10 Reasons to Fall in Love with 3Doodler Start
/You either came here for 2 reasons - you love 3Doodler or you have no idea what it is, but were intrigued by the name.
Well, 3Doodler EDU is a company that creates 3D-printing pens for children as young as 4 years old. Yes, you read that correctly, 3D-printing PENS! Students have the power in their hands to print a 3-dimensional design. And I’m here to tell you why I love it so much.
Easy to Use
The pens are just the right sizes for students to be able to hold and manipulate when printing. They have one button to turn the pen on/off and another to release the filament. It works much like a pencil or crayon, so students already have background knowledge for using the device.
Low Temperature
Often times we have to worry about the temperature of various tools in elementary school, but not with the 3Doodler Start pen! There are plastic pieces on the outside of the pen that covers the internal pieces that heat up the filament, so if a student touches any part of the pen, it will not burn them. A huge win!
Introduction to 3D-Printing
3D-printing can feel like a foreign concept to our youngest learners. 3Doodler pens bridge the gap into using 3D-printers and teaching students the technology behind CAD (computer aided design). Instead they have the opportunity to create their own 2D plan and turn it into a 3D object.
Resource Database
The 3Doodler website offers resources for teachers to use tutorials, stencils, and lesson plans to instruct them on how to turn their designs into 3D-prints.
Filament is Biodegradable
It’s important that we don’t lose sight of protecting our environment and 3Doodler has kept this in mind because their filament is biodegradable, which is so important to me.
Trial and Error
3D-printers can take hours for students to find that their design actually failed. However, with the 3Doodler pens they have control over the whole print since they handle the pen, which does the printing. If they make a mistake mid-print, they can fix it. The filament also takes about 30 seconds to fully harden, so they can manipulate the filament as it comes out of the pen if needed. This provides instant feedback on their design and areas to improve.
Quick Results
Instead of taking hours to complete a print on a 3D-printer, students can have a finished product in under 30 minutes. It all depends on how detailed their design is and the speed at which they operate their 3Doodler pen.
STEM Learning
It is the perfect tool for many STEM projects! My students learn the concept of 3D-printing along with the math and science behind the topic of study. For example, when we make bubble wands we discuss symmetry, shapes, how bubbles are created, and the difference between man-made and machine-made products.
Hands-On Application
Since students physically hold the pen and operate it all aspects of it, they are in control of their 3D-printing. You can’t get more hands-on than that!
FUN!
Learning should be fun, engaging, and relevant and 3Doodler provides all of this for my students. When students are having fun and engaged, the learning is going to stick with them!
So, do I have you hooked?! I certainly hope so! You won’t be sorry about getting 3Doodler Start for your classroom. You can learn more about their products on their website - 3Doodler.
Are you looking for more content on 3Doodler and how I use it in my classroom? Then check out the blog posts below.
