Each afternoon, sixth grade students at North Daviess Elementary, pull out their laptops and start tinkering. Thanks to a grant from TechPoint Foundation for Youth, the elementary school can offer its students a chance to learn, create and imagine in 3-D with the help of special 3-D printers.
The printers, which use a plastic “string” similar the string used in weed whacking tools, put down thin layers of plastic to create the final project. Students are currently working on holiday ornaments and other decorations but the students are learning far more than what meets the eye.
Clay Raber, one of the sixth grade teachers who oversees the use of the printers said the projects encompass more than just creativity in students.
“This teaches the measurements, engineering, design processes, simple and complex mechanical devices and machines. With these projects, the students have to convert metric measurements into American standard and learn about coordinate plans,” said Raber, adding the students have been busy creating projects since early in the school year. “Our first project was to create something that would promote North Daviess Elementary. We had students creating phone cases, bookmarks, and key chains. One student even made a baseball case.”
Students have access to websites that can aide with the design process or can create a design or concept all of their own.
“We are trying to give kids a shop class experience again,” said Kim Brand, with 3-D Parts and Manufacturing. “The 3-D printers are really a tool for educators to teach creativity. If we can rejoin our past, where we can make things again, we’ll be headed in the right direction. Tinkering is a lost art. You can think of something in your head, but but you don’t know you have it right until you actually make something.”
Brand said after students choose a design for their project, the design is sent from the student’s laptop to the device connected to the 3-D printer.
“It works kind of like a glue gun on a robot arm,” said Brand, adding the string used costs about $40 a spool and can be used to create 100’s of student projects.
The string is melted and creates a layer at a time. Most of the projects, depending on the size, can be made in about 30 minutes.”
While not all the projects turn out as planned, there are no failed projects. “We take the projects and didn’t turn out quite right and try to figure out what went wrong,” said Raber. ‘“It’s all part of the parting learning process.”
Jacie Graber, one of sixth grade students, said she enjoys the 3-D printing not only because it allows her to create objects, but also because it’s fun.
“It’s like we are getting to be interactive,” she said. “It’s a lot better than just sitting because we get to let our creativity flow through the process.”
Graber, a member of the school robotics club, said since she has had the opportunity to work with the 3-D printing technology, she is now considering going to college to study science.
“I love doing these projects. They don’t always turn out how I expected, but that’s okay. I keep them anyway. It’s a good way to learn from our mistakes.”