3D Modeling

My Students

My students are learning to use the tools in Autodesk Inventor and are very creative and technical. They have learned to sketch, dimension, and create 3D models just like real engineers! They are desperate to see their 3D designs "come to life" via 3D printing!

My school is a large junior high school school in a suburb in Illinois.

Over half of our students are low income and we have a large English language learner population. Our students are creative and hard working and all are able to be successful in my STEM class. 3D design is very visual and students learn so much math while they are creating their 3D models. Almost all of the students in the school take my technology class at some point during the year. That means almost every student will be able to learn about 3D design and printing!

My Project

I am requesting the MakerBot 3D printer so that my students will be able to print the models they create using the Autodesk Inventor software. My students have already learned to use many of the tools in Autodesk Inventor. They have learned so much math in the process of sketching, dimensioning, and extruding their designs. The only thing they can't do is print out their 3D creations. Having the MakerBot 3D Printer will make this learning experience "real" for them. These students are our future engineers and inventors. Being able to design and print their 3D models will inspire them to go even further. They are already looking forward to enrolling in engineering classes in high school.

My students are motivated to use Autodesk Inventor and have just begun to unleash the power of this program.

Having a 3D printer in my classroom will make a huge difference! Students will have the opportunity to complete the design process by printing a prototype, testing and evaluating the models, redesigning to improve their solution to a problem, and communicating their ideas to others. These are skills that all students will need for the future.