Students creating the future
Students at the Renbrook School in West Hartford, CT have been in the news. We first met teachers Jean and Jay last fall after a friend of mine introduced us. After a couple of discussions over an internet video connection, they decided to take the plunge into 3D printing in the classroom. We flew out to Renbrook to do a short one day training with them to familiarize them with the technology. After a fun day of creative exploration and loads of questions from the teachers, I was quite sure that the curiosity and excitement the teachers exhibited would carry them forward into many fun-filled experiences packed with student learning.
It is obvious from the interviews in the videos that students and teachers, as well as the school, are benefitting from the universe of learning associated with 3D printing.
3D Printing Industry: Students Repair School with 3D Printing article.
The local NBC news station article and video:
Muahahahahaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!! Ok, now that I have that out... I can get to work. For as long as I can remember, I have been making things. This habit used to be called "Inventing" but has lately been repurposed by the Maker community with the term "Maker". While there are some subtle differences between Inventing and Making, I have discovered my passion for both by inspiring a new generation of Makers. In this quest to spark creative thinking and problem solving through practical and exciting projects, I draw on my background in biomedical research, high energy fiber laser development, and 15 years of building laboratory devices. As an experimental physicist with a PhD from Case Western Reserve University, I have seen research and development from many angles and am now bringing that experience to middle school and high school students who want to make everything from catapults to cybernetic augmentations. Through the medium of Making and Inventing, students are transformed from passive observers of education to active learners. This powerful shift fosters deep insights, creative expression, collaborative thinking and a host of other skills that are difficult to learn in traditional settings. Along with my wife Debby, an accomplished constructivist educator, I am on a quest to transform education and am looking for like-minded collaborators to bring hands-on learning to future generations.
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