Legacy’s library now holds cutting-edge technology available for students to use: a 3D printer. Head Librarian Ms. Pamela Pinkerton bought the printer on her own budget in order to provide students with a fun way to express their creativity. The 3D printer was purchased in order to further improve Legacy’s MakerSpaces.
“We already have low-tech MakerSpaces, such as the LEGO wall and the board games during lunch,” Ms. Pinkerton said. “Now we have a high-tech space where students can be creative and practice critical thinking.”
MakerSpaces are places in the library where students can practice expressing their creativity outside of the academic environment. They provide ways for students to practice their creative and critical thinking skills through fun activities such as building giant LEGO structures, playing board games with peers, and now, a 3D printer. Anyone can access the MakerSpaces.
“The printer can teach students real-world skills,” Ms. Pinkerton said. “I think more jobs are being created that require creativity, and the printer can help them develop those thinking skills.”
The printer works on a program called Tinkercad. Users design their creation within the software, which transfers into the 3D printer. From there, the printer then creates the designed shape layer by layer, using a spool of plastic that melts down to mold into the desired shape.
“In the fall it’ll really take off. I hope this teaches [students] that it’s okay to expand beyond the right or wrong limitations and that if they fail, they can reassess and try again,” Ms. Pinkerton said.
Beginning in the fall of the 2017-18 school year, any student or staff member can use the printer. Ms. Pinkerton hopes to keep the printing free of charge, but will eventually have to charge a small fee to keep up with the cost of the plastic it takes to print a creation.
“I want to become more proficient in how to use it in order to help students use it,” Ms. Pinkerton said. “Students are so limited to the ‘right or wrong’ environment of their classes, and we purchased [the printer] for students to just make trinkets and have fun with it.”
