3D at school: who, what and how should be taught?

Call for discussion! Seriously, I want to answer such a difficult question: is it necessary to introduce the study of 3D in a modern school? If so, how? If not, then why? These questions today are on the agenda in many educational institutions. As you remember, last July the Ministry of Education spread the news that by the end of 2017 the concept of a new school subject “Technology” will be approved. At the lessons of this subject, in particular, it is planned to use 3D printers for printing products and studying three-dimensional technologies. And now let's understand a little.

Drawing

First, I would like to remember with you what the term 3D denotes. Remember? Of course, from the English. 3-Dimensional, which carries a lot of meanings today: three-dimensional space, three dimensions, three-dimensional graphics, stereoscopic image, three-dimensional printer, three-dimensional game. Those. we are talking about some technologies, concepts and concepts that use three dimensions of space as a base. We live in 3D with you, right? And here such a concept emerges, as spatial thinking - a certain specific type of human mental activity, which is necessary for solving problems that require fast orientation in real or imaginary space. Abstract thinking is closely connected with spatial thinking, but we will not go deep. Spatial thinking is closely intertwined in successful human activity, starting from infancy the child develops spatial thinking, cognizing the world. I will not even focus on how well developed spatial thinking is important for everyone.

What am I for? A specialist in the field of 3D should, in my opinion, have excellent spatial thinking. Moreover, the spatial thinking of a successful specialist should be developed above average. If you want to simulate a three-dimensional object, then first you need to at least somehow present it, and decompose it into components, in some cases down to polygons. How does spatial thinking develop? Before kindergarten, parents develop it first with the help of games and in a natural way: the child himself knows the world. At preschool age, in kindergarten, the child begins to sculpt and draw, performs crafts, but, again, more in a playful way, although elements of lessons with teachers are already introduced: someone gives children to kindergarten, classes, someone at home is engaged with the child. And now the future support of the country, the future successful specialist goes to school. The lessons begin, the child grows up, moving from class to class, spatial thinking develops as part of the educational program in technology, geometry, algebra, drawing lessons. Stop! Now there is no drawing at school.
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I am not inclined to criticize the ministries, but when I found out about this decision, I was extremely surprised. I studied in a lyceum and in the eighth grade we began to study drawing. And I am sure that those lessons back in 1991 gave my spatial thinking a huge impetus in development! I remember those lessons and the teachers with tenderness and gratitude, thanks to her for the evenings over the drawings, kilos of erased rubber bands and sharpened pencils, not to mention how much drawing in school helped me with descriptive geometry at the institute. And most importantly, it was drafting that sparked my interest in three-dimensional graphics afterwards.

I think drawing like no other object develops spatial thinking. And from all the letters above, my first question emerges: before introducing the study of three-dimensional technologies to the school, maybe it is worth returning the drawing there? I know that in some schools there is a drawing, but as an elective, after-hour classes, and well done, the director of such a school has found money, time and teachers! But, perhaps, it is necessary to make this item mandatory again? I think yes. We continue.

What to study?

So, the school decided to introduce the study of three-dimensional graphics and three-dimensional technologies. Or the decree came from above - everything, now 3D in school will be mandatory, we introduce! At the moment there is no approved curriculum for the study of three-dimensional technologies or for elementary school or for high school students. I hope she will, rather, I am sure that she will appear. But while the next question arises: what to teach? And How?

Here, in my opinion, it is necessary to determine the general vector and the tasks that learning three-dimensional technologies should solve. If the main task is to teach how to print three-dimensional parts, then it is enough to use the free Tinkercad and software of a three-dimensional printer. Tinkercad is simple, works online and natively supports uploading models for 3D printers. Preschoolers can begin to work with three-dimensional pens, creating plastic figures. A sort of modern labor lessons. But after all, three-dimensional printing is not only programs, it is also math, physics, programming ...

And if we want to train future specialists, then Tinkercad is too easy. This software can be used for immersion in 3D in the 5th - 7th grades. Then our children get bored, this is first, and secondly, the possibilities of this online service are exhausted quickly enough. And here the head begins to break apart from what decision to make and which software to install. I will not even list all the programs for creating three-dimensional content, from free Blender to monstrous Maya. Personally, I am an ardent supporter of 3D Studio Max. And there are several reasons for this.

