Major Learning Project Overview

This is my eighth class in my Master’s program. It feels crazy to write that! But I digress (already…sheesh). This is my eighth class, and my third looking at ed. tech. issues, so I’ve been eyeing EC&I 831 for a couple of years, hoping to fit a section in somewhere. Which also means that I’ve been thinking about this major project for a long time! Seriously. I’ve googled EC&I 831 to see what other people had done, I had a running list of ideas that I was considering, and then I got ChatGPT to help come up with a list of ideas that somewhat fit my interests and skill sets, but was still a new hobby (without costing too much to get into it).

Have I overthought this? Yes, yes I have.

Anyway, all my overthinking had me narrowing down a list to macrame, paper quilling, or book-binding. All similar to things I already do, but nothing I had ever tried myself before. And, potentially, things that I would/could continue to do after I was done the course (as if I need another hobby, when I barely have time for the ones that I already have…)

And then!

And then (best laid plans, no?).

And then my husband and I started talking about a 3D printer, and the seed was planted. Wouldn’t that be wonderful? I thought to myself. There are so many videos and communities and threads and groups dedicated to 3D printing, and if I was going to be spending time on that anyway, I could document my initial foray for the class, and bring you all along for the ride. He (the husband) was supposed to be my voice of reason, but I somehow talked him around – which was not at all difficult – and he was all for it! So somehow we’ve got a 3D printer on the way, and this opportunity just…presented itself beautifully.

Backstory complete.

To establish a baseline, I have never used a 3D printer. We have some at our school, and there are some 3D gadgets and designs that I have always wanted (hellllooo articulated dragon fidgets!), but I didn’t even own anything 3D printed until about a week ago, when I came across a 3D printed dragon in my tattoo artist’s reception area on my way out. So no experience, no background, limited familiarity, and a very steep learning curve already.

At this point it should come as not surprise, but my Major Project for the semester is going to be 3D printing. I figure there are a few key pieces here that I’ll be able to track, including:

• setting up the actual printer itself
• getting into supplies, files, learning about the apps and software to accompany 3D printing
• starting to actually do some printing
• troubleshooting the first few prints (I am ready for and expecting some user errors)
• finishing off some prints?
• starting to experiment, or get creative (time permitting…and dependent upon how many user errors I have to account for)

I don’t plan on getting too fancy, or too into the software – just enough to start printing some of the fun gizmos and gadgets that are going to be at my fingertips!

Looking forward to bringing you all along as I tackle this one.