Joey Bennett likes computers, much like any typical 13-year-old, but he does more than play games.
He designs three-dimensional models — images of food, plants, space objects, toys and animals — that can be manufactured by laying down layers of material using 3D printers.
His models are so popular that CGTrader , an online 3D model marketplace, ranks him seventh among more than 100,000 users.
“I’ve made roughly 300 items. … I’ve done a lot of different things,â€� said Joey, of Columbiana County, Ohio.
A 3D model is made using software that manipulates width, depth and height. Youngsters are embracing the technology, education experts said.
Most technology education classes in the region teach 3D modeling and printing, replacing traditional shop class in which students made birdhouses, model airplanes or paperweights, experts said.
Core curriculum classes, such as history, math and language arts, have been slower to incorporate 3D processes, but educators are trying to change that, said Kevin Conner, curriculum and instructional technology coordinator at Allegheny Intermediate Unit. In a history class, for example, a teacher might have students design 3D models of historic landmarks or artifacts from the Civil War, he said.
‘Our world is different’
Elizabeth Forward School District teaches 3D modeling and 3D printing at every school level, Assistant Superintendent Todd Keruskin said.
Last year,
Article source: http://triblive.com/news/allegheny/7126393-74/technology-cgtrader-joey