Bringing STEM To Life With 3D Printing (From Ideas To Prototypes)
My students need a MakerBot 3D printer bundle, which will take what they see on the computer screen and turn it into a real-life physical model in a matter of hours.
Many of my students come to this program quiet, shy and reserved, trying to find a place to "fit-in" during high school. They are typically geeks and nerds and are sometimes lacking social skills and etiquette. They emerge as leaders with self-confidence and good problem-solving and communication skills.
These students are our future and robotics is a great vehicle for integrating science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) to get students excited about learning and showing them real life applications.
If the United States is going to continue to lead the world in important research and discoveries, we must encourage our best and brightest to pursue interests in the STEM disciplines. For many of these students, the challenges of robotics will be the hook to keep them interested and involved in STEM.
My Project
Bringing 3D printing into the classroom introduces students to cutting-edge technologies they will encounter in their careers. Typically in robotics, students spend endless hours physically manipulating materials such as cardboard, wood, and metal to create models of their ideas, only to discover that major changes are needed. With a 3D printer, students can use their Computer-Aided Designs (CAD) to create these prototypes, test them and make appropriate changes.
Learning CAD is an important skill in robotics which students often find tedious and boring because they never actually see, hold, touch or feel their designs as a final physical product. A 3D printer would inspire and motivate students to design models using CAD because they would create a real physical object.
My students need a MakerBot 3D printer bundle, which will take what they see on the computer screen and turn it into a real-life physical model in a matter of hours.
With a 3D printer, students will have an opportunity to experience and apply the engineering design process.
They can produce a prototype of their own design, test it, and experiment with it, and make the appropriate changes. They have an opportunity to truly understand why a part worked or did not. Being able to create physical models of their own design really excites students and keeps them interested in STEM disciplines.
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As a teacher-founded nonprofit, we're trusted by thousands of teachers and supporters across the country. This classroom request for funding was created by Ms. Skinner and reviewed by the DonorsChoose team.