Case Studies of Design Thinking in Schools
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Department of Education (SA)'s Showcase of 3D Printing in Schools Celebrates Learning
Last Thursday, over 500 teachers, students and invited guests attended the South Australia Department of Education's and Makers Empire's 3D Printing in Schools Showcase Day at the Adelaide Convention Centre. Designed to celebrate the learning achieved during the 3D Printing in Schools Project (Phase 3: Part 1), the Showcase Day saw almost 50 schools come...
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How 3D Printed ‘Not So Flat’ Stanleys Support Literacy at Woodsdale Elementary School
Think 3D printing and 3D design is just for teaching students technology skills? Think again. With guidance from Sandra Wiseman (above), a library media/technology integration specialist, 2nd-grade students at Woodsdale Elementary School found an authentic way to develop literacy and practice their communication skills with 3D printed ‘not so flat’ Flat Stanleys from the beloved American book...
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How A 30-Year Veteran Teacher Went From 3D Printing Novice To 3D Printing Guru
Robin McGinnis is currently teaching 4th Grade Math and Science for the Mt. Healthy City School System. Last year, she was selected to be a part of the GE Additive Education Program 2017-18. Even though she had no previous experience with 3D printing, she took this opportunity and ran with it. Read her inspiring story below....
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Teaching Design Thinking with Makers Empire
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The Power of Maker Pedagogy & 8 ways to Spot It and Embed It in the Classroom
I am becoming increasingly convinced that maker pedagogy has the power to develop critical, creative and design thinking, and the creative confidence and self-belief our young people need to become innovators, problem-solvers and positive change makers. I can often be heard sprouting the virtues of constructionist learning theory. Occasionally, I am pulled up on this...
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New Makers Empire 13-Part 'Design Thinking' Professional Development Series for Teachers
As part of the Makers Empire School Subscription, teachers gain access to an innovative, 13-part professional development (PD) video series in the Teacher's Dashboard. This series is designed to help teachers successfully teach Design Thinking, implement maker pedagogy and use 3D design and 3D printing an authentic teaching tool. This on-demand video series replaces Makers...
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5 Ways Design & Technology Curricula are Changing and How Makers Empire Can Help
We hear a lot of talk about what it's going to take for our young people to thrive and survive in their 21st-century futures. It's become almost cliched to talk about 21st-century skills but it is fair to say that many of today's school students will be working in jobs that don't yet exist and...
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Teaching STEM/STEAM with Makers Empire
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The Interdisciplinary Power of STEM
STEM has been a hot topic for some time now, and we need it to stay that way as educators, industry and government work together to make sure that our young people are well equipped to thrive in the future. I think we can all agree that our young people are heading into a future...
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How to Teach the ‘E’ in STEM with 3D Printing: Engineering in Primary School
Are we teaching all the letters in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineer and Mathematics) or are some receiving more attention than others? If you look around, math and science are staples of education, while technology is integrated into many areas of student learning. But what about engineering? Engineering, the ‘E’ in STEM, is often overlooked, especially...
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Encouraging Girls in STEM: How Your School Can Make A Difference
The shortage of women in STEM careers and STEM fields has been well documented. Girls that enjoy STEM subjects in primary and elementary school grow into young women who may then go on to study STEM subjects in high school and a STEM-related degree at college or university. This provides a pathway to a career...
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Bite-Sized K-8 Lesson Ideas
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How to Teach the ‘E’ in STEM with 3D Printing: Engineering in Primary School
Are we teaching all the letters in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineer and Mathematics) or are some receiving more attention than others? If you look around, math and science are staples of education, while technology is integrated into many areas of student learning. But what about engineering? Engineering, the ‘E’ in STEM, is often overlooked, especially...
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5 (fun) ways 3D printing is transforming everyday items
At Makers Empire, our mission is to transform K-8 learning with 3D printing technology. We know what it takes to successfully integrate this technology into the classroom and we can provide the support to make it a success for your school or school district. But occasionally we just like to remind ourselves just how fun 3D printing can...
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Top Ten English 3D Design Lesson Ideas
The 3D design environment provides an exciting context for students to communicate, respond to texts and express themselves in different ways. Looking for a simple 3D design lesson idea to try with your class? Here are ten of our favourite language based lesson ideas. 1. Character Design Before students begin writing a narrative, challenge them to...
