#STEMIntegration #3DPrinting Is Not Just About Design

STEM Integration: 3D Printing is Not Just About Design

3D printers are showing up in schools at an increasing rate. I recently gave a workshop at a STEM Integration Conference called "We have a 3D Printer, Now What? Integration Across Subjects" with the hope of attracting teachers who had 3D printers but no idea of how to use them. Before I began, I took a simple poll, "How many of you have 3D printers that are still in the box and have no idea what to use them for?" A majority of the teachers raised their hands. My hunch was correct.

I believe that 3D printers belong in every classroom and that someday they will be as common place as laser printers are today. The cost is coming down and the versatility is improving. Through sites like Thingiverse.com, people around the world are sharing what they make for anyone to print. When I contact these Makers and explain how I am using their models to inspire teachers and students, they are overwhelmingly enthusiastic. They share because they want to make a difference. I am often asked about design. The using preexisting models provides the gateway step to design. The number of uploaded designs increases daily. Thingiverse reports that users have uploaded nearly 500,000 designs. Many of these designs have applications as models to be used in the classroom. 

Here is one of my favorite examples. While browsing Thingiverse, I found the model of one of my favorite authors, Cory Doctorow. I printed it and, knowing that he is active on Twitter, tweeted this picture to him:

Here is the conversation:

I know he was kidding, at least I think he is kidding. He knows these models are available. He even has an account on Thingiverse and a model of this bust is on it. He is also a strong advocate of Creative Commons. I made contact. I referenced his work, "For the Win," in another workshop and Tweeted how I made this book a focus of STEM in Literature Integration. He replied that he was honored. 

What if a student, who had difficulty reading printed something about the book or an author and sent it to the author and the author replied back, what would this do to the student?  Although I have never met Cory Doctorow, I now feel connected to him. 3D printing makes the intangible tangible. Connecting our students to the work we are asking them to do, builds ownership and passion. Give it a shot. Try it for yourself. If you have access to a 3D printer, what can you lose? Just go for it.

Falling in Love #STEM #History

I hope that got your attention. I love research and I also see a strong connection between science and history (see my blog post from January 7th). On occasion, I become so involved with a project that I become deeply attached to it. For an upcoming workshop on 3D Printing in Any Curriculum, I encountered the model for an old shoe on Thingiverse (http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:552782). Why would somebody scan an old leather shoe? What is the significance? How does it have meaning?  I began digging. In the notes for the Thingiverse model, I found this article, A Shoe and the Historical Record. It begins with the story of how the students of a history class were scanning historical objects for a project. The authors go on to tell the story of the Nolan family who had the shoe made by a slave, "Old Jack", for their daughter Octavia in 1862. Anderson Nolan, the father joined the Confederates in the Civil War later that year. I discovered that many slaves lived and worked in the cities as craftsmen or laborers. "Old Jack" was a shoemaker who was hired out by his owner. I also realize that he was probably a lucky man. He had a trade and on January 1, 1863, he was freed by the Emancipation Proclamation.

This story pulled me in. Because of 3D printing, I could hold this shoe. The story could become tangible for me. Instead of a static image and a story on a website, I can interact directly with it.  I downloaded the model, which was a .thing file. None of the 3D printers I have access to could print .thing files. I needed an .stl file. Now I was learning about the printing process itself. I emailed John Campbell of the North Carolina History Museum, where the shoe is on display. He was able to find the .stl file. I printed two copies of the shoe, one 1/2 scale and one full scale. The full scale model took 16 hours to print and it was so worth it. I can hold the shoe and share the experience. Continue exploring and looking for the connections with learning across the curriculum.
-Al

Comparison of the printed shoe to the actual shoe (photo graph)