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Webster City: Growth

Education, innovation lead the way to student success

—File photo Students in Ben Jass’ industrial technology class work together with students in Amanda Nichols’ special education class to make squirrel feeders during the 2016 fall semester at Webster City High School.

The industrial technology program at Webster City High School is growing by leaps and bounds. With the addition of a second instructor in the department, students at WCHS are being given the opportunity to learn real world skills while following their personal passions and ambitions.

“I’m very fortunate that Joel (Kennedy) did get hired here so he can work in his passion area. It gives me an opportunity to really focus on my classes,” said Ben Jass, industrial technology teacher at WCHS. “It’s great having another industrial tech teacher here to bounce ideas off of. We both have skill sets that compliment each other.”

Jass, 35, has been teaching for 14 years and has been teaching at WCHS for the last three years. He teaches IED, intro to engineering, metal fabrication, Iowa Central welding, and intro to technology.

They all have fun aspects to them,” said Jass.

Jass also coaches boys tennis at WCHS.

“I’ve got an awesome co-worker,” said Kennedy.

Joel Kennedy, 29, is an Industrial Tech instructor at Webster City High School. This is Kennedy’s first year teaching at WCHS. Kennedy spent the five years prior teaching industrial tech at Fort Dodge Senior High School. He teaches introduction to tech, wood tech, building and trades, and principles of engineering, which is a Project Lead the Way class. This course explores the 17 principles of engineering, which includes anything from electrical to thermodynamics to civil engineering. Each class is designed to introduce students to a variety of trade skills.

Kennedy is also an assistant varsity wrestling coach, ninth-grade assistant football coach, and middle school boys track coach.

Kennedy’s father, Dick, was a former industrial tech teacher at Webster City High School. Joel grew up helping his father with construction projects and took many of his classes.

“When he was here, he was in charge of the building and trades program. They built seven houses around town,” Kennedy said. “He had a construction company in the summers, so I just grew up working with him and taking his classes.”

“I really liked construction, but if you would have told me I was going to be a teacher when I was in high school, I would have laughed at you,” Kennedy said.

“I think I relate well to a lot of the students in this class,” said Kennedy. “Finding a passion is huge. This is where I found my passion.”

“My passion lies in carpentry,” said Kennedy. “My favorite class is building and trades class. That’s where my heart lies.”

Kennedy noted that his favorite projects to date included remodeling a house last semester and building a lean-to for the school’s agriculture department.

“I like when kids have pride in something they build that is going to last,” said Kennedy. “They’ll be able to drive by that shed out there for years to come and say that they helped build that.”

Students in Kennedy’s classes have been working on a 12-by-16-foot shed since the start of the 2016-2017 school year.

“Last semester’s group poured the pad for it. This group’s framing the walls right now. When it gets warmer they’ll go out and set those walls, put on the trusses, sheet it, put in the windows and doors, side it, and shingle it,” Kennedy said.

Industrial technology classes are an important area of curriculum, according to Kennedy.

“I don’t like seeing those kids fall through the cracks that aren’t going to go to a four-year school and they don’t develop a passion or something they enjoy doing while they’re in high school,” said Kennedy. “If I can get them hooked on something in here, whether it’s electrical and getting them into a community college for an electrical trade, or into the carpentry program or welding program.”

He also explained that these classes prepare students who do not aspire to go to a four-year school program for gainful employment after high school.

“There are a lot of great jobs in those areas that I don’t think a lot of kids necessarily know about or would have ever thought about,” Kennedy said.

Jass agreed with Kennedy and said that another benefit to these “non-traditional” courses is getting to know each student and help guide them in future professional endeavors.

“I love building relationships with students and industrial tech classes are geared in a way you get an opportunity to really talk with each individual student on a daily basis because it’s more project-oriented,” Jass said. “A lot of times students will be working on a specific skill or using a tool and you have an opportunity to not only observe but guide them.”

With Jass’ main focus on building relationships, he has collaborated with other departments at WCHS to give students the opportunity to get involved and try their hands at new projects.

“One of the cool things we’ve been able to do, because we’re a project-oriented class, we’ve been able to involve the special education department with some of our projects. Last year we made squirrel feeders,” Jass said. “That was a cool project. It was a way for my students to interact with her (Amanda Nichols) students.”

“Those kids got to build relationships with students that maybe they don’t see on a daily basis, or if they do, it’s just in the hallway,” Jass said.

Jass’ class recently wrapped up a scooter for Peer P.E., adaptive physical education class at Webster City High School. According to Jass, they were recently approached by a teacher in the Waterloo school district to build an adaptive scooter for them as well.

Students have the opportunity to engage with students across the United States through different communication mediums during their Virtual Teaming Project. The project pushes students to work via email, the phone, Skype, and more — similar to what individuals in their profession do in the real world.

Jass is also excited about the upcoming spring term. During this two-week period, students in his and Kennedy’s classes will have the opportunity to design and build an object of their choosing. This gives students a chance to take the skills they develop in class and put them into what they are passionate about.

“To have two full weeks to devote to a singular project is going to be a really cool opportunity for our kids,” Jass said. “They’re very motivated when they’re making their own projects.”

“The spring term is all about their passions,” said Kennedy. “They’re supposed to find something they’re passionate about and dive further into it.”

According to Kennedy, one student even has plans to make a meat smoker out of a filing cabinet.

“The shop is a great place to learn how to follow directions, work safely, work hard, have quality work, work with others safely, and work with a team,” Jass said. “If you think about those skills, those translate to any job that you are going to have in the future.”

“I think it’s important they get skills out of high school, not just a piece of paper,” said Kennedy. “I want them to have a skill that is going to be valuable to them in the future. Whether it’s saving themselves a bit of money by building their own deck or finishing their own basement instead of paying someone else to do that stuff.”

“All our hands-on opportunities are great projects,” said Jass. “We connect with students that don’t want to sit in a traditional classroom setting.”

Jass and Kennedy have high hopes for the future of the industrial technology program at WCHS. They hope to expand the program’s offerings in the near future and offer an independent industrial tech class. Students who take this class will be able to work on an individual project they are passionate about and assist Jass or Kennedy with the correlating skill sets in one of their regular classes.

“Hopefully we can expand our building trades program and maybe include some more advanced construction skills, work more off-site,” Jass added.

“I want to affect as many lives as possible,” said Kennedy. “We just want to keep moving forward, grow our numbers and get out of the stereotypical thought that shop is just for the guys.”

“We’re hoping to continue to expand our program outside of the norms,” said Jass.

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