Design Thinking For School Districts with 3D Printing

Makers Empire creates market-leading Design & Technology solutions aligned to Common Core Standards and Next Generation Science Standards, backed by university research.

We have successfully delivered 3D technology to many US schools as well as groups of 200+ schools in Australia, America and the Middle East. Our solutions include:

Easy to use 3D design software works on all computers and devices
150 lesson plans aligned to standards
Professional development and training for teachers
Class Management tools
Built-in student assessment
Comprehensive teacher resources

Design Thinking with 3D Design and 3D Printing

School districts that are looking to make the most of their existing technology, whether it is computers, 3D printers, or makerspaces.

The Makers Empire program transforms STEM learning by developing students’ real-world problem-solving skills as well as critical thinking and resilience.

Most districts that we work with already have the technology in place, but are lacking the teacher training and confidence, and missing the framework to maximize what they have.

The Makers Empire program includes:

Specialized professional development training for teachers
Easy-to-use strategies to help teachers integrate technology into the curriculum
Software and tools to develop STEM programs through 3D design
Opportunities to collaborate with schools and students around the world
Success in increasing girl’s participation in STEM

Evidence-Based Learning

A UniSA research study (see left) revealed compelling evidence that using Makers Empire can significantly improve primary school students’ spatial reasoning skills, whilst also decreasing STEM anxiety and improving students’ attitudes feelings toward STEM.

A Macquarie University research study into primary makerspaces also showed clear evidence that maker activities with Makers Empire significantly enhance learning outcomes. Maker activities using 3D technology resulted in very high levels of student engagement, as well as increased levels of student confidence, particularly for less capable students. Students were observed to develop creativity, problem-solving skills, critical thinking, inquiry capabilities, design thinking skills, collaborative skills, autonomy, literacy, numeracy, scientific understanding, technological capabilities, communication skills, reflective learning capabilities and resilience.

Expert Integration and Comprehensive Support

Makers Empire will work with your district to provide a seamless and easy integration. We know you have many demands on your time so we’re here to make your life easier by equipping you with guides, support and advice at every step of implementation, including:

Needs Assessment – we’ll work with you to identify operational and instructional needs of the district in terms of hardware, software, resources, professional development and training.
Technology Plan – we’ll help you plan for both operational needs and instructional (educational) needs) for 1, 3 and 5 year periods.
Budgeting and Prioritising – we’ll work with you to stretch your budget as far as it can to deliver your priorities.
Implementation – we’ll work with your employees to ensure that the technology is implemented in an effective and efficient manner.
Evaluation and Monitoring – we’ll deliver real-time reporting so you can see how your district is tracking against expected KPIs.

Denver Public School Case Study

Denver Public Schools’ technology coordinators identified a need to provide interested teachers within the 200-school district the opportunity to engage in 3D printing. So they researched possible solutions and ended up approaching Makers Empire.

Our custom professional development program for Denver Public Schools includes face-to-face professional development days, online learning and online support forums for 55 teachers across 38 schools. Each school also has access to Makers Empire’s high-quality 3D design tools, class management tools and resources for a full year, too.

Schools will also be given a 3D printer by the school district so that students can experience the full Design Cycle from empathy, define, ideation, prototyping and testing.

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How American Schools are Using Makers Empire

Click on the images below to read the teacher interviews.

Robin McGinnis is North/South/Jr. High Lead Teacher-STEAM for the Mount Healthy City School District. We spoke with Robin to learn about how she’s currently using Makers Empire to teach STEM in the K-12 classroom.

Christopher Burdman, a grade 3-5 STEM teacher at Joseph P Tyan Elementary School, shares a frank and engaging account of his 3D printing journey, through unexpected windfalls, false starts, new beginnings and eventual success.

Stephanie Hultine is a grade four teacher at Foster Elementary in Colorado. We spoke with Stephanie to learn how she turned her school’s unused 3D printer into a valuable asset and tool for learning.

Ruth Hanson is the Lower School Educational Technologist at Duchesne Academy in Houston. We recently spoke with Ruth about how she is using Makers Empire in the classroom to teach across the curriciulum.

Amy Otis is a Classroom Teacher at Glacier Edge Elementary School. We spoke with Amy about the three 3D printers in her classroom (!) and how she uses 3D printing and 3D design to teach across the curriculum.

Erin Barr is a teacher at the Montana School for the Deaf and the Blind. We spoke to her to learn how she is using Makers Empire to teach vision and hearing impaired students, and how her students work together to overcome challenges.

Makers Empire For School Districts