Our 3D printing company in Seattle has always believed in the educational potential of 3D printing technology, and now a group in Indiana is putting this power into practice in a big way. In a program that is being called Masters of the Universe, ten select schools throughout the state are being supplied with small 3D printers and supplemental lesson plans.
The program is designed to encourage an interest in mathematics and engineering, steering students towards high-demand careers. And, at this early stage, it would appear that the program is working. The first teachers to receive their printers report students taking to it quickly. Said teacher John Davis, “The questions just kept coming and coming. It was like opening a box, and there was a glow inside, and all of a sudden everyone wanted to peek in.” Students were fascinated by the printer’s tangible relationship to the abstract concepts they had been taught in math class.
Only a few classrooms have managed to make use of their printers so far, but teachers are training in the use of their new technology and have plans to start on new projects in the new school year. Meanwhile, though the program is currently limited to the ten schools, positive reception promises to open fresh doors throughout Indiana and possibly the rest of the country.
