Build 3D Iowa

Extended Deadline and Submitting Models!

2010-04-27T13:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Folks! We are extending our deadline for Build 3D Iowa to May 14! This will give teams a few more weeks to do some final touches on their projects.

Here are the steps you need to submit your project.

1. If you haven't already you need to sign up for Build 3D Iowa.

2. Second, you need to submit your project to the Google 3D Warehouse. Make sure you enter these fields:

Title
Description
URL (optional)
Logo (optional)
Tags - Enter your town, school district, and any other tags.
Sharing Settings - Make it PUBLIC

3. Once you have uploaded your project. Submit the URL for your model or collection of models. If you have more than one model, create a collection and submit them as a group. You will need to submit your model or collection here!

Here is a great YouTube video explaining how to upload to the 3D Warehouse.

Please register!

2010-03-16T12:26:00.001-07:00

Hi folks! Remember if you are planning on participating in Build 3D Iowa, we need you to register!

Take a few minutes and sign up!

Sign up here!

Deadline and other details....

2010-01-07T13:48:00.000-08:00

Here are some final details for everyone as we get started building Iowa in 3D!

Who can participate? - All students in Iowa in grades 6-12 are eligible to participate in this contest.

How many can participate? - Teams can be made up of a maximum of five students. You don't have to have a full team. You can participate with two, three, four, or all by yourself. We will say though, it's more fun to do this with a team.

Do I need a sponsoring teacher? - Yes! All teams must be sponsored by a teacher at your local school district.

Can adults participate? Sure, but the prizes are for students only!

Do we sign up somewhere? - Yep, right here --> SIGN UP!

When is the deadline? - The deadline is April 30, 2010 @ 11:59 p.m. Note: If you want to participate in the national contest with Google, that deadline is March 1, 2010. We are wanting to give our contest a little bit more time in order for students to do some great work!

How many buildings do you need to model? - There is only a minimum of one model that needs to be made per team member. If you have five members of your team, then five buildings must be modeled. It's always more fun though to do more!

What if someone is doing the same section of town as our team? - We are looking for the best models so if three teams model the same building, obviously we are going to look for the best model from the three teams. We will be setting up a system for you to know what and who is modeling during this contest.

How can I get software? - Talk to your tech director or call your local AEA. We have software codes for you to get the "pro" version of Google Sketch Up.

Build 3D Iowa - Grand Prize!!

2009-12-17T16:46:00.000-08:00

In our last post, we stated that we were in the process of working out some details. One of the major details was prizes for students since this is a contest. While we don't have all of our prizes figured out, we do know what our grand prize will be!

Our grand prize winners will receive a netbook! If your team has five students then each student in the winning team will receive their very own netbook to keep and use to continue building 3D models using Google SketchUp.

We are currently working on some consolation prizes for each AEA. Not sure what AEA your school belongs to? Ask your building principal! We are going to be releasing more details next week. Stay tuned....

Are you following us on Twitter? If not, you should! www.twitter.com/build3diowa

Note: The netbook in the photo does not accurately reflect the exact model that the grand prize winners will receive.

Get Involved - Model Your Town Contest

2009-12-10T13:30:00.000-08:00

If you haven't heard of the "Model Your Town Contest" by Google, take a few minutes and check it out. Essentially, Google is looking for individuals to create 3D models of their local community to be placed in to Google Earth. Check out this short video introduction that highlights Pella, IA.

Iowa has only a few towns that have 3D models of buildings. Des Moines has the state capital and a few other buildings in the downtown area, Ames has a few of it's buildings on Iowa State's campus in 3D, and Pella (which you saw in the video) also has buildings in 3D in Google Earth. If you are unfamiliar with Google Earth, download it, and play with it for a few minutes. It's awesome! Some great areas to check out on Google Earth in 3D are:

Rome, Italy
Chicago, IL
Disney World, Orlando, FL (takes a bit to load, but your kids will love it!)

This is a national competition but we want to give it some local importance. We are sponsoring our own "Model Your Town Contest" called "Build 3D Iowa". We are working out some details on our end concerning procedures, prizes, and other items but you can get started today. Here are some important details that you can use right now to get started.

Teams - Include five students (and one sponsoring teacher, the teacher can build models as well) or teams can include six students if one individual is at least 18 years old.

Technology - You need a Google Sketch Up (Free or Pro version) to participate. If you have access to a digital camera, that helps as well. If you are a student in a K12 school in Iowa and would like access to Google Sketch Up Pro, talk to your local technology director. All schools in Iowa were given free license codes for Sketch Up Pro last August.

Where to start? Find a small area in your local community to start with. Maybe it's the town square or possibly even the school district buildings. Start small and start simple.

Are adults allowed to participate? Yes, but the prizes we will have are for the students. We want all individuals to participate but we are focused on getting students involved in this contest!

We will continue to post items on the blog and hope you will contribute to the conversation!

Google Sketch Up - Build 3D Iowa Contest (Teacher training)

2009-12-10T12:09:00.000-08:00

Model Your Town Contest

Are you interested in participating in Google’s “Model Your Town Contest” and don’t know where to start? This training will provide you with the basics of Google SketchUp for you to support your students in this engaging activity. We will continue to provide support for this contest beyond the trainer through a group blog, scheduled webinars, and school visits from your GWAEA technology consultants!

What: Google Sketch Up Training (For Beginners)

When: January 7, 2010

Where: GWAEA, 4401 6th St., Cedar Rapids, IA

Time: 8am - 4pm

Bring: A laptop

Headphones or iPod earbuds

Two button mouse (if you have one)

Instructors: Tony Amsler & Stacy Behmer

Visit GWAEA’s website to register on-line:

www.gwaea.org/apps/ProfDev/user/signon.cfm

Course Number:

Fees: n/a

Deadline: January 6, 2010

Target Audience: High school & Middle School Teachers

Registration information:
Sherry Sines, Professional Development Coordinator
319.399.6517 or ssines@gwaea.org