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3 Reasons to Check Out MakerBot’s 3D Printing Guide for Educators

This past year I’ve been thinking a lot of the 3D printing in education. Having tried out MakerBot’s Replicator+ my wheels were definitely spinning. In earlier posts I chronicled a bit of this journey, from searching for items to print on Thingiverse to creating my own designs in Tinkercad. I was really surprised just how easy it was to jump into the world of 3D printing in the classroom.

The folks at MakerBot sent me a printer to try out and blog about but all opinions are my own :)

One of the highlights from this past spring was helping a wonderful group on teachers in New York set up their own MakerBot 3D printer. It didn’t take long for their first print to finish and for our discussions to start around thoughtful technology integration. Well the team at MakerBot has released a 3D Printing Guide for Educators that will definitely help you think deeply about the type of learning activities you can bring into your school with a 3D printer.

3 Reasons to Check Out MakerBot’s 3D Printing Guide for Educators

The new MakerBot Educators Guidebook includes lots of resources for 3D printing in your classroom. It is a 140 page manual that includes a crash course in 3D design and printing. The guidebook was co-written with over 80 STEM education leaders and contains 9 classroom-ready projects. Here are three reasons you should check it out:

Find a place to start

If the idea of elevating traditional learning experiences with 3D printing seems intimidating, the MakerBot Educators Guidebook can help you get started. I had the chance to connect with the MakerBot team at ISTE this year. I saw one of the lessons first hand. Even if you don’t use the exact lesson they’ve crafted in your classroom, it can help you envision the process for integrating 3D printing thoughtfully into your instruction.

Spark discussions with your colleagues

Instead of trying to convince someone that 3D printing in schools is more than a gimmick, the MakerBot Educators Guidebook can help you spark a discussion with colleagues. Try introducing this resource in a PLC or team meeting to start a conversation on thoughtful technology integration.

Try out a lesson for free

You can visit MakerBot’s website to request a free lesson. In this lesson students can explore cloud types before 3D printing their own model. Head over to this site to learn more and get started with the MakerBot Educators Guidebook!

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Blog Author and EdTech Consultant Dr. Monica Burns

Monica Burns

Dr. Monica Burns is a former classroom teacher, Author, Speaker, and Curriculum & EdTech Consultant. Visit her site ClassTechTips.com for more ideas on how to become a tech-savvy teacher.

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