Skip to main content

3-D Printing

After reading and researching 3-D printing, I thought, how am I going to incorporate this into reading?!  I believe that it would be a great opportunity to collaborate with my co-teacher that teaches science and social studies (she is not into technology).  The students could pick an inventor from the Industrial Revolution, and instead of making a poster or using Google Slides with pictures on it, they could make a mini model of the invention. This would allow students to see how it works.  While, they would still write out the paper portion, or use the computer, I think this be an excellent lesson. They would be able to see and touch their models.  It would bring student engagement to a new level.  The possibilities seem to be endless in science in social studies.

There are a few differences in 3-D printing and rapid prototyping such as a 3-D printer cannot print large items and you may not be able to select build parameters or adjust them, it does not have as many materials, and the biggest difference would be the price. Prototyping is much more expensive and can cost almost double to maintain and keep up.  Maintaining a rapid prototyping machine can cost anywhere from $20-$50,000 dollars depending on what needs to be replaced.  To maintain a 3-D printer it normally costs several hundred to a couple thousand dollars. 3-D printers are also easier to use and do not require training, whereas, when using a prototyping machine, you may need training from the moment you pull it out of the box.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

VGo in Education

VGo is a robot replicates a student that is homebound due to illness or other circumstances that keep them from being in the classroom.  It is operated in real time by the student and allows them to keep their independence "in school" even though they are not able to be there. VGo is teaming up with Verizon so that you do not have to depend on Wi-Fi, you can use their 4G LTE network.  Other versions of VGo you must connect to the wi-fi to use the robot.  The six-hour model VGo robot can cost anywhere from $6,000 to $8,000.  There is also an annual service contract that costs about $100 a month.  You can purchase an additional charging pad for around $500, and you can even upgrade to a twelve-hour model for an extra $200. A maintenance plan for school costs around $5,000 for the year.  There are other versions of the VGo robot, Double Robotics Double 2 Telepresence Robot, that are cheaper and cost around $2,500. The VGo robot is a great idea to use fo...
Post a Comment
Read more

The Future of Cellphone Connectivity

Cellphone providers are trying to make it possible to bypass for smartphones to avoid using cellular towers and this will help prevent glitches.  The new technology is called LTE Direct; it allows smartphones to communicate with each other and use beacons that are located in various places.  LTE Direct can reach further than Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.  This technology also allows users to connect automatically with people that are close to them.  It also allows the user to discover businesses and points of interest that are nearby.  This technology would make dining out so much easier!  The LTE Direct technology would also enable personalized advertising when you are close to a business that you frequent.  Your device is always searching for nearby people and locations, but it will not drain your battery because it uses little power.  Yahoo is trying to develop an app that would like your personal tour guide.  You tell it how long you have fr...
Post a Comment
Read more

Socrative App

The Socrative app is a great formative assessment tool.  You can use it on a computer, smartphone, or tablet.  You can create your own assessments or search for a ready-made one.  When you are creating a quiz, it can be multiple choice, true/false, graded short answer, or open-ended short answer.  The Socrative app also allows you to choose your subject, core standards, grade, and the actual standard you are assessing.  This is an excellent option because the teacher can organize their quizzes.  It can also be used as an exit slip to see where your students stand on a standard or skill.  Teachers can also create quizzes and set up a gaming element, "Space Race," so that students can compete against one another.  The Socrative app can also be teacher paced or student paced, depending on how you want to use it.     I am going to use the Socrative app in my classroom as an exit slip so that I can see which students I need to pu...
Post a Comment
Read more