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A New Dimension of Design
A NEW DIMENSION
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OF DESIGN
Mr Russell Ayres
Lego Robotics Teacher and ICT Mentor Teacher
Students at the Preparatory School can now look at purposeful design like never before.
Earlier this year, the School took delivery of three Flashforge 3D printers.
The printers will provide students the opportunity to not only create custom designed solutions on computer programs, but print out and physically hold their new creations.
The printing process works by taking plastic filament, having it melted inside the 3D printer, before being slowly squeezed out the printer nozzle, layer by layer, and as it does so, the plastic quickly dries on the printing plate below.
This is a real step forward in design skills for the students who have participated in the 3D printing program so far. Not only can they print out their new creations in a matter of minutes to hours, depending on the design complexity, but it also comes with a number of new cross-curricular opportunities. The 3D design and printing process will help improve student knowledge and skillsets in design and technology learning areas, but they will also have an opportunity to learn and apply mathematical concepts, technology concepts, language concepts, science concepts as well as others.
It can deliver real cross-curricular benefits and outcomes. Some of the projects students can get involved in are the design of assistive devices for those who may require them, creating play blocks with letters and the corresponding braille, the creation of spinning tops, 3D population graphs, objects to help out the classroom, and much more.
There really are very few limits as to what students can design and print in 3D. It’s an incredible opportunity for the boys of TSS.
This year, the program is slowly being trialled in Year 6 classes, before being rolled out to a wider student base in future.
