The Verdigre High School was recently gifted a 3D printer from the Verdigre Public School Foundation.
These printers are not cheap, but are part of the new age of technology, and have many real world applications. Kim Miller, the Business and Technology teacher at Verdigre High School, commented on the future of this new technology. “I think, eventually, all of these are going to be in people’s homes. So, learning how to use them now will make that learning curve much easier in the future. It’s kind of like the emergence of the computer. You have to learn it before you can use it.” Students use the computer program Sketch Up to print designs on the 3D printer. The school was already using this program in Architecture Design classes, and can now print personally designed models, and predesigned files from the internet. Junior Madisen Randa is in Kim Miller’s class, and enjoys the growing potential with this new technology. “3D printing has been a useful resource so far. They have started making cars and stuff out of it, but I think it is pretty awesome that you can make spare parts. A lot of times parts on the machine are even made out of 3D printed parts. Which is nice, because if one breaks, you can just print another one,” said Randa. While the full capabilities of 3D printers is still being revealed, implementing this emerging technology into high schools, like Verdigre, is vital for the progression of this new and interesting technology. “I can use it for drafting and stuff like that to make models if I go into construction, or something,” said Matthew Mozak, a sophomore at Verdigre High School. Prosthetics, machine parts, and even hardware tools are all being created by 3D printers this day and age, and although these printers are not the norm yet, 3D printing opens a doorway to cheaper, consistent production. “It’s something new,” said Jace Forker, a junior at Verdigre High School. “[It’s] an opportunity that not everybody in a small school gets, and it’s new technology that is fun to use.” Right now at Verdigre, both the teacher, Kim Miller, and her students are going through the learning curve together, but Miller said so far the kids have loved printing 3D versions of their mascot, the Cougar. By News Partner News Channel Nebraska |