Good Afternoon Mr. Berg, Ms. Gates, and members of the Parent Faculty Committee,

Thank you for allowing me to share with you a vision I have for our school. Tonight, you will learn about emerging trends and tools in technology, and what is means for our students at Lydiksen.

I am excited to present 3D printing for Lydiksen Elementary.

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“Imagine if you had a 3D printer instead of a Lego® set when you were a kid; what would life be like now? You could print your own mini-figures, your own blocks, and you could iterate on new designs...

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as quickly as your imagination would allow.”

This is what
Bre Pettis, of MakerBot Industries, a manufacturer of 3D printers asks.

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A trend in education is to move away from lessons and experiences in the classroom in which students passively consume information to an environment where students are the creators of their knowledge.


According to the 2015 Horizon Report, trends in education include:
A Shift to Deeper Learning experiences
Increasing the Use of Collaborative Learning

Shift from Students as Consumers to Creators and

and the Rise of STEAM Learning

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The 2015 Horizon Report states, “One of the most significant aspects of 3D printing for education is that it enables more authentic exploration of objects and concepts that may not be readily available in schools. (“NMC Horizon” 2015)

It is predicted that within the next two to three years, 3D printing, known Rapid Prototyping will be widely used in educational settings.

So, how does having a 3d printer in classrooms help educators move toward the progressive goals these trends outline?

6. Consumer to Creator

One of the trends has us moving away from lessons and experiences in the classroom in which students passively consume information to an authentic environment where students are the creators of their knowledge.
You see this in the Maker Movement where students are encouraged to tinker and design and create. And
Design Thinking and Problem Based Learning has students
work collaboratively to learn to solve problems through physical prototyping.

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Another trend is the rise of STEAM education: science technology, engineering, art, and math.
The following examples demonstrate how students took a concept or idea and made it into a physical reality and How teachers use 3d printing to help explain difficult concepts or provide authentic experiences.

8. Science
Here is one example of how 3D printing supports science instruction. A teacher in Minnesota was looking for a way to help students understand complex concepts in geology. He wanted students to understand how geological processes occur over a period of time, so he had students work in groups to research different types of landforms and the effects of weathering and erosion. Then, the students use digital online software to and a 3D printer to create a physical a model. The teacher, Ryan Erickson says that “being able to 3D print their final product has a huge impact on their grasp of the material. They hold it in their hands. It becomes real for them because they’ve actually created it. They can touch it and showcase it. 3D printing is Lego for the digital age.” (“How 3D Printing Fuels STEAM Education,” 2016)

9. Technology
Monica Burns, Founder of ClassTechTips says, “The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) is a powerful set of expectations for student learning that has been adopted by districts across the country. One of the phrases associated with this document is college and career readiness. As we prepare students for life beyond the classroom, including digital tools in our instruction and making connections to technology in the real world is absolutely essential.” (Burns, 2015)

10. Engineering
This fall, our school is rolling out Project Lead The Way in grades K-5 after piloting last year in grade 5. As you know, Project Lead The Way integrates computer science, engineering, and technology into their curricula with an emphasis in building critical thinking and problem-solving in a project-based environment. All of the modules include design process in which students work collaboratively to iterate, design, prototype, test their design, make improvements, and if needed start again. Having the ability to print their design on a 3D printer during the prototype phase would allow students to learn more authentically.

11. no narration

12. Art
Art would no longer be limited to the materials teachers have in their classroom. The use of 3D printers would enable students to create and print what is in their imagination.

13. Math
Finally, there are many uses for 3d printers when teaching mathematics. Beyond the obvious use of 3D printers to print three dimensional shapes to study their attributes, other mathematical concepts can be taught such as scale, area, proportion, and volume.

14. SAMR (SAMR IMAGE)

The best practice SAMR strategies that the use of 3D printers would address are augmentation and modification. The use of a 3D printer is at the augmentation level of SAMR because instead of physically creating something, using the design software and printer enables students to improve upon the design. 3D printing also falls under modification because the task of Designing and creating using 3D printers significantly changes the process.

