Well, this is a change. After listening to a couple of STEM Everyday podcasts, using and promoting TinkerCAD is the next important story here.
For years it has been clear that the STEM focus just wasn’t getting the universal integration that is needed. For the most part, we still have the subject silos – reading, writing and asthmatic and STEM. Much to the dismay of the early STEM adopters, some sunk in an A – Art. Got to admit, I was skeptical at first. But if this is what it took to broaden the interest, adoption and integration, so be it.
Even working as a volunteer in a K-12 Science and Technology, there wasn’t the wholesale integration that I imagine is possible. Project Based Learning, Science Fairs, even the technology classes and “specials” weren’t generating much excitement beyond what would likely happened independently by smart, curious kids with supportive parents.
And then there is TinkerCAD. Nothing new, but time to revisit. Browser based, free, nothing to install.
In the UK, there STEM equivalent is Design & Technology which is a better representation of the overall focus.
One of the great early introductions for teachers to the Engineering Design Process is a video of the lesson design process that every teacher already knows and uses daily. Another is the comparison of the Engineering Design Process and the Scientific Method. Since Engineering seems to be a scary word, there are many different names – Universal Design, Human Machine Interface, …
As Mr. Charlwood says in the podcast. there are three elements – Tool set, Skill set, and Mindset. There are two activities – Design and Make / Build. This is where TinkerCAD come in. There are tutorials to learn the basics of TinkerCAD and be “productive” in as little as 20 minutes. Kids as young at 5 can use it with a bit of help. High school and college students are using TinkerCAD to whip-up models to demonstrate ideas and test design elements.
Many of these resources are related to TinkerCAD. Some are part of the continuing Engineering4Kids collection. More specific TinkerCad resources are coming.
- Phun
- Lesson 1 Towers in Physics are Fun! Step one is learning the tools and this tower project will guide you in that process. Lesson 2 Motion Sickness? Heck no! All Phun in here! Control and Destroy yo…
- READ: Technology in the Age of Exploration (article) | Khan Academy
- The fifteenth century saw a great growth in global networks. The crossing of the Atlantic and the development of the Columbian Exchange were part of a transformational expansion in both exploration…
- Adam Savage’s Tested – YouTube
- Adam Savage’s Tested is a content platform and community playground for makers and curious minds. On Tested.com, the highly- engaged Tested YouTube channel, and at conventions and events, dynamic…
- Introduction to 3D Modeling with Tinkercad
- Tinkercad in twenty daysStep-by-Step Video Lessons on Fundamentals, Design for 3D printing & Laser Cutting, Code Blocks, Circuits, and more!Enroll in Full Course $299.99Free Preview (No Credit…
- TinkercadBook
- Get a PDF or paper copy of the book, Mastering Tinkercad Student, and start building your dreams*Amazing Projects*Beginner Workbook*Pay What You Want*Email Updates and Support. Get a PDF or paper c…
- The 5 traits of a great engineer – Engineering.com
- Like many great inventions, the Super Soaker began as an accident. In Pasadena, Calif. in 1982, Johnson spent his days designing power systems bound for Jupiter. But he dedicated his nights to his…
- Should engineers buy the Apple Vision Pro? | Engineering.com
- Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) have been slowly seeping into engineering offices over the past decade. The technology is being used to interact with CAD models, to help assemble sp…
- Lego-like bricks make house construction child’s play
- If you ever played with interlocking brick toys as a kid, or even as an adult, you’re instantly qualified to build a house with Plaex blocks, according to the team behind a strong, recycled con…
- STEM Careers Coalition | Discovery Education
- The STEM Careers Coalition™ addresses the STEM workforce and inspiration gap by bridging industry and classrooms at an unprecedented scale. It is powered by a coalition of corporate leaders and a…
- EngineerGirl – What is one skill beneficial to have when doing your job?
- How did you develop that skill? How can I work on it? Is there something that you would have done differently when you were young to start developing that skill early?
- EngineerGirl – Julia Lopez
- Why Engineering?I got involved with my high school robotics team my sophomore year and fell in love with the problem-solving process. To me it was an outlet for my creativity and “think outsid…
- Portable bridge unlocks road construction without traffic diversions
- A new modular mobile flyover bridge allows vehicles to drive right overtop of stretches of highway roadwork, instead of waiting to go around them. Known as the ASTRA Bridge, it’s intended to ma…
- Thermal power cell harvests electricity from heat at record efficiency
- A new heat-to-energy converter has reached a record efficiency of 44% – the average steam turbine manages about 35%, for comparison. This thermophotovoltaic cell is a major step on the way to sus…
- More transparent than glass, new material cools rooms and self-cleans
- PMMM’s coolest trick (pun intended) is its ability to beam heat directly into outer space, thus cooling a room. It sounds like sci-fi stuff, but it’s a well-studied phenomenon called radiative…
- Potato scraps and sawdust form stool that’s fuel for the fire
- Made from potatoes and sawdust, the stool is designed to be thrown in a fireplace for warmth once it reaches the end of its usefulness.The stool itself measures 29 x 29 x 43 cm (11.4 x 11.4 x 17 in…
- An Aviation First as AI-Powered F-16 Dogfights Human Pilots | Engineering.com
- The modified F-16 airplane, called the X-62A, was originally designed to simulate the flight characteristics of multiple airplanes, suggesting the development of an AI system that could be easily a…
- American Magic – New England Science & Sailing
- “Sail Locker” of experiential learning materials and resources to bring the very best of sailing and the technology explore concepts of engineering and its importance in sailing, identify ways…
- Next-gen spatial displays make for headset-free working in 3 dimensions
- headset-free 3D visuals to home users in a compact package, the new 16-inch and 32-inch spatial (holographic) displays are expected to see use in the workplaces of designers, engineers, educators,…
engineering 4 kids 