3D printing in schools is a goal that’s increasing in importance as
everyone wakes up to the reality of 3D printing being the most
significant technological development in history. While more technical
education is becoming widely available in colleges and in certain
industries obtaining 3D printers, it should start first with kids in
public schools. If some companies have been trying to make that happen,
it’s been a slow process because of cost issues and in trying to
convince public schools to acquire a 3D printer.
An educational consulting firm by the name of Engaging Solutions is the latest company attempting to get 3D printers into schools. This company is also very adamant about it and wants to fast-track their plan. In fact, they want as many 3D printers in schools as possible this fall for the 2014-15 school season. The question is whether they’ll succeed.
Any good news to the above is that 3D printers have become very affordable now, and Engaging Solutions will likely get this message across. They’re also teaming up with MakerBot, a top 3D printer maker. They already provide many affordable 3D printers for the consumer market, and those printers make some amazing things.
What will the benefits be for those schools if 3D printers are successfully placed there this fall? The chances of a new generation learning the world from an entirely different perspective go up exponentially.
Tangible Learning
We have to thank companies like Engaging Solutions for making a concerted effort to get 3D printers in schools. That’s because the level of learning you can have with them is much more than some schools probably understand. There could be a stigma of 3D printers being mere playthings when, in reality, you can print out scans of nearly anything and use those items as tangible educational tools.
Imagine being able to print out a scan of a human brain, a famous sculpture, or an ancient artifact. This can indeed be done with 3D printers, and also printed in smaller form so students can hold them for study. It opens up a whole new understanding of the world that no prior generation has been able to have in the public school system.
In addition to those educational tools, kids can learn how the 3D printing process works. This is important since we’ll be using them in our everyday lives within another decade. Since so many careers (and emerging careers) are starting as the result of 3D printing, learning about them as early as possible in early grades is going to be an essential educational goal.
Will we see 3D printers in every public school within another year or two? We’ll track the Engaging Solutions goal of getting the printers into as many schools as possible this school season. It may require other 3d printing companies stepping up this year to make 3D printers truly ubiquitous in every school. But once they’re there, school leaders will realize their value and remove all mistaken notions that they’re only good for printing toys and nothing practical.
An educational consulting firm by the name of Engaging Solutions is the latest company attempting to get 3D printers into schools. This company is also very adamant about it and wants to fast-track their plan. In fact, they want as many 3D printers in schools as possible this fall for the 2014-15 school season. The question is whether they’ll succeed.
Any good news to the above is that 3D printers have become very affordable now, and Engaging Solutions will likely get this message across. They’re also teaming up with MakerBot, a top 3D printer maker. They already provide many affordable 3D printers for the consumer market, and those printers make some amazing things.
What will the benefits be for those schools if 3D printers are successfully placed there this fall? The chances of a new generation learning the world from an entirely different perspective go up exponentially.
Tangible Learning
We have to thank companies like Engaging Solutions for making a concerted effort to get 3D printers in schools. That’s because the level of learning you can have with them is much more than some schools probably understand. There could be a stigma of 3D printers being mere playthings when, in reality, you can print out scans of nearly anything and use those items as tangible educational tools.
Imagine being able to print out a scan of a human brain, a famous sculpture, or an ancient artifact. This can indeed be done with 3D printers, and also printed in smaller form so students can hold them for study. It opens up a whole new understanding of the world that no prior generation has been able to have in the public school system.
In addition to those educational tools, kids can learn how the 3D printing process works. This is important since we’ll be using them in our everyday lives within another decade. Since so many careers (and emerging careers) are starting as the result of 3D printing, learning about them as early as possible in early grades is going to be an essential educational goal.
Will we see 3D printers in every public school within another year or two? We’ll track the Engaging Solutions goal of getting the printers into as many schools as possible this school season. It may require other 3d printing companies stepping up this year to make 3D printers truly ubiquitous in every school. But once they’re there, school leaders will realize their value and remove all mistaken notions that they’re only good for printing toys and nothing practical.
