3D Printing (Bonus tech toolkit)

3D printing is a technology that immediately made me think, "Wow. We're in the future."  I did recently learn that this technology was created in the 80's and simply was held back because of patents...but that only impressed me more! hopefully, now that those patents are expiring completely, we'll see a real 3D printing boom.

As you may have guessed, 3D printers are devices that can print actual 3D objects.  If you're not familiar with the technology this is a great short documentary on some of it's potential:


Obviously this technology is relatively expensive, but I think a several hundred dollar investment would be well worth the endless possibilities that come with being able to create real life objects with a printer. Not to mention, one popular company offers their printers with a "Buy 2 get 1 Free" deal for educational institutions.

When it comes to the potential classroom uses, as I mentioned before, the possibilities are endless. It might be tough to get our hands on a real fragile fossil, but we can 3D print a replica that school children can handle with no fear of damaging an expensive artifact.  We can print figurines for use in games or activities, or tools for very specific purposes.  I think part of the fun of a 3D printer would be bringing some of the children's ideas to life.

It's going to require a lot of new disciplines for me, but I really like the idea of creating open possibilities in the classroom. I like the idea of embracing tools that can make things possible that may have not been possible before. I imagine being able to take a childs idea, maybe about a strange structure or a small tool that they think could benefit them, and bringing them through the process of making it real.

As I observe more and more real life classroom hours, I've begun to realize that my assumptions of how teaching 'works' and how things happen need to be challenged and developed more, and I'm currently having trouble picturing specific paths because of this, but regardless I believe it's a tool thats adaptable enough to fit a lot of different goals and plans.