My students are amazing, hardworking children from vastly different backgrounds. Some of the children are from military families and have traveled the world. Others are from local families who have never left their own neighborhood. 68% of our students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. 49% are African American, 48% White, 2% Latino and 1% other ethnicities. We are a Title I school in a suburban setting with a large military population. Our school has the highest mobility rate of any in the county with 13% of the population transferring in and out during any given school year. A large number of our students are with us for part of one year, then at another Title I school, then back to us for a period of time over and over again.
For three years my 5th grade students have been challenged to create an object for a teacher or student in our school using a 3D imaging program and our aging MakerBot Printer.
My Project
My 5th grade students enjoy learning to design and print using our aging printers but, sometime, they have trouble understanding that they are learning to create and use a technology whose possibilities are just beginning to be understood. I share videos and news article about the uses of 3-D imaging and printing, and they are fascinated.
Using a video from If/Then collection, #SheCanSTEM 1: Ritu Raman, will speak to my girls and show them that anyone can STEM.
Four short years ago, I did not understand the concept of 3-D printing, so I enrolled in a 3-D printing class over the summer. Wow, who says you can't teach an old dog new tricks! I want to share this enthusiasm for STEM, 3-D printing and continued learning with my students.
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