Every day at West Clermont Middle School, teachers, students, and staff demonstrate what it means to be West Clermont Strong. Nowhere is this more evident than in Justin Bush and Madison Allen’s class where 6th graders are getting hands-on experience with 3D printers.
“The technology is the big part in bringing the 3D printers as well as kind of that problem solving, the perseverance, just kind of getting the students to be able to work on their own, be able to solve problems and then kind of that technology end of the spectrum,” said Justin Bush. “3D printing and CAD design is going up. It's a technology part of the sector that is important. So, there's companies that are using 3D printers. There's Boeing, GE, Ford. Nike actually just came out with a shoe that's 3D printed that's really cool. And then you can even go as far as saying the construction end of the spectrum. There's houses that are being 3D printed. So, it's something that if we are as a society moving into more technology, it's definitely something that is important for our students to learn moving forward.”
This is the first year of the elective course. Ashton Heinzman is one of the first students to take it. He says he was encouraged by his father who works with 3D printers at a local business.
“So, I thought about them, like, when I first came in, I knew about them. It was one of the courses my dad picked because he also has one that we would sometimes use for printing stuff. But I was just excited to make stuff.,” said Heinzman.
Ashton says this isn’t the first time he’s used a 3D printer.
“Yeah, we used it at home sometimes. But most of the time it was for work. And sometimes he'd print me, like, little flexible octopuses or just, like, keychains and stuff,” said Heinzman.
Zoey Russo is also taking the course. She says it has appealed to her creative side but has also taught her the power of persistence.
“I thought it would be really fun getting to, like, design things. I love arts and crafts and I thought it would just be really fun,” said Russo. “I've learned just to be very creative in whatever I do and just to, like, go with my gut and then, like, if something doesn't work, you can keep trying and try.”
Titus Carson is one of the 3D printing pioneers at West Clermont Middle School. He took the course last semester and talks about what he’d like to see it become in the future.
“The future of this class, I see it could be like way more advanced, way more of a lab situation. I feel like this has a great future with our certain economy,” said Carson.
Justin Bush and Madison Allen say this course is about a lot more than just “making things”. Their students are reinforcing basic academic skills and applying them in new ways that will prepare them for the future.
“We want them to have knowledge of things outside of the classroom. Yes, STEM classes and 3d printers and CAD programs use math. So, technically, we are a math program, we are a science program, but we want students to be able to have a successful life outside of the building and outside of school. So if we can prepare them for when they graduate, if they are aware of a CAD program, if they're aware of engineering classes or architecture, then when they get into society or when they get into college, they're going to already have a step up. They're going to have a leg up above everybody else,” explained Bush.
“Yeah, I think the biggest skill they take away from this class is resiliency. 3D printing is really complex. It's a lot of trial and error. It's a lot of failure. And they kind of have to work through that. It's a little frustrating at first when you're making these designs. And you kind of have a vision of what it's going to look like. And it doesn't go the way you think it will. Or you print it, and it doesn't print the way you anticipated. And whether or not it's 3D printing, they have to learn to look at that failure as an opportunity to try again.,” said Allen.
So far students have made ice trays, cookie cutters, and other gadgets with the printers.
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