3D Printing, So Far ...
Who do you think is the best person/people in the district or the province to provide 3D printing support for students with visual impairments?
I think it makes sense for Vision Resource Teachers (VRTs) to provide 3D printing support for students with visual impairments so that they can take students’ visual needs into consideration in choosing and printing items to be used in learning activities. This can be done independently or in consultation with resource, classroom and technology teachers, depending what the 3D prints are being used for. I think input from the VRT is essential so that items chosen are ones that are realistic and have discernable aspects that can be felt if not seen (i.e. not too busy with detail). If using items for students with low vision, aspects such as colour, contrast and size may be important and this is where a VRT can help choose items that might work best. I also think involving students, where possible, in the design and production of prints is a great idea.
Talk about the time commitment that’s needed in order to make 3D printing something that can be effective and efficient in the school environment.
Time is a huge factor in making 3D prints. They generally take at least an hour or two and can take a lot longer than that (a recent print took 13 hours!). As an itinerant teacher, it is difficult to be where the printer is for that long. Ideally, the printer would be at a location that is central and can be watched by someone working nearby, such as an admin person or a non-itinerant teacher. This can present a bit of a problem, as they are busy, too. It also takes time to sift through the files available online, read the details, and figure out how big or small to print them. Some trial and error is involved as well. Some files don’t print successfully for whatever reason, or will print fine at one size but fail at another. I would love to know how to create my own 3D print files, but have not had the time to spend learning about it.
Share the success and challenges so far in printing objects that can be used with students with visual impairments to support learning.
Successes
Most files print well and stick to the platform if we use blue painter’s tape. Some don’t, especially for thin things like a snake or mouse tail.
I loved one of the first prints we made, which was a moveable fish skeleton that came off the printer ready to move.
Gruffalo group of characters
Goodnite Moon pages
Challenges
Getting things to work when you have changed the size – mostly when reduced in size
Trial and error in finding the right size for a print (especially if you want things to be sized proportionately to other items)
Having the hours necessary near the printer to print what you want to
So many things I want to print – just not enough time at the location where the printer is
Some items take a really long time to print (i.e. river valley, mountain)
Sometimes it’s difficult to find files for exactly what you want (i.e. deciduous tree, salmon life cycle)
Dog puzzle did not fit together at all and braille was super rough on it
Sometimes files look great but don’t work (i.e. Fittle fish)