3D printing has become a powerful tool in the classroom. It allows educators to teach 21st century skills and bring the design process to life through collaborative, project-based learning. For many educators, even those who recognize these benefits, integrating 3D printers in the classroom can still be difficult. Finding relevant projects and creating curricula are two major challenges.
To fill that gap, MakerBot recently added a new feature to Thingiverse. We’re proud to announce that people will now be able to share and discover 3D printing project ideas with detailed instructions and multimedia events. As the world’s largest design community, Thingiverse is already a popular destination for educators, so this feature should only enrich their experience by giving them access to more projects recommended by Thingiverse users around the globe.
To kick-start this effort, we are launching the #MakerEd Challenge on Thingiverse today to encourage Thingiverse users to share their 3D printing projects with a larger community of educators. While Thingiverse will continue to serve a variety of audiences, our goal for educators is to develop a rich repository of 3D printing projects that can be incorporated in the classroom.
MakerEd Project Challenge
The #MakerEd Challenge encourages users to take 3D design projects they‘ve used and share them on Thingiverse. That shared content can be iterated upon and used by teachers across the globe for assignments and class projects.
Teachers on Thingiverse are already ahead of the curve. We’ve noticed that some of the most popular projects come from iterations upon previous designs done by teachers and students in different cities in different schools across the world. This is our way of shining a light on these projects, and it gives educators a bank of material they can use in their classrooms. If you’re an educator or a student and you’d like to participate in the MakerBot Thingiverse #MakerEd Challenge follow the instructions below to enter. The winner of the challenge will receive a MakerBot Replicator® (5th generation) with MakerCare® and have their design featured on Thingiverse.
For an example of how to best set up your project check out this one from the MakerBot learning team, Happy making!
How to Enter
You’ve read about the MakerEd Challenge and now you want to participate, here’s how!
1. Upload at least one STL file: This file could be a starter model – a demonstration, challenge, tutorial or sample design for your project.
2. Add a photo: We want other teachers to be able to clearly understand the objective of your project, so attach at least one to give them a helping hand.
3. A helpful summary: Provide a short description of your 3D model
4. Explain, “How I Designed This,” if appropriate: Please include any tips or walkthroughs that can make the process flow more smoothly.
5. Don’t forget the Project Description: Name your project, explain its objective and don’t forget to include the results of your project!
6. Tag it!: Tag your project as a #MakerEdChallenge and try to use at least one more tag to help other interested educators easily find your project (EX. #EnglishProject, #MusicProject).
We can’t wait to see what you’ll make. For more information about the MakerBot Thingiverse #MakerEd Challenge please go here. The Challenge begins today and will run through Sunday February 28, 2016. We will announce the winners of the challenge by Thursday March 31 2016.