Ideas For Implementing 3D Printing Across K-12 Curriculum

Learn how to implement 3D printing to increase student engagement across K-12 curriculum. Presenter Ryan Erickson, a Minnesota Maker Space coordinator, outlines 3D printing lessons applicable to daily student life. The webinar focuses on one simple question, “How do we apply 3D printing to K-12 education?” The process doesn’t start with expensive machines and complex software applications. Students are introduced to the technology from the bottom up. Simple IOS apps such as MakerBot PrintShop, scan student drawings for immediate upload to CAD for 3D printing. Applying 3D printing to classrooms goes beyond engineering in STEM learning – it redefines creativity entirely. Students can model historical monuments into tangible figures to understand sentiment and context; model sonic waves into visible artifacts; build geometric figures to understand volume and surface area, and map proteins and atoms into connectable models. 3D printing engages students to think creatively, it allows them to craft and build with imagination. For teachers, this technology maximizes the opportunity for impactful learning environments.