For this week’s assignment, I had the choice to explore coding or 3D printing for an hour. After listening to Dr. Kimmel’s lecture on 3D printing for education, I was determined to try my hand at it. I visited Tinkercad, registered for a personal account, and began the tutorial. It was so much fun!

I was a bit nervous that I would have to tinker on my own, play around with shapes and try to put something together. I found that overwhelmingly intimidating considering I’ve seen some advanced 3D designs, and I don’t have the skills to create anything sophisticated. Luckily, Tinkercad took me through a series of mini lessons from which I learned how to select and move objects, rotate and zoom, copy and paste, and toggle between solid and hollow shapes. I felt incredibly confident after completing my tutorial, and attempted to explore “Projects” and practice making something on my own. My independent practice was humbling. 

Nevertheless, I am encouraged to try again. That’s the whole point of the activity, and the reason why it is beneficial to incorporate these types of projects in an educational setting. Not only is 3D printing fun, but it teaches students that failure is a necessary component of success (Filip, 2019). If the goal is to use 3D printing in library maker-spaces, it would be helpful to explore the benefits Dr. Kimmel (2020) mentioned in her lecture as an anticipatory set. Skilled 3D designers can create prosthetics, spare parts for electronics, and customized accessories, so showing a video or having 3D printed objects for students to see in person can set the precedent for future 3D printing projects. This could reinforce the idea that there are no limits. As Dr. Kimmel (2020) said, “If you can imagine it, you can probably create it with a 3D printer.” 

References

Filip. (2019, February 28). Making a place for “3d” in our school library. Imade3d. https://www.imade3d.com/2019/02/making-a-place-for-3d-in-our-school-library/

Kimmel, S. (2020, March 23). 3 D printing [Video]. Kaltura.