3D Printing in Makerspaces

 


Last year I accepted my first media specialist position at an elementary school, and I was excited to see that we have a lot of resources that can be used for a Makerspace. The most exciting piece of technology we have is two 3D printers, but I have no clue how to use them or ways to use them with students. So, I was excited to see that we would be covering makerspace technology in this class. I found a great blog that describes how to use 3D printers with young students on Technotes.

Makerspace technology can be expensive so I love that Ramirez mentioned writing a grant with a coworker so they can purchase the printer (2020). She then mentioned the training she completed so that students can design their own projects. She also mentioned wanting to align 3D printing with standards, so she came up with grade-level projects that were student designed. This is important for school librarians because all of our resources should connect with state standards and district curriculums. This process happened over multiple school years, which is encouraging to know that implementing new technology doesn’t happen overnight. It takes a clear plan and extra effort to learn what you need to know so that you are successful.

Resources:

Ramirez, C. (2020, August 13). Three Steps to 3D Printing with Young Learners. Technotes. https://blog.tcea.org/3d-printing-with-young-learners/

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