By Matthew Lynch
Photo by Inés Álvarez Fdez on Unsplash
Software developers and engineers and continuously working to provide schools and educational facilities with new technology. Various apps and tools, such as Pedagogue, have opened plenty of doors for modern-day education since their release.
The 3D printer is yet another new tool that has made considerable advancements in the academic world. This technology can serve various uses in the classroom – for example, many teachers use the printer to make props for specific lessons.
This article will discuss how teachers and other educators can incorporate 3D printing into any lesson plan.
Make Props For Specific Lessons
As we have already mentioned, many teachers enjoy using a 3D printer for making and designing props for their lessons. For example, if a Geography professor needs to incorporate the tool into their lesson, they can create a 3D map. This will make the lessons more interactive and exciting, but it will also make it much easier for them to understand what the teacher is talking about.
Other examples of scenarios in which teachers can create props for their lessons include:
Creating real-life structuresThis can be done in architecture, chemistry, or art classes. To make the lesson more interesting and understandable, teachers could print out molecular structures, building plans, etc.
Creating the human skeleton/organsBiology teachers could use the 3D printer to make human anatomy classes much more realistic and informative. Instead of merely referring to images in the textbook, professors could show their students replicas of the human skeleton or organs.
Ask The Students To Get Creative 3D printers can be used to improve the creativity and imagination of students. While this is much more suited for younger students, this technique could also be incorporated into higher education classes.
For example, some teachers ask their students to design and create their own musical instruments. They could also design and make decorations (such as posters) for the classroom based on the school content.
Use The Printer For Projects And Assignments
Lastly, the 3D printer could come in handy when the students need to complete projects or assignments. For example, many students must build a bridge out of paper straws and hot glue for technology class. However, instead of using these materials, teachers could allow the students to use the 3D printer. This will save plenty of time and be much more efficient.
Concluding Thoughts
3D printers are the new best thing when it comes to educational tools and technology. There are plenty of ways in which teachers and schools can incorporate this technology into their lesson plans.
For starters, many teachers enjoy using 3D printers to make props for specific lessons. More so, the students could use the printer to get creative in the classroom – in other words, they could create posters for specific work sections. Lastly, the printer could be used for various projects and assignments.
Learn more about 3D Printing with RobotLAB!
Create your own maker space with the state-of-the-art 3D Printings from RobotLAB and teach your students how to solve open-ended problems by creating their own models and prototypes.
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