Wednesday, June 8, 2005

 

NAHB releases newest version of educational CD-rom

The wait is finally over. Educators from across the country are getting their wish this spring as the National Association of Home Builders launches the new, much anticipated, Network Version 2.0 of the innovative home building program, Building Homes of Our Own.

Akin to “SIM City,” Building Homes of Our Own uses home building to teach key concepts in middle and high school math, science, civics, technology and language arts classes. Already reaching more than 1.2 million students and teachers nationwide, the new network version permits users to save unlimited sessions to a network drive, allowing greater flexibility in the school network environment.

“The success we’ve had with Building Homes of Our Own is simply unprecedented,” said NAHB president Dave Wilson, a custom home builder from Ketchum, Idaho. “Launching Version 2.0 reaffirms our commitment to providing leading-edge teaching resources to our communities and gives teachers the new version they’ve been asking us for.”

Building Homes of Our Own also introduces students to the basics of homeownership, industry careers and financial responsibility as well as motivates students using interactive gaming technology to teach key concepts in traditional subjects. “The program is so popular that students regularly contact us for a program to use at home,” Wilson added.

Student and teacher feedback to NAHB and Chicago-based developer Media Options, Inc. reveals a high level of student interested in this form of interactive learning and a need for more resources like Building Homes of Our Own in the classroom. “I played this in my technology class and I love it,” said Adam T., a student from Tampa, Fla. who recently asked NAHB for his own copy of the program.

Building Homes of Our Own challenges students to work within a budget and schedule to design and build a home, starting with the site selection and ending with the sale of the home to a qualified buyer. In the process, they will rely on lessons and skills they’ve learned in school as they solve complex problems and make design and purchasing decisions.

The CD-ROM, which includes a comprehensive lesson plan guide, is compatible with the Microsoft Windows operating system. It is free to classroom educators and members of home builder associations affiliated with NAHB (www.NAHB.org) through www.HomesofOurOwn.org.

Building Homes of Our Own is part of NAHB’s ongoing education outreach effort and was created to meet the demand for quality classroom teaching materials and the government directive compelling teachers to use more interactive technology in schools. A panel of educators and home building industry experts was consulted in the development of Building Homes of Our Own, which aligns with middle school national standards of learning. The program was developed with support from the National Housing Endowment and Freddie Mac. Network Version 2.0 is made possible with funding from the Chicago Regional Council of Carpenters.

ABOUT NAHB: The National Association of Home Builders is a Washington-based trade association representing more than 220,000 members involved in home building, remodeling, multifamily construction, property management, subcontracting, design, housing finance, building product manufacturing and other aspects of residential and light commercial construction.  Known as “the voice of the housing industry,” NAHB is affiliated with more than 800 state and local home builders associations around the country. NAHB's builder members will construct about 80 percent of the more than 1.84 million new housing units projected for 2005, making housing one of the largest engines of economic growth in the country.