I’ve been 3D printing with kids for years, what I wish I’d known when I started…
I’ve spent almost a decade teaching students about 3D design and printing in Makerspaces and classrooms, across grades, curricula, subjects, and skill levels. I, however, do not come from a tech background. I’d consider myself more of a bookworm. I share this context because it’s important to know that I did not come from a place where I had a deep understanding of how (or even what) to teach when I first got started. It took a lot of learning, practice, and numerous mistakes to eventually teach 3D design and printing well.
To save you (some of) the strife that I went through, I wanted to give a few things that I wish I’d known as a newbie:
You don’t have to be an expert to get started. There are so many great resources to support a new 3D designer with everything from machine operation to project ideas. All you need is a willingness to learn with your students, and a good teacher support system. If you don’t have this support in your district you can check out these options through MakeShift EdTech.
You can teach 3D design without a 3D printer. There are so many in-person projects that are better and more equitably done online. I wish that I’d known I could’ve been doing dioramas, historical home and city replicas, character creation, mathematical problem solving, engineering challenges, fashion design, and so much more for free using web based 3D design programs. This eliminates the need for students to provide materials from home, and it allows you to watch student progress in real time so that you can provide support as needed.
Okay, but let’s say you want to actually print with students, which, by the way, is both unbelievably educational and super fun, what else do I wish I’d known?
3. Curriculum is super important. When I started 3D printing with students there was limited curriculum out there, so I was mostly creating it myself. Honestly, this was probably the best course of action anyway, because I struggled to find content that was relevant and exciting for students, beyond the initial introduction to 3D printing. Is it fun to print a functioning hair clip or keychain? Sure, but students lose interest if this is as far as you go.
I found that students really connected to 3D design and printing when they realized the many important issues that it could impact (housing, health, climate, industry, you name it). But I had to create curricula that highlighted these important and deep connections. My classroom had an overall focus on empathy and impact, and from there students really took off! If you’re looking for some places to get started, you can check out MakeShift EdTech’s 3D Printing Courses: The Fundamentals of 3D Printing and Design Your Own Toys in Tinkercad.
4. The printer really matters. Can you 3D print with any of the printers on the market? Yes, probably, some of the time. But once you’ve started using a 3D printer with students you realize that the very most important thing about a printer is that it needs to work. I know this sounds overly simplistic, but when you’re trying to run a class, and your 3D printer is constantly down, and you have no one to help you fix it, this becomes a huge issue. Do you need the top of the line (read: most expensive) printer out there? Absolutely not. I recommend finding actual school users to get reviews of a printer before you buy it, because I’ve often found that industry users do not understand the unique challenges of 3D printing in a school. If you’d like to talk with an experienced classroom user about your printer options you can sign up for a 20 minute printer consultation.
There’s more that I could add, but I think the last thing I’ll say is that if you focus on the curriculum, choose a printer that supports your needs, and are ready to learn with your students, I think you’ll find that 3D design is an unbelievable addition to your classroom.
