“Shark
Tank” ~ by Samantha Amon
Usually a library is a quiet place. The only sounds heard are the clicking of words on a keyboard or the gentle sound of a page being turned. But recently, you might have heard the “whirr, whirr, whirr” of a new machine: a 3D Printer.
Donated to Lawrence
County CTC through the Gettings Foundation, our 3D printer can be used for
making anything from a simple gadget to a prosthetic device. Recently, Mrs. Gettings' classrooms made use
of the machine in her lessons.
Students were instructed
to develop a product to create and “pitch” in Shark-Tank style. They identified the following: the product’s name, function and description;
the target audience, considering age-range; the target company and the benefits
of selling with that company; and the uniqueness and usefulness of that
product.
From there, team members
took on the roles of advertiser, designer, secretary, and researcher.
When presenting, they
needed to consider the persuasive aspects of their presentation including
visual symbol, catchphrase, product description, and incentive/reason for
buying or selling the product.
During the interview process, students were asked a
few of the questions that involved the following points: the qualities that made the team work
successfully, the personal contribution to the team’s performance, struggles
that occurred during the process, and stress-management techniques that were
utilized during the process – all job-ready skills that help these students
prepare for their future careers. 
