A new class being offered at South Seneca High School is taking students’education to a new dimension : 3D Printing.
Thanks to a new 3D printing lab that is officially up and running smoothly, students can now learn how 3D printing works, and watch whatever they design become a tangible, three-dimensional item. Teacher John Barkee, who is a secondary technology teacher, has led the movement.
Barkee, who noted the lab has been fully operational since the beginning of the school year, said the process for getting one was as simple as asking for one, and then getting a lot of support to make it happen.
“I asked Principal Horton for the money to buy the 3D printers and then have been working with our Computer Technology Services (CTS) to get the lab up and running,” he said.
“The main motivation,” he continued, “was to try and stay current with technologies being utilized in the manufacturing sector.”
High School Principal Sarah Horton was more than happy to make Barkee’s wish come true.
“I didn't hesitate when John asked for this lab,” Horton said. “I love when teachers have these ideas and take the initiative to improve our offerings for students and I’m happy to support them when I can.”
Horton said the lab helps South Seneca offer its students something not all schools can.
“I am incredibly impressed by the lab,” she said, “and I hope people recognize how fortunate we are to have access to the technology within the lab at our school. John and CTS have done a phenomenal job getting the equipment, setting it up, and learning how to use it all. Students seem to be excited about the projects they have already been able to complete with the 3D printers. When I have gone in, students appear engaged and knowledgeable about the program.”
Barkee said 3D printing is vital to making sure students who are interested in this sort of field can stay up with the latest trends.
“3D printing is very useful for rapid prototyping,” Barkee explained. “Whether we are making something out of wood, metal etc., being able to work on prototypes and quickly make changes is very useful. I hope the students have fun. There are too many things they can learn to list.”
South Seneca high schooler Zack Tingue said the lab has been a lot of fun.
“It’s been really cool to print the stuff we’ve designed from scratch,” he said. “I’ve been surprised by the accuracy that these machines print with.”