“Learning is not a spectator sport.” – D. Blocher
Throughout life we are each inspired by different things…some of us are inspired by a certain professor while others of us are inspired a quest for answers and knowledge…while our inspiration comes from different places, it instills in us a universal drive to succeed. We wanted to reach out to our parents, teachers and educators with this blog post to learn a bit as to how they work to inspire students. How do you light the inspiration spark in students? To take it a bit further, How do you inspire students in STEM fields?
We have come up with some ways in which we have seen students become inspired throughout their educational journey.
- Hands-on Activity: We have seen this time and time again, when students are able to actively participate in the classroom we see them become fully engaged with the material. Our educational company, 3D Academy, works with schools and after-school programs to provide interactive education opportunities with 3D CAD, prototyping and 3D printing and each time we actively engage with the students we see their eyes light up because we are using a teaching model that emphasizes trial-and-error rather than lectures.
- Field Trips: It is no secret that students love getting out of the classroom and exploring. Whether it is a class field trip or a family trip to the local science museum you see students learning and becoming inspired.
- Group Competitions: Robotics competitions are everywhere these days, and what is more powerful than coming together with fellow students to design and build an actual robot? Answer: Nothing. Students become inspired by seeing their work come to life and these kind of competitions often lead students into future STEM careers.
- Mentors: Mentoring a student is a very powerful way of helping them see the “cool” side of STEM careers. Having this one-on-one contact with a student allows them to get any questions they have answered and your influence might just be the inspiration they were needing.
Please leave a comment on this blog post with your own ideas about inspiring students, and we will grow the list together!
3D Innovations is a full service 3D Engineering/Design company – from the 3D Design to a fully functional 3D Prototype & Product.
3D Academy, A Division of 3D Innovations, LLC provides training services specializing in 3D Computer Aided Design (CAD) Technology. 3D Academy promotes Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) education programs that integrate 3D Technology into K–12, as well as university classrooms.