Preparing for your first Makers Empire class – Installation Guide for Schools
So your school has just embarked on its Makers Empire journey? Congratulations! We’re excited to be supporting you and your teaching colleagues as you introduce your students to design thinking via 3D design and printing.
The Makers Empire School Subscription comprises 3D Software and curriculum aligned lesson plans, professional development videos, teacher resources and more accessible via the Teacher’s Dashboard.
Before you run your first Makers Empire class, we suggest completing the following steps to ensure a smooth and successful experience.
1. Install Makers Empire 3D on Your Schools’ Devices
Makers Empire 3D works on most devices and is available to download on the App Store for iPad and iPhone, Google Play for Android, the Mac App Store for Mac and Windows. Newer Chromebooks (2016+) are supported – see details here.
If you have any issues installing Makers Empire 3D please refer to our Help Centre. If you’re still experiencing difficulties contact our support team by clicking on the message icon in the Teacher’s Dashboard (log in via the top menu) or via Instant Messaging on this site.
2. Add a Class
Login to the Teacher’s Dashboard via the login button on this website. You’ll need your login email and password to access the Dashboard.
In the Teachers’ Dashboard, click Classes on the left menu. Click +Add a class. Give your class a name, assign the grade / year level and click Create class. If you are teaching a specialist class you can click Additional, otherwise, leave Home selected.
* If your school is integrated with Google Classroom, your classes will automatically be synced with Makers Empire, so you can skip this step
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3. Add students
Now you’ve added your first class, let’s add some students.
Remaining in the Teachers’ Dashboard, click Classes on the left menu. Select your class and then click +Add a student. You will be prompted to choose a Username, Password and Display name.
You can enter student’s email address if your students have access to email, otherwise select Use my email.
* If your school is integrated with Google Classroom, your classes will automatically be synced with Makers Empire, so you can skip this step. Alternatively, if your students have a sufficient literacy level, you can probably let them create accounts themselves. In that case, you can skip this step and go straight to Individual Login.
4. Log in with your class
You can login to Makers Empire 3D in five different ways. Choose the method that best suits your class and students.
Schoology
Easy login for classes using Schoology.
1. If your class is already using Schoology, your students simply press the Schoology icon.
2. They will be asked to enter their Schoology email address/username and password.
3. They will return to Makers Empire and be asked to choose their own Makers Empire username.
Google Classroom
Easy login for classes using Google.
1. If your class is already using Google Classroom, students can simply press the Google Icon.
2. They will be asked to enter their Google email address and password.
3. They will return to Makers Empire and be asked to choose their Makers Empire username.
* See Google Classroom Integration video.
QR Login
Easy login for devices with cameras.
1. Print the QR code. You can find the QR code in the Teacher’s Dashboard. Go to Classes, find your class and click the triangle icon to the right of the class name. Select Class QR code. The QR code will open in a new browser tab and you can choose to print or download it from there.
2. Students press the QR icon, then scan the QR code with their device.
3. Students then select their name from the list to log in. Once they have logged in for the first time, students can customise their “hero” profile picture which makes logging in for younger learners even easier.
Class Login
Simple login for devices without cameras.
1. Print the class login details. You can find the class username and password along with the QR code in the Teacher’s Dashboard. Go to Classes, find your class and click the triangle icon to the right of the class name. Select Class QR code. The QR code will open in a new browser tab and you can print or download it.
2. Every student enters the same username and password.
3. Students then select their name from the list to log in. Once they have logged in for the first time, students can customise their “hero” profile picture which makes logging in for younger learners even easier.
Individual Login
Secure login for older users.
1. Print the Username & Password List. You can find the list in the Teacher’s Dashboard. Go to Classes, find your class and click the triangle icon to the right of the class name. Select Username & Password List. Your class’ list will open and you can choose to print or download it from there. Give each student their individual login details and have them enter their Username and Password in Makers Empire to log in.
2. Alternatively, students with higher literacy levels should be able to create user accounts by themselves. Simply have them click Create New Account and follow the prompts. They will need your school’s Product Key.
Bonus: Best 3D Printers for Schools
We understand that choosing a 3D printer for your primary or middle 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, Makerspace or library environment.
At Makers Empire, we’ve helped thousands of K-8 teachers in Australia, America, Europe and Asia integrate 3D printing and design into the classroom so we understand what works and what doesn’t.
With this in mind, here is a link to our current list of recommended 3D printers for Australian and the USA. To come up with this list, we evaluated more than twenty 3D printers, reviewed teacher feedback and assessed recent reviews from independent sources. We’ve spent weeks, months and even years testing printers to model expected classroom and school conditions.
Bonus: Best 3D Printers for Schools
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Bonus: Health and Safety for Schools
3D printing and design offer elementary, primary and middle school educators countless learning opportunities for enhanced student performance, engagement and learning.
As with all new technologies used in a school environment, educators need to understand the technology from a health and safety point of view.
We’ve prepared a short article about health and safety for schools, which includes our recommendations regarding 3D printers and ventilation. We recommend you share this with the relevant leaders and teaching staff in your school.
