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Maxwell for Google SketchUp

November 21, 2011November 21, 2011Kelly Tenkely1 Comment4367 views

What it is: If you aren’t familiar with Google SketchUp-you should probably start here and here. SketchUp is an incredibly powerful, FREE 3D modeling software that lets your students create impressive 3D models. Maxwell takes SketchUp to a WHOLE new level. Maxwell for Google SketchUp brings students advanced rendering in an easy-to-use package for free. The best part: Maxwell is fully integrated so that you don’t have to export or use an external application to render an image. Rendering happens in “real-time” so as your students are adjusting their SketchUp models, they can see the changes in Maxwell. Maxwell is compatible with Windows and OSX! With Maxwell students can create materials, set lights and cameras and render 3D scenes. These are incredibly powerful tools…I cannot believe that they are free (I’m a little nervous to say that too loud in case they decide to change their minds!).

How to integrate Maxwell for Google SketchUp into the classroom: Maxwell takes student work in Google SketchUp and polishes it up to a professional level. Truly, the results are akin to what the professionals turn out! The SketchUp/Maxwell combination are wonderful for graphic art classes, math and geometry modeling, advertising lessons, engineering classes, architecture, science models, etc.

Don’t let the impressive results fool you, I’ve had 3rd grade students who made some amazing models using SketchUp. I look forward to introducing them to the Maxwell plugin so that students can see their work come to life in ways that they couldn’t do before.

At Anastasis Academy, we have several students from 2nd through 8th grade who are extremely interested and passionate about architecture. Google SketchUp is where I send them! Students can plan, create and build. Maxwell will allow them to visualize their creations in totally new ways.

I don’t understand why more schools don’t put these types of tools in the hands of students more often. Exposing students to tools like this, gives them the opportunity to explore their passions and interests. The tools are getting easier and easier to use and the number of tutorials is astonishing. You (the teacher) don’t have to know how to use these tools inside and out, your job is to let your students know they exist, and help them find the resources to use them. No excuses!

Tips: Using rendering tools teaches students about materials, light sources, shadows, etc. Use Maxwell to teach students these science concepts!

Please leave a comment and share how you are using Maxwell for Google SketchUp in your classroom!

3D Vinci

June 19, 2009Kelly TenkelyLeave a Comment16157 views

What it is: 3-D Vinci is a math website that has a great free resources page for math teachers. The site has downloadable pdf lesson plans for using Google’s SketchUp to teach math concepts using designs such as tessilations. For students in grades k-12 3D Vinci has puzzles and mosaics that can be printed and solved. 3D Vinci has a YouTube channel where students can watch several ModelMetricks projects.

How to integrate 3D Vinci into the classroom: 3D concepts can be hard to grasp through 2D methods of instruction. Textbooks are especially difficult to learn 3D concepts in because there is no interaction. 3D Vinci is a great website for bringing 3D concepts to life for students. Not only can they print and interact with math in 3D, they can also learn how to create in 3D using Google’s Sketchup. This is a great way to grab students attention and excite them about math. Using Google Sketchup gives students a real-world connection to math concepts that you are teaching in class.

Tips: The site is set to add more resources sometime in June and will be co-managed with one of the leading online communities for math teachers.

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using 3D Vinci in your classroom.

AR Sights

March 16, 2009Kelly Tenkely6 Comments3791 views

What it is: Augmented Reality, how cool is that technology? Dialing up the awesome factor a couple of notches is AR Sights. AR Sights is a company who makes it possible to view Google Earth right in a web browser and then zoom into places of interest (Pyramids, Eiffel Tower, etc) and take a look at them augmented reality style. The site brings landmarks to life in four easy steps. Download the browser add-on, download some points of interest, print out the AR Sights marker, and zoom into Google Earth and take a look. I am amazed at what this technology provides for students! Students can zoom right in and manipulate the landmark by moving the paper around. Now for the downfalls, AR Sights only works on PC’s right now, us Mac folks will have to hunt down a PC or wait until it is available for the Mac. The other downfall is the downloads, they require administrative rights (some of you may have to convince your IT to let you download this goody). After you print off the AR Sights marker, you hold it up to your camera and up pops the landmark you have chosen in Google Earth, as you twist, tilt, and move the paper the landmark moves accordingly. This is SO outstanding!

How to integrate AR Sights into the classroom: AR Sights makes virtual field trips so impressive! As your students are studying geography, allow them to travel around Google Earth and take a look at the landmarks. Use AR Sights with a projector or Interactive whiteboard to show your whole class landmarks at the same time. Create a travel center on your computers where students can travel around and learn about the world. AR Sights is a great way to bring geography alive! AR Sights also has a download to use with Google Sketch-up 3-D drawing program (free from Google). Older students can create their own 3-D augmented reality landmarks. Students could draw places of interest, your school, etc. and view them with AR Sights as augmented reality. Talented high-school and college age students (or ambitious teachers) could create Sketch-up models that can be used in education such as the skeletal system, a beating heart, the solar system, historical landmarks, etc. for students to interact with in 3-D augmented reality. The possibilities with this could be endless!!

Tips: I learned about AR Sights from a wonderful blog that my friend Raul writes from Spain called technoTIC, check it out! Thanks Raul!

Leave a comment and tell us how you are using AR Sights in your classroom. If you or one of your students creates a Sketch Up model for AR Sights let us know about it!