Students in Holy Trinity Academy’s New Media class are now working in 3D from here to eternity.

The school acquired three new machines that have modernized the New Media program. Teacher Kevin Crawford received a $313,000 grant from the Provincial government in 2007. Over the next two years Crawford purchased three machines that have changed how students do work in the classroom.

Holy Trinity Academy new media teacher Kevin Crawford with a 3D model created by a student and built in a 3D model created by a student and built in a 3D printer purchased last year by the school.

A 3D printer was Crawford’s biggest purchase. It allows students to print 3D models they create on computer software. The machine builds the model using a fine dust and binding agent. The sculpture is created layer-by-layer and can take hours to build. It is also costly to operate. The school charges $3.50 per cubic inch to students who want to print their model.

Crawford said the ability to create models is an amazing advancement he couldn’t have imagined when he was in high school.

“Some of this stuff when I was in high school was like science fiction,” said Crawford with a laugh.

The practical application is for company’s that create prototypes, he explained.

“In the industry it is used for rapid prototyping,” he said. “If you are a Nike then you’d have a prototype of a shoe in a matter of hours, rather than having to send it to the factory.”

A plotter-printer-cutter is the most popular machine, he said. It allows students to print their own designs in large-scale and create banners and stickers. Students also now have a laser cutter that can etch glass, metal and plastic and cut all kinds of materials.

Crawford said the new machines have been used to create media for the school. Students have made banners, stickers and plastic signs for the school and school events.

This year new media students created 3D catapults on the computer and then broke them down into 3D parts that were cut out in plastic on the laser cutter. The assembled catapults were pitted against each other to see how far they could fling different objects.

Joshua Henry, a Grade 12 student whose catapult came in second-place, said the new technology has made the class more exciting.

“The 3D was definitely a big interest of mine,” he said. “You can make such creative things.”

At Foothills Composite High School in Okotoks their technology communications lab also received a facelift thanks to a government grant.

“It is quite a dramatic change from where we were two years ago,” said technology communications teacher Ryan Smitham.

Two labs were amalgamated into one large area modeled after a professional design studio. A light studio was updated and a sound studio added as well.

Smitham said students now have the ability to work with green screen technology and mix their own sounds to create sound effects, mix their own music and voice recordings that are added to computer or video work they are doing.

“The kids are always finding ways to combine the technology,” Smitham said.

All the new things to work on is generating excitement at the school, he said.

“The numbers in the class have risen quite a bit,” said Smitham. “We have 40 more kids next year over last year.”

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