Graphics Reference
In-Depth Information
Middle School Technology Club MakerBot
Build
Vivian Birdsall runs the middle school technology club at Saxe Middle School
in New Canaan, CT where they put together a Thing-O-Matic. Chip Mahoney,
the club president, is an 8th grader who shared the story of the club's Mak-
erBot build.
Chip writes:
I had joined my middle school's Tech Team and the teacher/coach want-
ed to help me build a synthesizer, but I mentioned the desktop 3D printer
and everyone was onboard. My teacher/coach helped me present to the
parent teacher organization for our school and they were very excited
about the idea and funded the project. The process of building for me
was beyond exciting because of the fact that a group of 5th through 8th
grade students could build a desktop 3D printer from an easy to as-
semble kit. It took about three weeks for us to get the electronics in a
completed and working state. In the end we found ourselves in the op-
timized position of a great working printer that everyone enjoyed using.
By the end of the week we had mostly done test builds. But as soon as
word got out we had swarms of people asking for us to replicate things
for them. In the end the crown of our club has to be our MakerBot for
its great success throughout the whole school!
First MakerBot Projects for Kids
Deciding on a first MakerBot project with a little Maker is a lot easier than you
might think. Once they see you working with your MakerBot, they're going to
ask you endless questions about how it works and what it can make. This is
the best time to engage their interest and get them thinking about how they
could make their very own things.
Sometimes it is easy to forget that a child literally has a very different view
of the world. They will have a hard time with tools and household objects to
which we wouldn't give a second thought. Using your MakerBot you can make
drawers easier to use, toothpaste tubes easier to open, and find other ways
to make the world accessible.
Here are some great ways you can get a child involved in the process of mak-
ing things:
• Treat Thingiverse like a catalog and let the child just pick something to
print
• Let the child play director and tell you how to modify an existing design
