Which Jefferson invention would you create?

In several stories over the past year, Charlottesville Tomorrow has reported on “maker education” initiatives and the use of 3D printers in area classrooms. These manufacturing labs are not just a replacement for “shop class,” they are creating excitement about project-based learning across multiple disciplines in area schools. 

This past week, Virginia Secretary of Education Anne Holton took notice when she visited Sutherland Middle School to learn about a new partnership with the Smithsonian Institution.  Eighth-grade science students are printing replicas of inventions like the Morse telegraph using plans stored in the Smithsonian archives.

That got us thinking… which of Thomas Jefferson’s inventions would be your first pick to print on your new home 3D printer? 

And yes… we are all going to have these appliances in our home sooner than you think!  See this slideshow of the Sutherland students in action.