The advent of 3D printing has given rise to the once-niche maker movement. If you can think of it, you can make it. These days the fabrication of everything from car parts to chocolate can be done in just a click of a button. Naturally, the maker movement is finding its way into classrooms. But like all new gadgetry, it's important that students understand how to use it to expand their minds and not just for "making cool stuff." At least that seems to be the sentiment of one educator’s effort to bring the maker movement into his school.

Constructing things from scratch is a fantastic way for your TXGU kids to activate skills not covered in textbooks and tests. All those soft skills colleges look for are developed and honed in the making community. As an added bonus, you may even pique the curiosity of somebody who’d always wanted to make something but didn’t know where to begin. Of course, this doesn’t mean you need to go get a bunch of MakerBots and computers, but exposing your TXGU’ers to the world of making may just create something amazing.