MakerBot, a company specialising in 3D printing for education, schools, has launched a comprehensive 3D printing certification program for educators.
Implementing 3D printing in the classroom can be tough, which is why MakerBot says it has focused on creating solutions for both teachers and administrators that transcend easy-to-use software and reliable hardware.
After years of working directly with educators, MakerBot explains that the company has learned that one of the most challenging parts to using 3D printers in the classroom isn’t learning new technology or design skills, it’s having high quality, classroom-ready 3D printing lesson plans built around them.
As well as training educators on operating MakerBot 3D printers, it is the first program to train educators on how to create their own 3D printing curriculum.
By giving educators the skills to transform typical curriculum into 21st century STEAM projects, then by giving them a portal to share and discover more on Thingiverse Education, MakerBot says it offers industry leading content that it describes as “the lifeblood of the growing 3D printing community.”
Teachers can become certified in one of two ways. The first is a series of online, self-paced courses that trains users to become operators first, then curriculum creators. The second covers the same material as a blended workshop that combines online coursework with an additional 5-hour hands-on training session, led by 3D printing experts at MakerBot HQ.
The new MakerBot Certification Program joins a growing platform of education resources that includes;
- The MakerBot Educators’ Guidebook,the definitive guide to 3D printing in the classroom, our second comprehensive book on the subject with 9 classroom-ready lesson plans
- Thingiverse Education, a collection of 400+ 3D printing lesson plans sortable by subject, grade, and Core Standard
- Thingiverse, the world’s largest 3D printable file library and community, with over 3 million 3D printable things and over 2 million users sharing STEAM best practice and 3D printing tips and tricks
Supporting individual educators at the classroom level is only half the equation. District level administrators have stringent requirements for the kinds of professional development (PD) and training their teachers need, which can vary from state to state. That’s why MakerBot tested the Certification Program in close collaboration with teachers and administrators from the NYC Department of Education, and developed the program to address common national PD standards. While the in-person training is currently only available at MakerBot HQ in Brooklyn, MakerBot is beginning partnerships around the country to offer the same blended program locally.
