The Lesson In The Rain

I've been preparing for a while now to do a presentation on 3D printing for my son's class.   It all started when I sent in a 3D printed vase for a gift to the head of school and grew in interest until we decided to have me come and present.   Then COVID-19 didn't decrease in incidence and the school went back to distanced learning for a while.  The presentation got put off but today, it happened. 

It wasn't a long talk, I had a half-hour to cram in everything I deemed important for the children to know.   And there was a lot to know, but I tried to strike a balance that would get them excited and wanting printers of their own.   With good printers targeted for children s just over $150, I didn't feel too guilty if I sent a child home asking for a 3D printer. 

I brought presents.   3D printed presents.   I told them about how the process of printing worked and then handed out something fun they could keep, that they could also look at up close to see how it was built.   In the meantime, the Prusa Mini, my smallest 3D printer, was printing a fox in the center of the room.  

I had loads of models I'd brought with me, both impressively large and delicately small that I held up to show and then left with them to look at during the day.   I also left the printer, with my son taking completed models off the build plate and then starting the next model for them to see in action. 

It was the most interesting presentation I'd done from one perspective though.   In all my years of teaching in corporate, academic, or social settings, I'd never been standing out in the rain while the audience stayed inside the building.  

That's right, good old Coronavirus.   They had a small tent over me, but the situation was just so odd.   I was standing in between two open doors to their classroom.   I found myself leaning into the classroom with a model, but stopping myself by holding on to the center steel column.   I slid models across the floor and kept my distance.   We all followed the rules.  

It was a lot of fun.   I told the teachers it was a great way to start my birthday. 

The Big Boy Update:  My son wrote me a card for my birthday that said he knew I'd wanted to do things with him lately and these were coupons of things we could do.   He had some good ideas, including playing a board game, doing a KiwiCo, playing Minecraft together (of course) and doing whatever I wanted to do.   I like the idea very much and it was a wonderful present, I told him. 

The Tiny Girl Chronicles:  My daughter made a scavenger hunt for me to find things for my birthday.   Some of the things she got for me were things that were already mine in the craft room.   She said I hadn't done much in there, especially Origami, and she wanted to remind me of them.   She recorded me a story and gave me some candy.   I loved the story, and for some reason I loved the present of my existing books because it was a good reminder of things I love to do that I haven't done in a long time.