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  • Teach Design Thinking with Makers Empire

Design Thinking Thought Leadership

Be inspired by our expert learning team as they share the latest on Design Thinking

  • Failing to Succeed: 6 Habits of Successful 'Failers' That Teachers Should Know

    This post is by Mandi Dimitriadis, Makers Empire's Director of Learning (pictured above, left).    I spend a lot of time talking with teachers about the important role failure can play in learning. Backed by Carol Dweck’s mindset research and armed with all sorts of anecdotes about the power of design thinking, I can often...

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  • Competitions, Challenges & Experiences Your Students Will Love | Design Thinking | STEM

    At Makers Empire, we want to help children become creators, innovators and problem solvers so they can adapt and thrive in a dynamic world. We do this by equipping educators with the tools, resources and support they need to embrace creativity and making in education for improved student performance, engagement and learning. We've created this...

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  • Want to be inspired? Watch These 5 Great TED Talks for Teachers

    Looking to motivate and engage your students? Wanting to dive deeper into pedagogy? Keen to be inspired by a new idea? Feeling tired and in need of a mental pick-me-up? May we suggest watching a TED Talk or 5? TED is a not for profit that shares pioneering ideas through short, engaging talks. The TED...

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  • 8 Ways Teachers and Students Can Benefit From Gamification in the Classroom

    Makers Empire 3D is not a video game. It’s specialised 3D modelling software carefully designed to help K-8 students develop Design Thinking skills in order to solve real-world problems. Our 3D design app and Learning by Design program were recently the subject of a 12-month Macquarie University study into primary schools makerspaces, so we are...

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  • What is Design Thinking? A Handy Guide for Teachers

    In this post, Mandi Dimitriadis, Director of Learning at Makers Empire, will help you understand more about Design Thinking. You’ll get to know what Design Thinking is, why Design Thinking is important, the phases of the Design Thinking process and how you might teach your students how to use Design Thinking to reframe problems and needs...

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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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Lesson Plan Library with 130+ Lesson Plans

Aligned to Australian Common Core Standards, Australian Curriculum, Next Generation Science Standards

    • ENTREPRENEURS UNITED

    • Grade/s: 7, 8
    • Subject/s: Tech., Economics
    • Type: Lesson Plan

    Students investigate the attributes and skills of successful entrepeneurs. They use design thinking processes to plan an entrepeneurial venture and develop 3D printed prototypes of their ideas.

    • BUILDING RENOVATIONS

    • Grade/s: 7
    • Subject/s: Maths, Engineering
    • Type: Unit Plan

    Students design a 3D model of a house. They are then required to make renovations to their house design by making selected geometric changes to their houses.

    • DESIGN A PRODUCT

    • Grade/s: 6
    • Subject/s: Technologies
    • Type: Lesson Plan

    In this lesson, students will learn how to design, make and sell a 3D printed product. A great exercise for students to learn about product design, prototyping, entrepreneurship and marketing.

    • NATURAL DISASTERS

    • Grade/s: 6
    • Subject/s: Science, Technologies
    • Type: Lesson Plan

    Students identify and study problems caused by natural disasters. They devise solutions to these problems and then design and 3D print their practical remedies.

Learn more about the lesson plan library

School Case Studies

Discover how these teachers and students are using Makers Empire in the classroom

Design Thinking Competitions

Browse our past Design Thinking competitions and check out the winning entries

  • Winners of the Family Treasures 3D Design Competition | Design Thinking Challenge

    Every month, Makers Empire hosts an in-app 3D design competition giving students around the world the opportunity to test their Design Thinking skills against their peers. Keen to have your students compete in this month's competition? Check out more details here. For May's 'Family Treasures' competition, students were challenged to design a model of an object...

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  • Winner of Makers Empire's You're Welcome 3D Design Competition

    Every month, Makers Empire hosts an in-app 3D design competition giving students around the world the opportunity to test their Design Thinking skills against their peers. For June's 'You're Welcome' competition, students were challenged to imagine that a refugee family had recently moved into their neighbourhood. Students were asked to design a gift for the family using...

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  • Marmaduke Competition | Winning 3D Printed Mascot Will Go On An Epic Flight

    One of the world’s greatest aviation feats – the 1919 flight from England to Australia by SA brothers Sir Ross and Sir Keith Smith – is being celebrated this year to inspire a new generation. The Smith brothers, with their mechanics Wally Shiers (SA) and James Bennett (Vic), made the pioneering 28-day journey in a...

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