15. How Does 3D Printing Work?
Now that we have seen how 3d printers are a tool to move toward the trends in education, let's look at how they work.
3D printing is a 3 step process. First, using software programs, many of which are free, a teacher or student designs a new object or uses or modifies an existing design.

16. Then, the design is sent to the printer. And, the printer, using a spool of inexpensive plastic filament, prints the object in layers, creating a three dimensional representation of what the teacher or student imagined.

16. What does it cost?
After researching 3D printers, materials, and software, I am pleased to report that this technology is within our reach. The price of 3D printers continues to go down, making them affordable for school settings. Here is how I propose we introduce 3D printers to our school.
Three cost considerations: the printer itself, the ongoing supply of plastic filament, and the software needed to create designs.
The printer itself must be easy to use and durable enough for classroom use, and it must absolutely be safe. Additionally, the manufacturer must provide online training and support for teachers.
The plastic filament the printer uses to create the designs must be non-toxic and low odor.
Finally, the software should be free or low cost and easy to use.

17. Image of Makerbot
Here are my findings. I recommend purchasing the Makerbot Replicator 2

18. Image of ultimator
Or the Ultimator 2.
Both units meet all of the above criteria. They cost approx. $1900 each and they are built for use in schools.

19. (image of autodesk)
The design software I recommend is free. AutoDesk software company has products for K-12 for both desktop and tablet. For our elementary setting, specifically 4th and 5th grade I recommend AutoDesk 123D Creature, AutoDesk123D Sculpt, and the more advanced AutoDesk 123D Design. For primary grades, I Tinkerplay and Sketchup.

20. Filament (picture)
Just as the printer cost is going down, so is the cost of supplies. But we need to make sure we are purchasing plastic filament that is non toxic because some fumes will escape the container. Which is why I recommend purchasing filament from Makerbot. Their filament is made from nontoxic resin made from starches found in foods like corn, grain, and potatoes.

21. Where Do We Start?
With my experience as a Project Lead the Way Teacher Trainer, I am qualified to lead this project as we bring 3D printing technology to our school.
Here is how I think we should get started.
I recommend we purchase two printers and install them in the 4th and 5th grade center pods. Then, during our Wednesday staff development time, I would train teachers how to use the printers and software, what safety considerations must be taken, and how to access online support.
Next, I would train 2-3 students from each class on basic use of the software and printer.Since the models I recommended promise to be “plug and print” ready, the training for students would focus on using the AutoDesk program and transferring the design to the printer and reloading the filament spindles.

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In conclusion, 3D printing is an emerging technology expected to be in all schools in the next two to three years. Why wait? Our school has never waited. We have been a technology leader in our district, as our recent California Gold Ribbon School award indicated. We should continue this tradition, and adopt the latest technology 3D printing it's what's best for our students.
Creativity, Innovation, communication, collaboration. All of these 21st century skills can be furthered through the use of the design and printing process of 3D printing.

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Let's have Lydiksen Elementary School continue to be a leader in 3D technology.

Please consider funding 3D printers.

Thank you.

Bibliography

Burns, M. (2015, July 1). The Common Core and Digital Skills Development. Retrieved July 31, 2016, from http://www.edutopia.org/blog/common-core-digital-skills-development-monica-...


Millsaps, B. B. (2016, February 4). MakerBot 3D Printers & Filaments: Operating with PLA—and You are Safe! Retrieved from https://3dprint.com/118194/makerbot-filaments-pla-safe/

How 3D Printing Fuels STEAM Education. (2016, July 7). Retrieved July 31, 2016, from http://blog.stratasys.com/2016/07/07/3d-printing-steam-education/

Image of Ultimaker2 via http://www.pcmag.com/

IMage of filament via https://3dprint.com