Better learning by design – The Makers Empire Difference
If you are looking at introducing or expanding 3D design and printing in your school, Makers Empire can help ensure a successful and rewarding experience for your teaching colleagues and students.
Without the right tools, resources and training, teachers can find it hard to maximise 3D design and printing’s learning potential. Plus, learning a new technology can be prohibitively time-consuming.
Luckily, Makers Empire includes everything you need to integrate 3D design and printing efficiently and effectively. Our solutions include easy to use 3D design software, lesson plans aligned to standards, professional development, management tools and 3D printer options.
Even the most experienced, tech-savvy teachers love Makers Empire’s pioneering approach. Take Karie Huttner, the K-5 educational technology coach for the Verona Area School District. She’d been teaching 3D printing for 4-5 years but it wasn’t until she tried Makers Empire with her students that she realised how powerful learning with 3D could be.
To begin your Makers Empire journey, start by asking a few questions.
Question 1. What Are Our School’s Current Needs?
Current Curriculum. Where, when and how well do our students engage in problem-solving, designing solutions, creative thinking, collaboration etc.?
Teacher Pedagogy. How well placed are our teachers to help students develop these types of skills?
Student Engagement, Skills and Dispositions. Where are our students now?
Current set up. How do our current facilities, equipment and structures support students and teachers to develop these skills etc.?
Champions. Who are the early adopters and champions in our school (teachers, students, leaders, community members) that can take a leadership role?
Support. What support and training do our teachers need to be successful teachers of 3D design and printing?
Question 2. What is Our Budget?
Use the following examples as a guide:
With a budget of $2,000, schools can fund online training, Maker Empire 3D design software, professional development, and curriculum aligned lesson plans for all teachers and students for 12 months.
With a budget of $3,000, schools can fund one 3D printer, filament, online training, Maker Empire 3D design software, professional development, and curriculum aligned lesson plans for all teachers and students for 12 months.
With a budget of $5,000, schools can fund two 3D printers, filament, online training, Maker Empire 3D design software, professional development, and curriculum aligned lesson plans for all teachers and students for 24 months.
A budget of more than $5,000 allows schools to fund three 3D printers and 36 months full Makers Empire access for all teachers and students!
Question 3. Is Makers Empire Right For Us?
To help determine Makers Empire’s suitability for your school, please watch these short videos:
Makers Empire: Better Learning by Design
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Question 4. What do teachers think of Makers Empire?
"The teacher resources were comprehensive and supported the easy implementation of the lesson. The Makers Empire 3D design app made sophisticated designing available and accessible to young students. They were totally engaged as they designed their very own 3D Hungry Caterpillar."
Rene Wavell, Assistant Principal
North Adelaide Primary School, North Adelaide, SA
"...our staff were genuinely impressed... The Makers Empire 3D printing iPad app exceeded our expectations. The design and creative elements of this software have been carefully designed to engage children while opening up numerous educational opportunities and learning experiences. We loved the Teacher (Dashboard) with its support, ideas and integration of the Australian Curriculum. A great way to expose our students to this rapidly emerging technology that will have a significant impact on their lives."
Stephen Corcoran, Director of Digital Learning
St Stephen’s School, WA
"Makers Empire is friendly towards all ability groups and help engage students who are less motivated to be working in the classroom. It gives students the opportunity to be creative and learn by trial and error in a digital format. On paper some students get disheartened when drawing designs and have to erase mistakes and makes their work look messy. Using this program it is simple to remove mistakes. I think this has been a fantastic tool to have in the classroom. I have many teacher friends and have actually shown them the program and they are all very impressed."
Aaron Vigor, Teacher
Yankalilla Area School, Yankalilla, SA
"I think the lesson plans are fantastic for teachers - especially those who may find the hardest part being the inspiration/ideas on where to start...The Makers Empire app is a MASSIVE value add to the learning. We could have taught children how to design an iPad stand, learn what makes a structure strong, what are strong ‘shapes’, how to keep an item balanced etc etc etc - but the ability to create their design in 3D AND then print it makes the learning so much more obtainable and relevant/real."
Chris Bennie, Assistant Principal
Stirling East Primary School, Stirling East, SA
“I’m sending you the very best wishes and enormous gratitude for connecting our students with your learning program. To say this purchase has been transformative might sound like an exaggeration but it’s pretty darn close to the truth."
