course content of this class. It was fascinating to learn about the different alternatives to energy and how to make a home more efficient. Working on the tiny house directly helps outline the concepts studied in the course material by serving as a real world example.
The entire building project really puts things in prospective regarding the American dream, and what we as students want out of life. It was nice to gain some insight regarding the different struggles many people may have to overcome in housing. Whether it be having to relocate to where the jobs are or adequately satisfying our needs vs. our wants to be happy.
The Tiny House Movement may not be the ideal solution for everyone, but it gets people thinking about what they want.
tinydawghouse 