The first is that all Autodesk software is free for educational institutions. And, as far as I remember, software can be put to students and teachers at home. This is a big plus for the school: once we register, those who wish will find the link, confirm the status of the educational institution - and that’s it, we can use a huge set of programs in the educational process. But this is not only 3D Studio Max, it is Autocad, Maya, Moodbox, not to mention such complexities as Inventor and Revit. Reason Two: 3D Studio Max is made in my opinion that the principles of work and the tools of the program are easily perceived by the students, checked personally in many classes. And another reason for my choice: this software is used in many real-world business sectors, from architectural studios to design bureaus. Let our schoolchildren master those tools with the help of which they will be able to earn a living afterwards, and a specialist in three-dimensional graphics is quite in demand today and can receive decent money.

But, of course, my preferences are not standard. The children really like Sculptris, at one of the events I spoke with a teacher who successfully teaches Compass-3D. You can use free analogues, there is Sketchup and Blender. The question of choice rests on another, important and acute ...

And who will teach?

This is where the fun begins. Let's imagine an ordinary school somewhere in the outback. Not in Moscow, where, I remember, we installed 200 laboratories for three-dimensional printing in schools, there was an article about this here. No, in an ordinary small town, in a small provincial school, it is necessary to introduce three-dimensional modeling into the educational process. And who will bear this cargo? Of course, the computer science teacher. Now imagine a computer science teacher who works in an ordinary school: there are so many hours on the main program that the hair moves; papers need to fill an incredible amount; ahead exams; home problems; we must also work out tutoring, not enough money; children learn poorly; also system administration at school was hanged around his neck ... And the head teacher on his forehead: starting next school year, we will teach three-dimensional graphics, hurray! The teacher needs to learn a new subject area. Fortunately, if he is young or himself has already done something similar, then, for the sake of interest. And if not? How to learn yourself? How to teach children? Let's try to figure it out.

The most obvious way out is to send a teacher to a refresher course. But not all cities have such courses. The second evidence is that the teacher studies the subject himself. There is everything on the Internet today, you say. But I am constantly confronted with the fact that the teachers I taught three-dimensional graphics complain about the lack of consistency in the material that can be found online. Plus a banal lack of time. If a person teaches computer science, then most likely (there are exceptions), in the pedagogical college or higher educational institution, which he graduated, he was taught in mathematics-computer science, i.e. taught how and what to teach in their specialty. Plus there is a federal state educational standard, there are textbooks, there is a teaching methodology. In the field of three-dimensional graphics of all this is not.

Another not obvious point: to teach well, you need to understand the subject very well, right? After all, children will ask questions. Faced with, for example, how to make a wrought iron fence in 3D - and ask your teacher about it. It will be necessary to make scissors or an object of a more complex form - questions will arise immediately. And if you yourself have never modeled complex three-dimensional objects, then you cannot solve the task at once. I will give a simple example. I have a friend who has been working as a modeler in an architectural studio for more than 10 years. Makes the hardest scenes of architectural objects. And when I told him that I had been teaching teachers to work in 3D Studio Max for three days, he just quietly laughed into my phone. To my question, what is the reason for the laughter, the answer was simple: “Whole three days! Yes, here a couple of years should be at least! ”

I do not know how to solve this problem correctly, there is no definite answer. A school may attract a specialist from the outside, but in most cases this is not justified due to the fact that usually the team hardly perceives someone coming. In any case, I had such a sad experience. There was also a successful example, however, when we had been studying with the guys and their computer science teacher for several weeks, after which the classes at the school were already conducted on our own. And simulate and print. Maybe the school will send its teachers to the courses, maybe buy literature, start with something simple, gradually complicating. Maybe the teachers themselves will take the initiative, but the conclusion, for sure, suggests itself: teachers need a certain standard of teaching three-dimensional technologies, textbooks and methodology.

What for?

Yes, why did I write all this? It's simple: 3D in schools should be taught, this is an obvious fact. Or do you think differently? Share your opinion. Personally, I am an adherent of three-dimensional graphics, and I am sure that the study of three-dimensional graphics in schools is possible and extremely useful for children. Moreover, many of the schoolchildren are interested in this, they are striving to master these technologies. After all, 3D is not only modeling, visualization, animation and three-dimensional printing. There is Unity and Unreal, there is Oculurus Rift, there are technologies of augmented reality, there are three-dimensional simulators, simulators, three-dimensional video. All this can be studied, and even better to create in school. And to me personally, it doesn’t matter what my children will learn in school after a few years, let my child do three-dimensional graphics at technology lessons (if he wants, of course), I’ll first give it to this kind of extracurricular activity. But today there are pitfalls in all this. Tell us how things are in your school with the questions I have raised? Maybe someone will have interesting suggestions, maybe someone will share a successful experience. Thank!