“I like gadgets,” shared Mark Simmons at lunch time today. Gadgets, indeed. While the presenters at iPadpalooza are working hard to start with why rather than how or what, it was delightful to have a frank conversation about technology, about gadgets with Mark. His why for each was compelling, much like the reason why he came to work in education.

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I had no idea that he’d come to education from the business world. His motivation? “My dyslexic daughter needed services she wasn’t getting in school,” his face growing red, a topic he is clearly passionate about. “So, I decided to come into education, taking a pay-cut, to make change.” And, make changes with a different perspective, he has indeed.

Mark Simmons (@t3chl0gic), Sabine Pass ISD

As we munched on our respective BBQ sandwiches, I asked Mark about the presentation he had just finished up on regarding iPads and 3D Printing. “Yeah,” he mused, “the kids use Tinker Play and 1-2-3D to design robots, then share the file via Google Drive.”
“How does that work in your school culture, Mark?” I asked.
“I pick up the files off GoogleDrive, and print their designs out. It takes 2-3 hours for their designs to print.”

Some of the resources that Mark mentioned related to iPads and 3D printing included the following

• iPad apps
• TinkerPlay
• 123D
• 3D Printer
• Dremel 3D Printer (Mark recommends this one over the Makerbot 3D Printers)