LOWER MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. (WLVT) - Fourth grade students at Willow Lane Elementary School are learning how to use 3D Printers, and what career paths are associated with the technology.
“I”m not saying that students are going to determine a career in fourth grade, but what are the possibilities?” said Educational Technology Specialist, Julia Dweck. “The thing that 3D printing does is it really develops students visual spatial skills.”
Dweck said this is an important skill going into a technology-based future of augmented and virtual reality. Fourth grade student, Alex Moore, wants to be a graphics animator in the future. He said learning to 3D print objects can help him in the future. “If I was trying to make cat people for some reason, I could 3D print a cat tail and it would actually look like there was a tail on there,” said Moore.
Moore also said it’s important for people to understand how many ways 3D printing can be used in everyday life. “Most people just assume 3D printing is a fun thing to do on a rainy day,” said Moore. “But it can actually be very helpful later in life. As I was talking about before, if you’re a doctor, you can use it to replace organs and somewhat replace bones until they heal.”
On Wednesday, students got experience using a handheld 3D printer to enhance their learning. They created bookmarks with 3D printed animation characters attached. Laura Dreabit said after using a larger machine, she prefers the handheld version more. “Instead of giving the computer an image, you hold it with your hand and draw whatever you’d like,” said Dreabit.
Dweck said 3D printing is being incorporated into everyday life, because scientists are learning to 3D print things like vitamins and a human heart.
The students will be selling their 3D printed artwork at their upcoming book fair in December.
