School Holidays New Zealand: July 2026

 

Thanks you for your visit.  It is currently the first week of the school holidays in New Zealand between the second and third terms.   This coming term we have lots of exciting learning planned using a range of technology.

The view shown left is taken by our teacher outside of our school in South Taranaki.   It is the Mountain (Maunga) that dominates our landscape.  We are extremely respectful of such an iconic and important local landmark that has huge significance to our area.  Earlier this year we started the year with our 3D Printed copy of a map that we located online from Thingiverse.

We wanted our students to be able to increase their knowledge of this landmark and also make sure that they recognised details about its importance and dimensions.

By bringing this 3D Model and importing the file into Tinkercad it allowed us to rotate the model look at some of the physical spaces - such as the smaller peak that is primarily visible only from our side of the mountain.

We also had discussions about the source of rivers for the area, its height and the fact it has such a unique peak.   The 3D modelling aspect also meant that we have a physical copy in the classroom so when we are experimenting or looking into views of the mountain and where they are taken from.  An example was when we were recently using AR/VR prompts with our Puanga and Matariki work the view of the maunga typically was not viewed from our direction so our images of the mountain 'didn't look right'.

The AR/VR tool aspect of Tinkercad is in our opinion vastly underrated and it is surprising the number of educators who are not familiar with it.

As an app on the iPad Tinkercads AR/VR ability allows any design in Tinkercad to be projected without the need for green screening etc with a single push of a button.   Rotation and manipulation of the design either a premade design or a student created design can then be projected onto nearly any surface of any size.

If you want to see a huge range of the ways this app is used by our students with their iPad then please use the search bar in the top right hand corner of this blog.  We have been regularly using the feature for several years now and tend to use it more in some ways than actual 3D Printing.  We use it with our class of seven and eight year olds but have also used it as mentors in a Y1 (five year old class).