Week Seven Reflection

Essential question: How can 3D printing change the way we think about education?

3D printing can be beneficial in the classroom by captivating the attention of our students and my original worry was that this is all it is good for.  However, it also gives them an opportunity to see the production of an item from beginning to end.  They get to use their creativity, while understanding complex structures, to get an instant, tangible product (3D Printers for Schools, n.d.).

Courtesy of Pixabay.com

3D printing goes hand-in-hand with last week's blog about coding. It's less about the product and more about the skills learned along the way. Students are able to explore and experience real-world applications through the use of computer-aided design (CAD) software. 3D printing "creates opportunities for students that are limited only by their imagination" (Buckhoff, 2019).

So how can this change the way we think about education? Well, 3D printers give us the ability to teach our students the basics about CAD software and then let them learn and invent on their own.  It lets students explore their curiosities and be creative.  We can stand back and facilitate learning rather than spoon-feed our students information.  This is one small way that we can turn the traditional model of teacher-led education upside down and empower our students.


Resources:

3D Printers for Schools, Universities & Education. (n.d.). Retrieved February 25, 2020, from https://www.lpfrg.com/applications/education-and-3d-printing/

Buckhoff, R. (2019, June 5). 4 Steps to Create a Strong 3D Printing Program. Retrieved February 25, 2020, from https://edtechmagazine.com/k12/article/2018/09/4-steps-create-strong-3d-printing-program