[3D Printing] How can 3D printing change the way we teach? Let's hear from a Steam teacher!

Introduction to Ultimaker 3D Printer Education: An Analysis by a STEM Teacher
Which technologies have had the greatest positive impact on education at all levels and across all disciplines? Projectors, printers, laptops, and personal computers? We believe that ten years from now, anyone asking this question will not hesitate to add 3D printers to the list.

STEM teacher and drone racing coach Jackie Derr collaborated with Mara Hitner, VP of Strategic Partnerships at MatterHackers, to introduce the Ultimaker 3D printer to her junior high school students through a project-based learning program. In this article, she shares her experience using the Ultimaker 2+ Connect and Ultimaker S3 3D printer in the classroom.

Starting with dual extrusion on the Ultimaker S3 3D printer, and then adding a single-extrusion Ultimaker 2+ Connect 3D printer with Air Manager to her classroom, Jackie then gave a live demonstration with Mara Hitner, discussing her experience using the Ultimaker series of machines and sharing some exciting learning projects her students have completed through additive manufacturing. You can check out these free 3D printing projects here!

MatterHackers gleaned key takeaways and insights from her assessment to share with other educators looking to get started using the Ultimaker 3D printer in schools and educational maker spaces!

Deciding to buy a 3D printer—don't be intimidated!
Reflecting on her experience choosing a 3D printer , Jackie described her feelings before she was ready to try it out, and her initial concerns about setting up and using the machine:

"I'm honored to try out Ultimaker 2+ Connect ... I first received the Ultimaker S3 , and I must admit I was extremely nervous when I ordered it! Because I was worried about how to set it up, etc., but that was a mistake, because the setup was so simple! "


Unboxing and Setting Up the 3D Printer — Simple and Quick
After receiving her Ultimaker 2+ Connect , Jackie took the opportunity to record her experience unboxing and setting up the machine from start to finish. Watch for a quick and easy unboxing process, as well as the preparation for printing with the assembled Ultimaker 3D printer :

Key Points

Regarding the setup of Ultimaker 2+ Connect, Jackie gave one last piece of advice: "I recommend that you download the manual before you start setting it up, as it will guide you step by step."

Or contact our Sandima specialists for guidance!


Advantages and precautions

After easily completing the setup phase, Jackie continued using her new 3D printer . Following 3D printing projects and courses with her students, she reviewed the overall advantages of the Ultimaker 3D printer, as well as important points to note.

"When I put these things together, I was thinking, 'Okay, I want to list the front side of the printer.'"

advantage

• A simple, out-of-the-box experience — it's easy to set up.
• User-friendly experience — It's more user-friendly than any other printer I've used.
High print quality —High print quality, avoiding any messy or disorganized situations.
• A wide variety of materials — you can use all sorts of wires! Mara adds that you can go from polylactic acid ( PLA ) to tough PLA, to thermoplastic polyurethane ( TPU ) and flexible fibers, to carbon fiber and glass fiber, and these materials are also very safe to use in the classroom.

Jackie believes that if you're going to list the advantages, you have to list the disadvantages. But she didn't see anything negative! So she decided to make a list of things to note about the printer:


Precautions

• Removing support material from the printout — For 2+ Connect supports, you have to peel or clip them off, but the first four printers she used all required this. So she didn't know what to do! One solution was to have students design items that didn't need so many supports (materials), or items that didn't need any supports at all if you changed the angle (model). This was actually a great challenge for them.

• Single Extrusion vs. Dual Extrusion — She now almost feels like a printer rascal because the S3 has dual nozzles. Therefore, you can use a support filament so that after your item is printed, you can simply put it in a bowl of water to dissolve, and come back the next day!

• Price considerations — She also reviewed her experience with 3D printing , but her budget was limited. Her view on printers was — she has 120 or 150 children, how many printers can she buy with her limited funds? So it meant that if it was a 2+ Connect, she could buy two, so she bought it.

Jackie's final thoughts on her Ultimaker 3D printer were: "Setup, print quality, ease of use, Cura software—everything was great!"

For educational discounts and to start 3D printing in the classroom using the Ultimaker 3D printer, please contact us at Sandima today!

Both of these are older models, while the newer S5 and S7 models are compatible with more cables and have a larger printing area!
👉For detailed comparisons , please see this S-series article: 10 Key Differences Before Choosing an Ultimaker 3D Printer!

Ultimaker will be hosting a webinar to explore the practical applications of 3D printing in education, such as classrooms, libraries, and laboratories. If you are an educator, this webinar is perfect for you! Whether you were already interested in 3D printing or are looking for new technologies or fun tools to engage and teach students, come and see if this is what you need! You can also directly ask experts, which is much more time-consuming than constantly searching for information online!