What To Do With Old Technology, Specifically 3D Printers

Does this look familiar?

A letter from our Director of Strategic Partnerships:

Perhaps your school’s Board of Education suddenly decided five years ago that STEM was a priority. So they bought a 3D printer and announced that students would be getting real-world experience with STEM.

Or maybe the PTA had a little extra money, and “gifted” the library, or the science or technology teachers, with a 3D printer.

However, the only directions that came with the printer itself were how to set it up. And your school never got around to that.

That printer has been gathering dust, cobwebs, and piles of unrelated projects and papers for years now, and the students have not used their creativity and critical thinking skills to build their own products or solutions with the 3D printer.

If you’re like me, you may have tried to learn basic CAD (computer-aided design) by watching some of the endless YouTube videos on the subject. Or you may have considered signing up for a CAD/3D printing class at a local community college. However, neither of those panned out, and you are still looking for a way to use the 3D printer and engage your students.

What you need is an easy and affordable solution. Consider trying out our solutions - we can provide you with newer models of 3D printers, curriculum for K-12 learners, and training for the teachers who will lead the courses. Or we can even teach it ourselves (our “We Teach” model). Whatever you choose, your school’s 3D printers will no longer be unused, and your students will have another creative output that is providing real-world STEM design, teamwork and critical thinking skills.

Happy printing!

Kate, NextWaveSTEM.com