I believe that 3D design and printing is a great tool to use in the classroom to help students learn different competencies through 3D design. When looking at cross-curricular learning opportunities and language revitalization through 3D design, a possible activity could be designing Indigenous letters/characters. Through this, students will be able to learn how to spell Indigenous letters, and could come together to print their own letters and spell out a 3D Indigenous word. Another potential classroom activity that would incorporate language revitalization could be 3D storytelling. In this activity, students would read an Indigenous story before and then choose a character/scene to 3D print. This would create a recreated 3D storybook about the Indigenous story/tale where students can come together and retell the story.
PROS OF 3D DESIGN:
Some pros of using 3D design and print in a grade 6 classroom would be the hands-on learning and collaboration aspect. Through the use of 3D design, students are practically learning a new skill and can collaborate with peers on 3D group designs. Another pro of 3D designing would be the inclusion of problem-solving skills, through trial and error, and the addition of Indigenous learning and language revitalization.
CONS OF 3D DESIGN:
Some cons of 3D printing would include accessibility of technology, technological errors/problems that students may encounter, safety, and costs of 3D printing. In reality, 3D printing is not affordable for everyone nor is it accessible for students that don’t have computers or ipads of their own. I know that as of right now certain public schools in Victoria are having a hard time with accessing chromebooks for all students, so as much as 3D printing would really benefit students’ learning, I feel as though it isn’t a priority for students.
Effectiveness of a three-dimensional-printing curriculum: Developing and evaluating an elementary school design-oriented model course Article
(Has to be accessed through uvic or another platform)
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0360131522001245
I love how you added a video showing 3D printing. I also really liked how you separated topics with headers; this made it easier to skim through if needed. The only thing I would say you could add would be a photo of your creation. That may make your post more personal and engaging. Overall, this is a great blog, and I really enjoyed reading it!