Having school-aged children of my own, stories like this absolutely touch my heart and amaze my mind at the same time.
"Virginia’s Arlington School District is the first in the country to pilot Autodesk Fusion 360 as part of its curriculum, and its teachers are leveraging the technology to inspire creative, STEAM-related thinking amongst students."For example, Swanson Middle School’s eighth grade technology class was recently issued a challenge. They were asked to use Fusion 360 to design a tool that would allow Stephen Kozma, a disabled community member with limited use of his hands, to more easily access a touchscreen computer, which is his only form of communication.
"Working in teams, the students held brainstorm sessions to discuss the varying ways to approach this problem and then modeled their ideas within the Fusion 360 environment. Once completed, they checked for design clashes or flaws before printing a prototype with the school’s 3D printer. Stephen’s mother has since reviewed the team’s 3D printed prototypes; and, as a class, they’re using her feedback to develop one final tool to deliver to her son.
"It’s a truly powerful example of how technology can bring a community together and inspire the next generation of product designers. "
After hearing stories like this, I am highly motivated to get design tools into my children's school. If anyone has any good links, share them in the comments.
CAD is the Easy Part
I have worked with numerous CAD companies on getting MCAD into the hands of middle schoolers. It used to be hard, but now each of them has a comprehensive educational license policy. Autodesk even goes one step further and has developed a common core curriculum around Autodesk Fusion 360! This makes getting the software into the hands of eager young learners really easy. Too bad the educators aren't trained in it; don't have the IT support to manage it; and, quite frankly, don't know anything about it and are therefore scared to take advantage of it in their classrooms. Willing parent volunteers can only do so much outside of the school administration.
Who Supports CAD After Installation?
But the software is only one part of the problem. Schools don't have big IT budgets. So what if CAD companies are giving away educational licenses if the schools don't have suitable computers and networks to install the software on? That is personally the position I have found myself in when trying to bring STEAM tools to my children's school. The teacher in charge is willing, but doesn't know enough to select the right tool for their school. And they don't have a computer lab or a full-time IT staff to support a floating license setup. I can get CAD in the door, we just don't have a place to put it.
CAD is Nice, Touchy-Feely is Better!
And I don't know of any 3D Printing company that is granting 3D printers to worthy schools. Brilliant young learners grasp 3D modeling very quickly. Seeing their imaginations take shape on the screen is usually reward enough. But, 3D printing their design and letting them touch the physical manifestation of their ideas; it's a breathtaking moment to share. Hopefully, one day soon, 3D printing companies will provide solutions for STEAM education as easily as CAD has and I'll have a new, more personal, story to share.