3D printing is a practice that is entering K-12 classrooms a lot more than was expected. Now, a middle school teacher is showing the endless possibilities with 3D printing after helping Phillip the duck get his feet back.

According to an EdTechMagazine report, a duck named Phillip lost his feet to frostbite. Thankfully, the magic of 3D printing and work by Jason Jischke, Phillip can now walk again.

“Phillip’s happy ending started when his owner, Vicki Rabe-Harrison, reached out to Wisconsin middle school teacher Jason Jischke after she heard about his interest in 3D printing,” according to the report.

“As a technology and engineering teacher at South Park Middle School, Jischke has uncommon access to 3D printers. He started exploring the technology back in November and now incorporates it into lessons that promote design and problem-solving skills.”

Jischke did need some convincing to start on the project. These devices are generally used for student design projects. And now, he was going to be using it in a way he had never imagined.

Jischke actually learned quite a bit from his experience, as the article noted that there was plenty of trial and error involved. After all, Jischke said he was not a pro when it came to using the technology. What’s interesting is that the prosthetic legs that Jischke created for Phillip were made with the same technology he teaches his students with. It speaks volumes towards the abilities that this technology allows students to harness.

“Seeing him walk—it was heartwarming; sent shivers down my spine,” Jischke said, according to the report.

Educational technology is changing the way we all think about learning, and Phillip and Jischke's story is proof that it is also transforming the way educators design their courses to fit real-world need.

Read the full story here.

Article by Navindra Persaud, Education World Contributor