Two UCS teachers among select group taking learning to a new dimension

Two Utica Community Schools teachers were among a select group of educators invited to take learning to a whole other dimsenion.

UCS teachers Geoff Clark and Mike Attan were at Michigan Technological University recently to learn how to build their own 3D printer to take home.

And, since the open-source RepRap 3D printers developed for the workshop can print their own components, teachers and students can use the workshop printer to build as many as needed.

Michigan Tech faculty member and researcher Joshua Pearce helped workshop participants build their own 3D printer.

An associate professor of materials science and engineering and electrical and computer engineering, Pearce has garnered worldwide attention over recent months for his work developing scientific equipment with open-source computer-aided design software, microcontrollers and 3D RepRap printers, and for sponsoring a "3D Printers for Peace" contest to encourage people to think about ways that 3D printing can be used to benefit humanity.

"In addition to building 3D printers, the teachers developed printable teaching and learning aids for their classrooms. These designs will be printed, tested, and shared with the global community so anyone with access to a 3D printer can make their own or tweak them for the needs of their students", explained Pearce.

"3D printers will enable teachers everywhere to save tons of money and get precisely what they want for their classrooms," said Pearce. "It's spawning a revolution."

The teacher workshop was organized by Michigan Tech's High School Enterprise program.