Digital Resources: Tinkercad

3D printing and design is awesome. Asking students to take into account the third plane is a huge challenge, and watching them create things that they can use and while working through the process of iteration and revision is awesome. The biggest stumbling block, in my opinion, has always been the software. It wasn't very easy to use and most of them (that I looked into anyways) had a pretty steep learning curve. This is problematic for the classroom teacher who would like to include this kind of making in a non-tech or non-design based classroom. Most teachers don't have time to learn complicated software with limited practical application to the majority of their curriculum, and the time it would take for students to learn the software would also be significant. The end result? Teachers and students were not able to easily design and make 3D pieces without a co-teacher or a huge (and usually unmanageable) time investment.

A prototype design for a 6th grade project

Tinkercad is a great solution for this problem. The software is simple - maybe too simple for a lot of sophisticated applications, but perfect for the casual user or as an accessible entry into designing 3D objects. This web-based program also comes with a series of "lessons" - perfect for any new user to begin to understand the various aspects of 3D design. All of the objects created in the lessons are printable, so the designs can become the first things the user creates and prints. I really love the Chess Piece lesson. It emphasizes the necessity of considering the Z plane during the design process (this was the hardest lesson for me!) and emphasizes the idea that a piece can look perfect in the X and Y plans while being completely wrong in the Z. Tinkercad can be used as a great introduction to 3D design and printing, or can be used as the main design software in the classroom (depending on the project). 

Where: www.tinkercad.com

Cost: Free

What: Web-based 3D design software

Students! Try Tinkercad if you want to...

design 3D models

learn the basics of 3D modeling

want to design things for Minecraft (they have an exporting tool specifically for this!!)

Teachers! Try Tinkercad f you want to...

figure out the whole 3D modeling/printing thing but are too intimidated by more technical products

have an easy way to incorporate 3D modeling or printing in your classroom with minimal software instruction
want to give students tools to work with prototyping/iteration/design principles