KLEIN's
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PHOTO CREDIT: Nadene Klein at Tuolumne Meadows Yosemite National Park
My presentation at the NSTA conference went extremely well. The topic of 3D printing can be two fold. One aspect that needs consideration is the logistics. Arranging to use the machine, dedicating the time to printing projects, making sure there is enough filament, and determining which program to use to render the 3D files. This is difficult for any teacher who has limited or no experience using a 3D printer. How can you coordinate when you don't know what to expect. Sadly, while there is an expectation to use technology because funds have been invested in it, there is little training and support extended to teachers in this area. It would be easy to meet those demands of administration by coming up with a random project for students to 3D print. That leads into the second aspect that should be thoughtfully considered. 3D printing, in the science classroom, gains strength and meaning as a tool for scientific modeling rather than a mere novelty. The teacher should offer the opportunity to students when it can be done using the construct of authentic modeling as would be done by a professional scientist. These two points were the crux of my presentation. I shared my experience, the two projects I have done, and student examples. Here is the link to the presentation I used: 3D PRINTING PRESENTATION After the presentation the only questions my attendees asked were around the programs that can be used to create an .stl file and how long the entire project took including printing. The answer to the second part is that the project took students about 1 week to research, create a 2 dimensional drawing, and convert it to an .stl (3D design) file. It took another 4 days for them all to print. Using the 3D printer definitely increased student engagement. Students gained experience in the skill of designing a scientific model. The exciting part was the level of critical thinking implemented when converting a 2D drawing to a 3D rendering. This step is of the utmost importance and must not be skipped to save time. Determining scale, proportion, and going through the design/redesign process involves a deeper level of thinking that students need to go through in order to come to a higher level of understanding. While they may struggle, the outcome is worth the struggle. Scientifically yours, Nadene
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"We bought a 3D Printer for the school, now use it." As teachers, many of us have heard words similar to these from administration. They invest in new technology and logically want it used. However, they offer little in the way of support for how to use this new technology nor how to authentically integrate it into a lesson or project. 3D printing is amazing, don't get me wrong. That being said, it does have limitations in a typical classroom and even more so in secondary school. Printing itself takes hours per print job. When you have 30+ students in a class you could be facing over 900 hours of print time if each student prints one project. At the secondary level that is compounded by the number of classes even with students working in groups rather than individually. I'll be speaking on this topic at the National Science Teacher Association's national conference in Atlanta next week (#NSTA18). Once a teacher can navigate limitations and logistics, 3D printing can add a component of engineering and modeling that used to be missed in the classroom. You'll get amazing models from students like the ones pictured below from my Astronomy class. There'll be more to come on this topic as I reflect on the presentation I give. Scientifically yours, Nadene |
AuthorNadene Klein, M.Ed. has been an educator for over 25 years. She brings a passion and love for science to the classroom and through this blog to you. Archives
March 2024
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