Margaret A. Powers

Tinkercad: An Experiment in Networked Learning

A “Cookie Cutter” Print from Thingiverse

I am embarking on a new experiment in networked learning as part of my Teaching for Understanding with Technology course. The project comes with a few constraints – I can only use YouTube and help forums to learn my new skill and I have to do it in four weeks, documenting my experience here on my blog. Deciding on a topic took some time, as I was torn between focusing on one of my current areas of interest (e.g., mindfulness or sketchnoting) or choosing something I love to do, like baking (because how fun/yummy would that be!). I finally settled on a topic that I have been wanting to learn in-depth for a few years now and it’s one that I think could also make my teaching practice better: 3D Printing!

I’ve seen some really neat 3D printing projects done in schools and that work is growing rapidly as printers become more affordable and accessible. I’ve been wanting to learn the in’s and out’s of a how to do more than print things from Thingiverse since we got a Makerbot 5th Generation for our Lower School last year but it has been hard to find the time. That’s why I decided that I would learn how to use Tinkercad. I choose this particular tool because I think it will be more accessible to my K-2nd grade students compared to other tools like SketchUp.

My learning goal: Learn how to use Tinkercad to design and print at least three different types of projects: a sign, something with moving parts, and something that has a practical application.

I carefully crafted my goal to clarify that I would learn to design my projects, instead of just grabbing them from existing project libraries. I then chose three types of projects to print to help make my goal specific (measurable) and realistic given the four week timeline.

I have already explored a few sources that I hope to use for this project. I was happy to discover that Tinkercad has a number of tutorial videos on their YouTube channel and there’s an extensive help forum called Tinkercad Talk available on 3DHubs.com. I also found a website called 3DPrintingForum.org that has a number of results for “tinkercad” and I hope it will be a place I can go to post and connect with other learners and mentors.

A New Adventure – Getting an Ed Tech Certificate with MSU

Creating a night light for the gingerbread babies

I am excited to be starting a Graduate Certificate in Educational Technology online with Michigan State University! I started my first course, Teaching for Understanding with Technology, this week and I will be using my blog to share my course work, reflect on what I’m learning and document my experience. My first assignment was to write an expository essay after reading the first three chapters of How people learn: Brain, mind, experience and school by Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (2000). In my essay, I responded to the questions: “What is Learning?” and “What teaching methods support learning and its related concepts — understanding and conceptual change?”

You can read the entire piece here but my general takeaways are that learning involves hands-on, active engagement in new experiences that challenge students to think deeply about their understanding of a concept. Learning also involves constructing understanding by transferring knowledge from past learning to current experiences and building upon them. Bransford, Brown, and Cocking (2000) also encourage teachers to approach learning with the goal of helping students develop the ability to apply their learning in diverse contexts.

In my essay, I reference two examples from my work as a Tech Coordinator – a first grade coding project (recently posted as a Graphite Lesson Flow) and a design thinking challenge I facilitated with kindergarten. These two projects demonstrate both the importance of transference from previous learning experiences to new ones and applying knowledge in new contexts. They also show the power of empathy and problem-based learning in motivating students to engage in learning for understanding (versus memorization). Feel free to leave comments and feedback here or in the Google Doc about these ideas and my thoughts on learning.