In an academic setting Sketchup is also a cool tool to underlie transdisciplinary knowledge. Lately we’ve been introducing them to the follow me tool, with very interesting results. As we have written earlier, this is an introductory course for the general public, not a deep learning experience. They are generally enough for our students needs.

These sort of projects involve a lot of thinking, researching, visualization and conceptualization, breaking a larger problem into smaller, simpler tasks, and a lot a flexibility in computer use.ĭue to time constraints, pupil’s age range, and the need to introduce other ICT concepts (such as programming or digital safety), we concentrate only on the elementary modeling tools: tracing, push-pull extrusion, moving, scaling and texturing. To those we generally propose modeling in 3D a landmark building, wich they have ti recreate using their nascent skills. Other students prefer more guided projects. Looking ahead to the intriguing possibilities of 3D printing, we recently began the TIC em 3D project (ICT in 3D) to actively investigate pedagogical uses of 3d technologies, 3D printing, open hardware and STEM education.Ī simple house, whose walls are hiding painstakingly detailed interiors, all carefully modeled by the students We began with the 3DAlpha project, using 3D modeling, animation and virtual worlds with pupils aged 6 to 15 years old. Since 2009, we’ve been working in Portugal with successive generations of students using 3D technologies to learn ICT in a trandisciplinary setting, mixing arts, science, history and languages with project based learning. But can we go further? Can we use Sketchup as a teaching tool, sparking creativity in young children, exposing them to advanced tools and higher lever workflows, teaching them to overcome their limits with advanced tools, instilling them with useful knowledge in STEM areas, and also mixing arts with technology? Essentially, broadening horizons and teaching them to take ownership of digital technologies, beyond the corporate view of the user as mere consumer of digital trinkets? Sktechup, as we all know so well, is a very powerful 3d modeling tool with a range of applications from professional architecture and engineering to hobbyists.

Google sketchup free for schools