When I first entered the world of 3D design over a decade ago, the one tool freely available at the time was SketchUp. With my love of architecture going back to my high school years, SketchUp felt very familiar and intuitive. Start with a floor plan and build up from there. Need an elevation plan?... Continue Reading →
I am always eager to discover ways to integrate what we do in the Design+Code+Make classes into other curricular areas. It is an opportunity to collaborate with a colleague on a fun, engaging unit of study, and makes the work that students do more meaningful. Over the past couple of years, the 6th graders learned... Continue Reading →
TLDR: Download PDF now! This is the first in a series of Table-Top Tips I am creating for my students to use. These tips are designed to be printed, then assembled accordion-style. I provide these so that students can have quick access to the basic concepts I cover during the instructional stages of any new... Continue Reading →
From the iconic Kevin Costner film, Field of Dreams, comes the now famous line "If you build it, they will come." Over the years, I have heard maker educators use this same line when speaking about their personal efforts to bring a maker space to the school in which they work. There's even a documentary by... Continue Reading →
Our sixth graders are finishing up their work on the Legends of the Trash Creatures project. This interdisciplinary, environmentally focused project tasks students with (among many other requirements) the creation of a 5' tall creature made of trash and embedded with Hummingbird Robotics to allow it to sense the environment and react with sound, lights,... Continue Reading →
For some years, I have wanted to implement a system for badging students as they learn new skills. I always loved stickers as a kid and, although I wasn't a boy scout, I remember classmates showing their badges and accomplishments at school, and thinking that was cool, but also something they took great pride in... Continue Reading →
Tinkercad recently announced a new feature called Codeblocks. While still in beta, this feature allows 3D designers to use code blocks (powered by Scratch) to create models that they can share, export and even place into their Parts Collection. While coding in 3D design for the average user isn't new, see OpenSCAD and BeetleBlocks as examples, having access to the... Continue Reading →
Learn about these little known tools for helping makers work through projects more efficiently and effectively.
We love technology with low floors, high ceilings and wide walls. Learn why these three tools fit that description well...
Learn about 3D design in Tinkercad and access my playlist of instructional videos.
