Part 1
The Making of a Tradition
Two years ago, I purchased a Makerbot Replicator+ 3D printer for the Oxford High School Library with a generous grant from the Oxford School District Foundation. I wanted the printer to be the first step in building a tradition of making in the OHS Library. Fortunately, I work with innovative teachers who have been daring enough to make this dream a reality. My colleague Brittany Franks, a 10th grade English teacher, was the first to experiment with me. She created a narrative writing lesson where students used the printer to create 3D houses that replicated the setting of the story. It just so happened that her project coincided with the annual Holiday Village, hosted by the Gertrude Ford Center on the campus of the University of Mississippi. The idea to create a library program that would result in a display at the village had been "under construction" after I toured the exhibit the previous year. As I walked among the varied displays and delighted in the various interpretations of the makers, I knew immediately I wanted the library to get involved. When Franks approached me about the 3D houses, I was finally able to solidify how to make this project a reality. We tailored the unit to incorporate a Christmas theme. The final projects were displayed at the 2018 Holiday Village. The making of a new tradition had begun in more ways than one.
To read more about my first Holiday Village experience, see my article "Create in 3D: Building a Maker Mindset One Print at a Time" available at http://lynx.lib.usm.edu/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=lls&AN=138293424&site=ehost-live).
Tinkering with a Tradition
After the success of the 3D printed "Gingerbread Houses," I set an intention to make this project/program an annual event in the library. 2019 had other ideas, though. The printer was "offline" when it was time to print the houses, so the project sat unprinted as I tinkered with my machine. After months of watching Youtube videos and reading blog posts, I finally fixed the printer. Then, the pandemic hit. Going into the 2020 school year, I reasoned that another year would pass with my annual plans now becoming more of a one and done reality. Surprisingly, two weeks ago, I received an email from the Ford Center proclaiming the annual Holiday Village would take place this year (with modifications for safety). In the world of making, tinkering with parts or protocols creates opportunities for solving complex problems in surprising new ways.
To learn more about Makerbot 3D printers, please visit https://www.makerbot.com/.