I have had a some experience with coding as a media specialist this past year, so I decided to explore Tinkercad and 3D Printing. Thank goodness for the tutorials and step by step instructions. I would have been lost without them. Even though I had the mini lessons, I still found it frustrating to move and resize objects on the workspace. I chose to design a flower which I thought would be pretty simple using cylinders and resizing them as the directions stated. I basically came up with a bunch of circles placed close to each other in the end. I am sure I could figure this out, given more time and I am confident that most students would have no trouble at all. My students amaze me when it comes to technology skills every single day. Many of them know more than me when it comes to things such as coding and gaming, and even programming.

I am glad I read Snelling’s and Moen’s article prior to my exploration with 3D Printing otherwise I wouldn’t have seen the benefits this could have for students. While both articles mainly focused on coding, essentially 3D printing is somewhat like coding. It is a language and a building activity. Using 3D printing in schools will help students identify problems and find solutions. (Snelling, 2018). As educators it is our responsibility to teach the skills needed for students to move forward in their life and on to their careers being confident critical thinkers and problem solvers. Coding and 3D printing are two tools to help our students get there successfully. Thinking critically and problem-solving are “necessary skills” as Moen states in her article. (Moen, 2016).

Snelling, J. (2018, April 3). Don’t stress about coding: Focus shifts to teaching problem solving not computer skills. School Library Journal. Retrieved, July 24, 2021 from https://www.slj.com/?detailStory=dont-stress-coding-focus-shifts-teaching-problem-solving-not-computer-skill

Moen, M. (2016, September 30). Computer coding and literacy: Librarians lead the connection. International Literacy Association. Retrieved July 24, 2021 from https://www.literacyworldwide.org/blog/literacy-now/2016/09/30/computer-coding-and-literacy-librarians-lead-the-connection