3D printing
Description of Design:
In this project, I wanted to present how the figures of a 3D printer can be designed for different purposes. Thus, I designed the figures for five different purposes. The first one I designed was a purpose for a lover. The Maker studio is not monopolized product only for students. If you like someone, you can feel like you want to dedicate everything. You want to get lover's attention from your valuable gift. Thus, the first object I made was couple cup for a lover. The second one is business name board. The text was easy to design. I might use the business board for future AR education company. The third one is for my dog. I have four months puppy. She wants to play every everything to chewable. It was tested design. The fourth design was teddy bear. It was the hardest one and took 5 hours to design it. I wish children are familiar with making an object by a 3D printer. Thus, I design this for children to get attention. Lastly, I have a 3D scanner. I scanned myself and used Tinkercad to manipulate more. It was a fun activity, and different meaning on each 3D object makes me more fun to design while I was playing around Tinkercad.
Process of Making:
I think that 3D printer learning curve was high at the beginning. In the beginning, it takes at least 4 hours to master the Tinkercad. I watched Youtube tutorial video, read manual and asked friends who already know how to use it. The biggest challenge for me was how to make a hidden object or hole. As you see the Figure 6, there was only two button we can use. However, after trial and error, I noticed how to use these two buttons. Every task goes so smoothly. In fact, it is a brilliant idea to simplify and apply to different shape group and ungroup to make a hole.
Another challenge for me was taking time. I submitted the cup, but there was a problem with my 3D words and space. She contacted me, but it took a while to fix the problem without seeing the real product. Thus, we should predict the real result without seeing it. I see the downside that there is a separation of design and real product. Once your design is done, you should wait until you see the real product. Also, the 3D printer only can paint with one color, and size was unpredictable. What if you have a problem, is it possibly go back or modify in the middle of processing? The answer is no. If you want the product that redesigned, you should rebuild up a whole new model for this. This might be a critical problem for future use of a 3D printer.
Reflection on learning:
My thought on this 3D project is that it is practical. Your imagination will be in reality. You do not have to go manufacturing place to design and make a product. You can customize it in your house and make your product. After I receive the 3D printing bone, I gave my puppy to play. She loved to play it.
However, one of the concerns on this was safety. Who is going to give safety training in children's house? Also, was the material (i.e., filament) harmless? What about toxic smells or baby want to chew it? These are the questions we need carefully to investigate.
Also, it is important to give ownership to children in a school setting because (1) making is a process of constructivism, (2) expanding their imagination without any limitation. The article, Material learning: Digital 3D with young children, shows how two elementary school students learn digital 3D design and print by themselves. While conducting to design and make tasks, they shared their idea and engaged to teach each other.
Lastly, in the process of making a 3D object, I was thinking social aspect to use a 3D printer. Students should make something how to help community or family by making the 3D object so that they can think about how to contribute their community. It has to mean, not just making a new innovative inventory. For example, if the classroom door is not working well, the students come up with an idea how they can design the classroom door to work well. In this time, a teacher might take a facilitator role. In the perspective of a student, they would learn problem-solving skills and contribute meaningful task for their community.
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