Today in class I had a student ask me if we could print something in 3D.  My heart broke a little when he asked me this for several reasons.  One major reason is that I have been playing with 3D sculpting apps for a while now trying to figure out the ins and outs of certain programs in order to get it to function the way I’m wanting it to.  Late last week I finally had to temporarily shelve the idea because there simply isn’t enough time for me to figure it out before the semester is over. It seemed as though the closer I was getting to my project goal the more complicated it became.  Turns out the project I wanted to design would require totally different devices. The other thing that made me sad about saying no is that the high school has the technology to do what he is asking.  So it is right within our reach but I sadly know nothing about it, how much it costs and the program it uses.

There are few different ways I can look at this little heartache of mine.  On one hand I need to realize that I have expectations of certain programs that aren’t realistic,   The other is that I’m just not ready or I would be talking to the high school and getting us over there for at least a little tour if nothing else.  After a little reflection I realize that at some point here soon I am just going to have to dive into. At this point I should stop focussing so much on what I wish the program would do and more on what the programs will allow me to do .  This has been a tough lesson but important I am sure.  I also need to get over to the high school for a little lesson of my own.  Maybe I can bring my ideas that are just out of reach right now into a course 2 or 3 project and keep it on the horizon.  It obviously is not going anywhere and will possibly seem a bit closer if I just take a leap.

I was excited to read some of the examples and of how 3D printing is being used in schools from the 2013 Horizon Report K12.  New uses for 3D printing in education are popping up all of the time and it has encouraged me to continue researching on my own. Stratasys, a 3D printing company, is launching education case studies all over the world to help make 3D printing a reality for students in all sorts of subjects.  Some of these are really interesting and could make for great connections in building ideas of my own.

I want to leave you with one more amazing 3D printing possibility in this mini metal maker. I know that some amazing things are being made with these printers all the time but this printer in particular is one that I would love to personally have the opportunity to play with some day.  Now I just need to design a jewelry course for AES. No big deal.