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Insider Tips, Hacks, Guides & Reviews
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Unboxing & Setting Up the Flashforge Inventor IIS 3D Printer (Step-by-Step Photo Guide)
This article will walk you through the process of unboxing and setting up your FlashForge Inventor IIS 3D printer bought from Makers Empire so it is ready for printing. Please read each step fully before viewing the photos and animations that accompany them. [su_spacer size="40"] What you will need: Scissors and/or side cutters Floor space...
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What Teachers Need to Know about Safety and Air Filters Re: 3D Printers in Schools
3D printing and design offer elementary, primary and middle school educators countless learning opportunities for enhanced student performance, engagement and learning. Check out our case studies for dozens of inspiring examples of real-life classroom learning. As with all new technologies used in a school environment, educators need to understand the technology from a health and...
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Best 3D Printers for Primary and Elementary Schools - 2018
Choosing a 3D printer for your school can be a difficult decision. While many will be great for high school students or a hobbyist, some are less suited for regular use in a K-8 classroom or library environment. At Makers Empire, we’ve helped thousands of K-8 teachers in Australia, America, Europe and Asia integrate 3D...
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How To Guides to Designing in 3D (Videos)
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How to make a 3D Printed 'Feelings' Dice (VIDEO)
In this step-by-step video, which accompanies our Emotions Monitor Lesson Plan, we're going to show students how to make a Feelings Dice. As seen in the great family movie, Inside Out, we are often controlled, led or swayed by our feelings. Learning how to recognise our feelings and express them in a healthy way is...
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How to Help Theo the Dog Solve His Stick Problem (VIDEO)
Theo the Dog has a problem. He wants to carry a stick across a bridge but the stick is too wide for the narrow bridge. Can you help him design a solution to help him carry his stick over the bridge using Makers Empire 3D software? In this new step-by-step video, we'll show your students...
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7 Essential 'Hacks' For Makers Empire 3D Modeling Software
With Makers Empire 3D modeling software everyone can become a designer. Everyday, K-8 students create wonderful, innovative objects using Makers Empire 3D, from superhero gadgets to models of the Everglades. To make the design experience even easier, we've complied our top 7 'hacks' for Makers Empire 3D modeling software. Using these 'hacks' will help you...
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Monthly Design Thinking In-App Competition
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Super Gadget 3D Design Competition Winners!
We are proud to announce the Super Gadget 3D design competition winners! Students were challenged to create a superhero character and then design a new super gadget the superhero needs to fight supervillains. This was the original design challenge: We enjoyed all of the competition submissions! The students showed lots of innovation and inventor skills...
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Blast Off 3D Design Competition Winners!
We are proud to announce the Blast Off 3D design competition winners and runners-up. In this competition, students celebrated International Day of Human Space Flight by designing a model of what they think a future spacecraft might look like. This was the original design challenge: We enjoyed all of the competition submissions! The students showed...
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Year Of The Dog 3D Design Competition Winners!
We are proud to announce the Year Of The Dog 3D design competition winners and runners-up. In this competition, students celebrated the Chinese New Year (Year Of The Dog) by helping Theo the dog cross a bridge with his favourite stick that is too long to fit across the bridge! Students designed an invention in...
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Makers Empire News and Announcements
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New Makers Empire 13-Part 'Design Thinking' Professional Development Series for Teachers
As part of the Makers Empire School Subscription, teachers gain access to an innovative, 13-part professional development (PD) video series in the Teacher's Dashboard. This series is designed to help teachers successfully teach Design Thinking, implement maker pedagogy and use 3D design and 3D printing an authentic teaching tool. This on-demand video series replaces Makers...
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Makers Empire partners with The History Trust of SA and local schools for 'The Curious Past'
Makers Empire and The History Trust of South Australia are presenting a two-day exhibition, The Curious Past, at the end of May to show how school students are using design thinking and 3D printing to study history. SA company Makers Empire has worked with schools all around SA to create this impressive history showcase. Students from Murray Bridge...
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World's Easiest To Use 3D Design Software, Makers Empire 3D, Now Even Better
Makers Empire is proud to announce that the latest release of its easy to use 3D design software, Makers Empire 3D, will be a huge step forward for users in terms of usability and engagement. Makers Empire 3D has been designed for K-8 students so it's extremely kid-friendly - in fact, students as young as...
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