Our students have access to many great tools for learning in the district. This includes access to 3-D printers. These printers have been in every building for demonstrations and student-designed projects. They are also used for very practical applications that support the district in unique ways.
Here are some recent projects:
On the left is an Apple TV ceiling mount. An Apple TV box will allow any teacher or student to wirelessly project their iPad or laptop screen to a classroom projector or TV. In most classroom, these were set on top of the projector. This design easily clips onto the rails of the suspended ceiling in the classroom, providing better connectivity and cutting the clutter on the projectors. They have been installed in all middle school classrooms and will soon be installed in other buildings. The printer materials cost for each is about $1. A less durable version sells on Amazon for about $10.
In the middle is an important key that our custodial staff use. It unlocks the toilet paper dispensers in the bathrooms. The original keys have been known to either break or disappear easily, and is not something that can be found easily at the local hardware store. These are a quick and durable replacement.
On the right is an iPad stand. Our student iPad cases have integrated stands that hold the iPads nicely in a landscape, or wide, orientation. There are some applications, such as the Osmo applications used in grades K-2, that only work in a portrait, or tall, orientation. These 3D printed stands are mounted on scrap wood which was cut out in the high school wood shop with the cnc router.
The 3D printers run most days for different types of projects. One of them, a PRUSA purchased in 2019, has had more than 8 miles of filament run through it. A roll of filament is relatively inexpensive, costing just over $20, and includes about 1000 feet of material.
