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Marc Jenks
Dr. Joni Flowers
EDU 214 (1006)
19 November 2015
Emerging Technology: 3D Printers
Classrooms in the 21st century use technology that was not available when I was in school.
The most advanced system or tool that was available in my classrooms in the 1980s was a single
PC that we learned AutoCAD on. I felt like I was living the future. Videos were shown on a TV
with a VCR. In elementary school, we fought over the privilege of being the filmstrip turner in
science. We now have Smartboards, Bluetooth whiteboards, and some schools have built a system
that supports one digital device for every student. A device that is rarely seen in schools is a 3D
printer. In a few more years, it is likely to become as common of an item in a classroom as a
pencil sharpener.
My son is a student at East Technical and Career Academy and is in the Electrical
Engineering Program. He said that he has never heard of a 3D printer. I showed him a video and
he remembered that it was in a scene in the movie: Big Hero 6. The point is that if he had not
known what it was, it means that this technology is just beginning to emerge. 3D printing has
been around for over 25 years. The industry name for it is Additive Manufacturing. A 3D printer
is a device that lays down successive layers of material like plastic until the entire item is made
each layer is a thin slice or cross-section of the object. Before it can be made, it must be designed.
A high school could create a new class just to teach and apply the design process. For most
schools, they can just find free designs that are open source. The design must be done in a CAD
(computer-assisted design) program. A useful companion device to printers are 3D scanners,
which would be a second way to create a model.

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The applications in learning are infinite. Teachers can create models of anything they are
trying to show the class, from animals, to a DNA helix. Students can learn to create anything their
imagination can come up with, from chess pieces, to parts that construct a bridge, to a complex
shaped piece of chocolate candy. 3D printers can even create 3D printers, and students can design
and build them. Art teachers can introduce a new method of expression (replacing 2D art or 3D
sculpting) that the students can likely claim that no one they know has ever tried before.
As the popularity grows, curriculums could be shaped to prepare students for a career in
the field. Aside from the design class, a new structural engineering class can be created along with
a polymer science class. The careers that students would find a new and unforeseen passion for
are CAD (mechanical drafting), Polymer Science, Biological Engineering, 3D Art and Design,
Structural Engineering, or Robotics. The Additive Manufacturing field will have an effect on
manufacturing similar to how Napster affected the conventional music industry. The only way the
music industry survived was in adapting to the threat and mimicking their potential replacement.
Implementing a 3D printing program can be challenging, but the problem is no longer
cost. As each year goes by, the devices get better and the price goes down. According to
bestreviews.com, their top 5 picks for best 3D printers range in price from $1200 all the way
down to $360 (Top 3D Printers). The largest concern is in the training of faculty. Some on staff
will resist implementation, while others with embrace it (Wendt). Another challenge is in finding
a way to truly make it an improved part of the learning process and not just a new whiz-bang
gadget. The best way to begin is to purchase one or two for the Art classes and go from there. As
interest grows, support staff needs training as well as teachers. As the science departments
become involved, in-class learning with 3D printers would be in full swing. The final phase could
be implementation of an entire 3D printing technology program at a STEM school (Canessa).

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In conclusion, for a technology that has been available since the late 1980s, it is
interesting that 3D printing has not established a firmer foothold in K-12 classrooms. Technology
is an aid that teachers can use to improve learning and provide a greater impact or impression on
their students. Visual and Kinesthetic learning is still the most dynamic and effective learning
style that extends over a broad spectrum of school subjects and with that assertion, 3D printing is
a perfect tool for future classrooms.

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Works Cited
Canessa, E., C. Fonda, and M. Zennaro. Low Cost 3D Printing for Science, Education &
Sustainable Development. N.p.: ICTP, 2013. Citeseerx.ist.psu.edu. Penn State, 2013. Web.
19 Nov. 2015.
<http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.410.790&rep=rep1&type=pdf
#page=13>.
"Top 3D Printers." 5 Best 3D Printers. BestReviews.com, Nov. 2015. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
Wendt, Jeremy, Stephanie Wendt, and Jason Beach. 3D Printing: Tangible Applications in the K12 Environment. EdITLib Digital Library. Global U, 2015. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.
"What Is 3D Printing?" 3dprinting.com. 3DPrinting.com, 2015. Web. 19 Nov. 2015.