A few weeks ago I was approached by a young lady inquiring about our library’s 3D printer. She had found a great deal at the mall on a pair of Converse sneakers, but the shoes had a hole in the sole. Because of the way mannequins are built, stores must drill a hole in the bottom of any shoes they wish to display. But, hey. Who can pass up a pair of $5 Converse?
The young lady thought she could solve her problem by 3D printing a “plug” for the hole. So, I handed the student some instructions for TinkerCad and later that night, I received an STL file in my email. We printed the plug, and found that even though she had done some careful measuring, there were still a few mistakes in the final print. Using the “prototype” she redesigned the file and sent it back to me within hours, this time, for a successful fit!
I love this story because it demonstrates how our Maker Space is more than a collection of tools and toys. The time, space, and resources provided to high school students in our Maker Space are developing thinkers and problem solvers. Not only are students creating solutions to problems, they are learning the process of trying, modifying, and redesigning as they work, which is the same type of perseverance we hope they continue to use in all aspects of life!