We had a chance to speak with the CPALMS representative at the 2014 Florida Educational Technology Conference (FETC). According to the CPALMS website:

CPALMS is the State of Florida’s official source for standards information and course descriptions. It provides access to thousands of standards-aligned, free, and high-quality instructional/educational resources that have been developed specifically for the standards and vetted through our rigorous review process.

CPALMS, in what is one of the more unique initiatives we saw at FETC, is branching out way beyond the traditional curriculum to include teacher resources and class material based around 3D Printing. The launch of this new initiative is, perhaps, owing to Florida legislation mandating that by 2015, half of all classroom instruction must use digital materials. Say what you will about the merits of this particular legislation, but the introduction to 3D printing concepts is a major benefit.

Here is how CPALMS describes the new initiative:

The CPALMS 3D Initiative focuses on producing STEM curriculum resources related to 3D modeling and 3D printing. These resources will fall under four distinct model categories: demonstration, archive, problem-solving, and open-ended design. Demonstration models will be used to show a particular phenomenon. Archive models will provide teachers and students with museum resources that typically are unavailable for hands-on activities. Problem-solving models will challenge students to create an additional model to repair or extend the function of the given model. The open-ended design challenge is the broadest category and encompasses any situation where a student might design a model to meet a given need.

3D Printing is the ultimate medium through which to teach and discuss a gigantic spectrum of topics; from architecture to molecular biology, the applications are nearly endless. This is quite a task for the Florida public school system, but one that will certainly pay off in the long-run. We had a chance to speak with the CPALMS representative at FETC, and we were able to learn more about the 3D initiative, and what the curriculum looks like:

Check out CPALMS.org and follow @cpalms3D for more info.