What It Means
Students can select the appropriate math tool to use and use it correctly to solve problems. In the real world, no one tells you that it is time to use the meter stick instead of the protractor.
3D Modeling Teaches Students to Use Appropriate Tools Strategically
In 3D modeling, most of the time there are multiple ways to reach the same goal. Let us show a simple model of a forest with five trees as an example:
Each tree consists of five cones – one for the trunk plus four for the top. In this model, there are five trees. Obviously it would be possible to create them by defining 25 different cones. However, students learn that a smarter solution is to just use five cones to create one tree, which then is scaled and translated in space afterwards.