Reviews of Makers Empire

“Fun, interactive software combined with over 130 standards-based lesson plans will help teachers get started with design in virtually any classroom… This is a great design and creation tool that teachers and students can use to be innovative and share ideas with a vibrant community of makers…Putting students in the driver’s seat opens up a wealth of learning opportunities. It’s a challenge to find a tool that can engage students as they learn difficult concepts, but with lessons on spatial reasoning, engineering, literature, and ancient civilizations, Makers Empire provides a platform that teachers can use to promote content knowledge, technical skills, soft skills, and prepare students for challenges in and out of school.”

Read the 5-Star review at Common Sense.

“Some of the most compelling progress of 3D printing in schools comes from the communities that are forming around the tool’s potential to enhance more authentic learning. Scots College in Sydney, Australia, was the first school in NSW to teach 3D printing and design to students through Makers Empire’s Lighthouse School Program. They are part of a selective group that receives early access to app, module, and lesson plan updates in exchange for feedback on the usage and implementation of the software and activities. One notable lesson involved an examination of UNESCO World Heritage sites and their importance to society. Students hand-drew 2D examples of sites such as the Egyptian Sphinx and the Eiffel Tower and then proceeded to enliven their study through the creation of 3D World Heritage site designs using modeling software.”

Read the full NMC Horizon Report.

 

“I use Makers Empire to enhance students’ ability to demonstrate understanding across a wide range of topics. As we work through different curriculum, including geometric shapes, things we’re scared of, plants and insects, and engineering design challenges, students create 3D models related to the content…The app is very easy for students to use even at the 2nd grade level. It allows each student to personalize their product and be creative and work at different levels of complexity. We use the app to create 3D products that are printed as well as those that are not, but still viewed in 3D on the iPads. Collaboration and communication skills are practised and improved when students build together.”

Read the full review at Ed Surge.

 

“So my 3D printing journey has been going for several years now and it has had some amazing ups and downs. On Monday, Katie LaChance (our fabulous librarian) shared a book with me from DK publishing. I carried the book around and was really inspired by this book. It made me start to search for new apps and I found Makers Empire. So I downloaded it and started to play. You know that moment when the stars align and something you’ve been hoping for happens. I reached out to the company and within two days had a webinar with the company and a trial. This platform is amazing…. tutorials, several different ways to create, lesson plans. You need to check out Makers Empire. It is a rich resource that I am going to find a way to fund for our students.”

See a series of posts at iCreate iLearn.

 

 

“As part of Silicon Valley Education Foundations iHub program, a co-worker and I piloted Makers Empire in the fall. It’s a 3D printing app we used on our iPads. I haven’t used any other 3D printing apps so I can’t make a comparison, but I’ve been very impressed with it. With minimal guidance (a 5-minute basic intro from me) my students were easily able to create objects to print… Creation involves easy drag and drop features along with re-sizing and changing colors of items… The teacher dashboard allows me to check and comment on student creations as well as send them to the printer. In addition, there’s a lesson plan section with lesson ideas for specific grades and tied to Common Core standards. We plan to use Makers Empire for the rest of the year and even my co-worker’s kindergarten students have independently created spiders and people.”

Read A Journey of Ipads in 2nd Grade.

“This Australian startup is active in the K12 sector, helping teachers bring 3D printing into their classrooms. With the right hardware, software and guidance, teachers and their students can visualise abstract concepts (Mathematics, Science), produce replica objects (History, Geography) and create original objects (Art). As (this) video demonstrates, the technology can also be applied to problem-based learning… I like what I see at St Stephen’s School, not only because of the pedagogical benefits that 3D printing affords, but also because it makes sense to familiarise our children with emerging technology…. When the kids use 3D printing to solve a problem, a by-product of that activity is collaboration… The technology is the vehicle with which a collaborative situation can be engineered, experienced, observed, and reflected upon.”

Read the post at E-Learning Provocateur.

 

Watch the video at Makers Empire.

“The people behind Makers Empire understand the importance of 3D printing and are determined to bring the technology to K-8 schools. The idea isn’t just to help teach students how to operate 3D printers, but to also make 3D printing a part of their studies, and bring the images in their textbooks to 3-dimensional life… 3D printing is integrated into the student’s studies with the help of a series of interactive challenges and practical lessons… After examining all of the efforts in introducing 3D printing to the classroom, we believe that Makers Empire is leading the way. Their app is a game changer because it makes 3D modeling accessible to even the youngest of kids. Additionally, their lesson plans guarantee that students are learning useful concepts every class. Makers Empire is fun for both students and teachers. As advocates for 3D printing we couldn’t believe more in their mission.”

Read the full review at 3D Insider.

“3dprinting with no experience? No cad modelling skills required? Anyone can create a 3dprintable design in under 5 minutes? Sounds like a dream come true and that is now reality with the release of Makers Empire… The teaching resources have been written to meet both the (US) and Australian national curriculum with clear and concise lesson plans that are easy to understand and have easily achievable learning outcomes. This is the most important feature of all, it’s clear what the students will learn and it’s clear how they will learn it! The activities are pitched correctly to the relevant age range and there is minimal preparation needed by the teacher. Also, this app is fun!… So many times my students have battled with CAD packages and hit the CAD modelling wall. This app puts an end to those frustrations and it firmly puts children in control…Overall this app, and the teacher’s (dashboard) that supports the app, is truly a game changer.”

Read the full review at 3D File Market.