Learning

3D Printing Tips For Schools

3D Printing Tips For Schools

3D printing has vast applications for education, especially at the primary and middle school level. 3D printing equipment however is a considerable investment by the academic institution and if it is not utilized properly, it can seem like a waste with its benefits being overshadowed. Here are some 3D printing tips to better use 3D printers in school for the maximum benefit for young students to aid in their learning process.

A Supplemental Approach

3D printing should be used to enhance the effects of good teaching practices at any school level and should be seen as working in conjunction with them. Teachers and educators should devise and plan lessons that can then be linked up with a 3D printing concept to help students retain the key pointers better. It is up to the educator to observe and decide the learning level of his/her classroom and evaluate how 3D printing models can bring theoretical concepts to life.

The educator is also the driving force behind the general teaching methodology being adopted in the classroom whether it is interactive learning, combined learning room concepts or even a STEAM approach which is when a combination of science, technology, math, engineering and so forth are used to explain important theories and concepts.

Adequate Preparation

Many schools purchase 3D printing equipment and just deposit it in a library or student center without thinking about the expertise that goes into making the most of that machinery and applying it for effective teaching. Schools should invest in training for their teachers, educators and librarians so they can better assist the students in properly utilizing 3D printing equipment. Online courses are varied and cost-effective for training educators in the use of certain types of software and machinery especially in a shorter time period.

Developing communication channels with the manufacturer of the 3D printer that the school has purchased ensures after-care, tutorials and access to other materials that are useful for learning and teaching. Many of these manufacturers are always on the lookout for feedback, especially regarding the educational application of their machines in a school context.

Healthy Growth For All

Children have varied learning capabilities and before incorporating 3D printing machinery as a frequent contender in their lessons, teachers should evaluate how age-appropriate such a move is. While the use of education technology equipment like 3D printers can improve individual learning and retention by leaps and bounds, it also needs to be appropriate for the age and learning level it is being applied to.

The learning tools such as 3d printers for schools should be done in response to children’s enthusiasm for the initiative and success in pilot testing. Many children rapidly take to new learning methods while others may feel like failures since they respond to other methods better. For a teacher, it is important to take everyone along and not only advance the cause of a few students. 3D printing projects can be researched online so they are specifically meant for students of a certain learning level.