3D
Printing Maneuvers into Schools
In schools, printing
in 3D does seem to be following expected routines of adoption, patterns that
are quite familiar to those of us in the education space:
Peppered Interest.
Interested schools,
curious principals, or impassioned teachers just buy them. You may find one,
two or three 3D printers peppered around a school district—largely in the hands
of a well-funded innovator, a magnet school, or a well-connected charter school.
Concentrated Interest.
Like some school
districts I know on the East coast, leaders have concentrated 3D printers at a
single grade level. For example, every high school has a 3D printer in one
district, but none in any other schools. In another example, every middle
school has been outfitted with a makerspace (included with that, a 3D printer); but none exist in
elementary or high schools.
Laser-focused
Interest.
Some districts I
know in Texas are afraid of the high price tag of 3D printers—and the voracious
costs of consumables, so they purchase a single high-end 3D printing solution
for their regional career and tech center, while forbidding local schools to
make similar investments. If other schools want to do printing in 3D, they can
contract with the regional career and tech center.
Over the last year,
I have attended every 3D-printing session possible at national conferences. I
have even presented a few. And here’s what I know: It’s still largely
in the marching band phase; there lots of folks buying these, but they are
still not sure how to use them well, nor are they well equipped to handle the
ongoing costs or TCO. BYTK.
There are a number
of super stars, doing amazing things with printing in 3D, but they are hard to
find. Both ISTE and COSN are among the organizations hoping to corral these folks and create venues for
sharing, growing, and disseminating educational successes.