3D Printer for Home, Education and Rapid Prototyping

Leading the Way in STEAMM with Afinia 3D Printing

PLTW-logoTodd Hummer is a Satellite Teacher for Butler Tech, teaching a 7th grade Project Lead the Way STEAMM (science, technology, engineering, art/design, math, and medical) class. Butler Tech is a career-technical school for adults and high school students in Hamilton, Ohio.

Partnering with Butler Tech

“The partnership that our district has with Butler Tech is very exciting. Butler Tech offers classes to high school students, adults, and businesses wanting to educate their workforce. They also provide satellite programs giving 7th through 12th graders the opportunity to learn about engineering and the biomedical fields. Seventh graders are all encouraged to take the Project Lead The Way (PLTW) Design and Modeling class, and from there, have the opportunity to [Read more…]

3D Printing the Imagination: Educating for the Future

Ebelt is a pilot, participated in NASA’s Zero Gravity flight, and enjoys gliding on the weekends.

 

Kaye Ebelt is an inspired educator and life-long learner who has a BA in Elementary Education, ME in Computer technology, and MS in Science Education. She is currently an Albert Einstein Fellow, serving as the Directorate for Engineering at the National Science Foundation. Ebelt also participated in NASA’s MicroGX and Reduced Gravity Flight in 2011.

The Power of Passion

It is clear from Kaye Ebelt’s background that she has a passion for learning. During her interview, we learned how she is passing that passion on to other teachers and students. As the Directorate for Engineering at the National Science Foundation, Ebelt provides her expertise forming STEM education programs. When we asked how Ebelt was awarded the Directorate position, she admitted, “It started with me wanting to know what a 3D printer was. A fellow teacher connected me with John Westrum from Afinia, and he set me up with a printer. When I got it, it was the only thing my students and I focused on for two months. They would skip lunch and recess to print!”

Ebelt recognizes the impact that teaching has on students. “When you have a teacher who is so passionate about what they are dong, you get excited about it. A teacher is supposed to share their experiences. When a teacher shares their passion for STEM, their students are more likely to go into a STEM career.” [Read more…]

Schooling with SketchUp: Modeling the Future with 3D

Bonnie Roskes is the creator of 3DVinci, a company that offers training in SketchUp and other application tutorials to beginners and professionals and everyone in between. Roskes is a professional structural engineer who loves teaching others how to use great modeling applications. Her “Google SketchUp Cookbook” was a Graphic Design Amazon Bestseller in 2009.

 In The Beginning

3DVinci was an innovation born out of necessity. “I wrote the first tutorial for SketchUp in 2001, when SketchUp wasn’t at all mainstream. There were no other tutorials on the market, and people needed guidance on how to use the software. In 2006, when Google bought SketchUp, there was a free version that teachers were flocking to, but weren’t sure how to use, so I wrote tutorials for the education market as well.”

SketchUp for 3D Printing

“I started creating tutorials on SketchUp for 3D printing in 2013, while I was writing K-12 projects,” explains Roskes. “Having a 3D printer is really fun. I have five kids, and when their friends come over, they stare at my Afinia 3D printer for hours. The whole neighborhood loves it and people ask me to make things that will fix little issues that they have!” Roskes uses her creativity to find solutions to all sorts of problems. [Read more…]