Student Post: Nicole Smith

3D printing in the classroom

One of the more exciting up and coming technologies in the classroom is the 3D printer. 3D printers are extremely powerful tools but the barrier to entry can be high, especially with no experience in CAD (computer-aided design) and 3D modeling. 

Fortunately, if there's one good thing about the internet it's that you do not need to redesign the wheel! There are many resources available to help with getting started with 3D printing! In class, we talked about Tinkercad which is a great entry-level application to learn the basics of 3D modeling, but there are lots of other resources to explore! Let’s take a look!

T-Rex Model

In my house, we have 2 printers and at least one is running most of the time. Currently, they are printing a miniature model of a T-Rex skeleton. My husband has wanted to make a mini-museum for a long time and he finally bought the plastic to do it. However, modeling accurate skeleton replicas is easier said than done. What he ended up doing is going to thingiverse.com and searching for a model that someone else has made and uploaded for others to use. Thingiverse is a great resource for finding models to print. Make sure to check the Creative Commons licenses!

Thingiverse isn’t the only place to find free model files. Many educational institutions have designs up for free to download. Check places like NASA, the Smithsonian, or other museums. If all else fails, you can always do a simple google search for free 3D models. 

The 3D printing community is creative and welcoming. Play around, find something neat, remix the model, and show your students the power of collaboration and teamwork!

McVey adds: Here is another high-speed video of a T-Rex fossil you might enjoy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejKRJfnj9v4