Your students are lucky to have you and art in their school. Thank you for the important work you are doing. I know your experience will help the other teachers with Glowforges.
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Check out this site for some cheep material to use with your class. They sell press board with a wood colored layer glued to it. It is not as good as ply wood, but you can still make nice things with it.
You wonât get what youâre expecting when you engrave cardboard. It cuts nice but unlike wood it doesnât really char the cardboard so there isnât any contrast to allow you to see the engrave.
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WOAH that is a lofty goal! EVERY student in the school to make one item sounds overwhleming. I appreciate your info & hope we keep in touch.
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If I donât step up to a challenge, why would I expect my kids to? 
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I would so love to get ideas from you for my classroom. I also have my kids all complete a project (all 750) of them. I have only had my laser a couple of months, and I am learning so much each day. Any chance you would be interested in speaking with me? I would love to know some of your experiences in the classroom.
Karen Vome
Mason City Schools
Mason, Ohio
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As much as I despise failbook and twatter, this sounds like a perfect use for them to create a closed group to discuss common experiences and ideas.
Not saying it doesnât belong here, either! 
I would love to do that, but I donât know how. Can you tell me how to go about that?
Hi Karen, I would love to connect and share ideas! If you would like to go off-board for longer conversations, I can be found at my username at meridianschool with a dot and an edu at the end. If there are more educators interested in talking shop, we could start a FB group, but Iâm not the best person to take that on. 
Itâs been interesting to look back through this thread; so much has happened in the meantime! Feels like ages ago. Quarantine did a number on all plans for last year, and Iâm completely virtual this year. GF lives in my home basement now, and the Post Office is getting a lot of support mailing home cut parts for kids to assemble on their own.
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I can imagine the excitement kids would feel having laser-cut parts from their own designs show up for them to decorate and assemble!
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You know it!
Story time: In March, when we went into lock-down and we were trying to figure out what we were doing, my school made academic (homeroom) classes required and specialists (art, music, me, etc.) optional. Specialists didnât have to provide grades, but still had a very full plate of zoom meetings and projects for the kids who were there.
I started a GF project with my 3rd graders. They had a choice of 3 lidded boxes (mostly the same volume, but with different dimensions) and they designed cut-out silhouette designs for the sides and top.
I was running at about 60% of the kids attending and participating, but as soon as the GlowForge got involved, it went up to 100%. 
Itâs definitely a well baited hook!
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Very cool! You must be superhero with the kids!
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I would so love to do that. I am at school now, I will contact you tonight and discuss it further. I would love to have a group for classroom teachers.
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in my experience. when kids get to create something they can keep it is awesome.
when I was a big Brother in the BB/BS program. I introduced Tie Dye Tshirt making to our group camping trip. it was a huge hit. One mother even wrote in that her son was so proud of his shirt, she could hardly get it off him to wash it.
it will also make the kids appreciate the effort that goes into making other things and they will take better care of the things they own.
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I canât seem to locate your email. I donât know your first name. If you could email me at vomek@masonohioschools, I would love to speak with your further about the Glowforge in the classroom.