Mary Bongiovanni, Director of Design Thinking
Pace Academy, Georgia, USA
“The software has lesson plans based on many state standards with many modules to choose from. Maker’s Empire can be used to teach science, math and even art, K-12. The 3D-printing course was not as challenging as the grade level I was given — first graders!... However, their enthusiasm and absolute thirst for knowledge is awesome to see. They blaze through the challenging 3D lesson plans… Seeing the students faces when the IT team at BPY brings the 3D prints to the classroom is just something I can’t describe. The best part is while walking in the hallway with the huge iPad cart, some eighth graders ask who made that. I point to the first graders, who grin ear to ear.”
Shneur Garb, Teacher
Ben Porat Yosef Yeshiva Day School, New Jersey, USA
"The software is easy to use and kid friendly... The curriculum has been great and it even fits into the objectives that I am currently teaching... When we first started using the curriculum I thought it was going to be a huge task getting my students to learn this. But instead of teaching, I have become a facilitator. They have really taken off and are helping each other solve problems. When we end our day I may about 20 designs that were created, but when we start the next day I see that number increase to about 50. They are even designing at home."
Irene Barry-Philord, Teacher
Eneida M. Hartner Elementary, Florida, USA
"After having tried several softwares I can say hands down that Makers Empire has been the easiest for my students in grades 3-5 to access and manipulate."
Christopher Burdman, STEM Teacher
Joseph P Tynan Elementary School, Boston, USA
"This has been a wonderful new way to teach and motivate my students. They are so eager and excited to learn in this new way!... They are beginning to see real-life implications to what they learning to do in class and how they could develop prototypes of objects that they could develop and then produce to sell... At first, I preferred Tinkercad because I knew this software better. However, now that I have had some time to work with Makers Empire it is so much better. It does a much better job of showing you how to build and create. The challenges help tremendously!...The overall enthusiasm towards school and learning has increased tremendously. Students who are typically reluctant learners have come to life. One student was chronically absent and has now improved his attendance. He asks me each morning if he can get on the computer!"
Robin McGinnis, District Gifted Education Presenter
Mt. Healthy City School System, Ohio, USA
"My department was searching for applications and curriculum that would align to the common core standards. We found reference to [Makers Empire] on the web and reached out to see if what they were doing would meet our needs... We were impressed that they were addressing the use of 3D printing not simply as an endpoint but as a true curriculum enabling tool. We simply had not found anyone else doing the work required to create quality educational activities... The New York State Teacher Centers and the New York Institute of Technology have been working with Makers Empire on what has turned out to be a transformational pilot with New York State Schools... The Makers Empire pilot has provided the beacon for schools to follow that are opening opportunities for students that simply were not on the table before the pilot."
Professor Stan Silverman, Director
NYIT Technology Based Learning Systems, New York, USA.
If you’d like to proceed with your Makers Empire subscription, follow these steps:
Step 1. Plan Implementation of Makers Empire
Who. Decide who will be involved. Will you start with specific teachers and/or grade levels?
Where. Decide where the activity will take place. Will teachers teach 3D printing and design in their classrooms, a dedicated Makerspace, a Science laboratory or the school library?
When. Decide when you will implement 3D printing and design. This term? Next term? Makers Empire can provide a detailed implementation plan to help with planning.
Step 2. Purchase a Makers Empire School Solution
Software. Makers Empire 3D software is designed for K-8 students and works on all computers and devices including Ipads.
Professional Development. Makers Empire’s self-paced online professional development covers everything you need to know to successfully teach 3D design and printing at school.
Teacher Resources. 130 lesson plans aligned to American standards and the Australian curriculum and a School Implementation Plan.
Support and Training. Makers Empire provides ongoing and timely support to all school customers.
Optional 3D Printers. Makers Empire offers bundled packages that include 3D printers, filament, training and ongoing support.
Getting Started. The Getting Started section in the Teacher’s Dashboard takes you step-by-step through setting up Makers Empire at your school and running your first class.
Professional Development. Allocate time for teachers to complete the self-paced online professional development training in the Teacher’s Dashboard.
Set Up. Set up your selected room with the right equipment and tools you’ll need to start teaching.
Implementation Plan. Use the Makers Empire implementation plan as a guide to ensure you’re fully prepared and ready to make 3D printing at your school a success.
Step 4. Transform learning with 3D Design and Printing
Teach. Conduct lessons using 3D design and printing. Print out students’ designs.
Student Focus. Put students in the driving seat by letting them have input into the direction and focus of classes.
Peer Feedback. Make sure students give each other feedback on their designs. Learning how to give and receive constructive feedback is a valuable skill.
Review. Review student engagement and performance with 3D design and printing. What lesson plans and projects were most popular? Which challenges attracted the most designs? Did students perform as expected? Why or why not?
Assess. How have student learning outcomes been impacted by 3D design and printing? Were there any unexpected benefits? What were the challenges?
