West Greene fifth-graders learn the art of 3-D printing
Katie Anderson/Observer-Reporter
Fifth-grade students crowd around a 3-D printer Wednesday morning as high school students Drew Wise, left, and Gage Gray teach them how it works during a new coding class at West Greene School District.
West Greene High School students Drew Wise, left, and Gage Gray teach a student how to code during a new class in the district.
West Greene High School student Gage Gray teaches fifth-graders how to code and use 3-D printers.
Are you smarter than a West Greene fifth-grader? The bar has been set pretty high this year, as they’re learning to code and use 3-D printers.
As part of a new Science, Technology, Engineering and Math program, West Greene High School students are teaching fifth-graders early lessons on coding, design and 3D printing.
“It was something I wish I would have learned when I was younger,” said Drew Wise, a senior from Gray Township. “They’re intrigued by it and it’s cool to watch them learn.”
Wise and Gage Gray, a junior from Gray Township, are the two high school students who volunteered to teach the program, which is in its pilot stage. They have help from their teacher, Tim Barnes, and elementary teacher Gary White.
White said he was wanting to increase STEM programming at the elementary level. The district purchased a 3D printer for $500 and started the program for a fifth-grade class of 21 students, who meet once a week during school hours.
“I wanted to introduce it to them at a younger age,” he said. “Most kids don’t work with 3-D design. They seem to like it a lot.”
Their first design was a pencil holder with “WG” on it. They use software called “CodeMonkey,” which is “game-based” and geared toward elementary students, according to Jed Hamberger, the school district’s academic director.
“It’s amazing how quickly kids pick this stuff up,” he said.
White said they plan to design and print other items that the kids will be able to take home. He said that in the future, the program will include classes for kindergarten through sixth grade.
Barnes said his students, Wise and Gray, have been learning through this class as well. The two of them said they became interested in coding a couple years ago.
“I thought it was a good idea to let the elementary kids get an opportunity to learn about this,” Gray said. “There are a lot of jobs you can use this for.”
Barnes said that since elementary students are learning this level of technology, “the sky’s the limit” on what they’ll be learning by the time they get to his high school classes.
“With the speed that technology is increasing and the availability of materials, who knows what’s going to happen even next year,” he said.