iPads, MakerEd and More in Education

Whether constructing a 3D printer from a kit or letting students’ imaginations fly (and then expecting them to ground those wild ideas through engineering skills), one grant-savvy Wisconsin Tech Teacher credits his bounty of talented young tech minds to one idea: “If you build it, they will come.”

With the rise of 3D printing, misconceptions have also popped up. Here are 10 common myths about 3D printing. Let's separate fact from fiction.

Bored of pointless 3D printer projects? Stuck for ideas? Presenting a list of cool things to 3D print which are genuinely useful.

In the last two decades, robot arms have migrated from industrial tools to household tools, toys, and DIY projects. Here we list a few of the best robot arms that you can buy or 3D print to extend your workshop or just use for fun!

In Becky Stern’s latest Instructables project and accompanying YouTube video, she shows how to 3D design and print sweet LED-illuminated flowers. Becky is one of the true masters of clear and clever presentation of instructional materials. And she just keeps getting better.

"Elementary-age students struggle with the disconnect between the finished design or model and the long print times.  This gets in the way of the iteration process and causes a lot of frustration. Multiply that by many classes and you have a significant backup of days or weeks. This year I decided that I wanted our fourth graders, to walk away with at least one substantial and meaningful print.  "

his article is about finding the best 3D printing software for every stage of your workflow. Which 3D printing software is best for preparing 3D models to print? How about designing 3D models from scratch? What if you’re an absolute beginner?

Have no fear, we’ve answered all of these questions, together with information on proficiency levels and where they can be downloaded. And the best thing is that all of them are either totally or free for students, educators and open source projects.

Today, we are sharing with you this resource from Tinkercad showing the huge potential of 3D technology in helping all types of students learn better. This is basically a short video showing how Neil McKenzie, assistive technology specialist at the Sonoma County Office of Education, combines both Tinkercad and 3D printing to ‘overcome challenges his visually impaired students face in the classroom.  Neal demonstrates how 3D printed objects help all students, whether sighted or blind, to work side-by-side and learn the same content – creating an inclusive experience for all.’

Tinkercad, for those of you not familiar with it, is a 3D modelling application which helps kids K-12 create a wide variety of objects which can be printed using a 3D printer. Check out this detailed guide to learn more about what you can do with Tinkercad and how to integrate it in your classroom teaching.

There have been a few exhibitions featuring 3D printed artwork over the years. But none are quite like this miniature display created by a team of Chinese artists to showcase the country’s traditional culture.

Professor Nan Yu at the Guangzhou Academy of Fine Arts has been leading a team of sculpture students to utilize 3D scanning and printing technologies for their latest creation. Together, the team created a display of the appointment of Tso Tsung-Tang, one of four important ministers of the late Qing Dynasty.

The finished creation pays tribute to Chinese tradition of ancient academy culture and the respect paid toward teachers.

ike us, you’re tremendously excited by the possibilities of 3D printing. Unfortunately, the landscape is cluttered with trinkets, doodads and ornaments. We’re in danger of drowning in 3D printed objects that nobody wants or needs.

 Fight the tide of mediocrity! Let’s make stuff that’s actually useful! Here’s a list of cool things to 3D print, right now, today. Prove to your nearest and dearest that there’s an everyday and practical application of this wonderful technology.

Everyone agrees that it's important for children to learn new technologies such as 3D printing, robotics, and virtual reality. The challenge lies in finding the best way to teach those skills to young students.

Thanks to its relatively high accessibility and affordability, 3D printing is slowly changing the face of prosthetics. In this article, we take a look at some of the most common and most promising prosthetics that can be 3D printed.

College student Nicholas Unis is developing a 3D printed sneaker under the name UnisBrands. His target consumers are those who buy and trade footwear. Better yet, the company will offer the possibility to recycle shoes for a discount.

Here’s a fun project using Tinkercad that also serves a very handy purpose. These clever QR code coasters can give out your home WiFi information for an automatic login, perfect for any party by giving guests access without them having to ask. All people have to do is scan the code with their phones and they are automatically logged into your WiFi.

We are in an exciting time in education, where innovative topics like Design Thinking, Rapid Prototyping, Entrepreneurism, Engineering Design, High Quality Project-Based Learning, and The Future of Work are at the center of discussion. How can we give our students the chance to master content knowledge while integrating these student-centered approaches to education in the classroom? For the last five years, 3D printing has been an important part of my classroom because it encourages an innovation mindset, exposes students to elements of design thinking, and fosters self-directed learning.

Dutch company byFlow and chef Jan Smink are pairing up to launch the first permanent restaurant for 3D printed food in Wolvega, the Netherlands. The launch is scheduled for September 2018. Bookings start in mid-May.

byFlow is a Dutch company which created a 3D printer specifically for printing food called the byFlow Focus (see video below). You can either make your own pastes or buy byFlow’s to print with.

Did you know you can 3D print on fabrics? It requires some precautions, but it’s incredibly easy. Designer Simone Fontana shares an instruction video on how to create a custom 3D printed T-shirt. 

This story is part two of MakerBot's series of design studies, exploring iterative design and the relationship between designers and their tools. 

You've probably taken something apart just to see how it works. Maybe you fixed it, maybe you marveled at the ingenuity of the design, but something about it was fascinating.


I had this experience recently with a micro drone. It flies surprisingly well, has a camera, and even some stabilization features. With my curiosity getting the better of me, I decided to take it apart and reverse engineer it to create my own 3D printed design.

his article is about finding the best 3D printing software for every stage of your workflow. Which 3D printing software is best for preparing 3D models to print? How about designing 3D models from scratch? What if you’re an absolute beginner?

Have no fear, we’ve answered all of these questions, together with information on proficiency levels and where they can be downloaded. And the best thing is that all of them are either totally or free for students, educators and open source projects.

Footwear designer Iguaneye will be launching a new range of ultra-minimalist sandals, 3D printed and customizable.

French start-up Iguaneye imitates footwear of the indigenous Amazonian people in order to create a new type of 3D printed sandal.

The company, based out of Porto, Portugal, offers a unique design with the potential to seriously compete with the flip-flop.

Founder and lead designer Olivier Taco explains that the inspiration for the design came from the indigenous Amazonian tribes, who would dip their naked feet into natural latex from trees. That’s also where the product’s name comes from — the “Jungle”.

This isn’t Iguaneye’s first venture into footwear. The company previously ran a successful Kickstarter campaign for its “Freshoe”, another minimalist shoe designed to feel like a second skin. Like its successor, the Freshoe was a one piece construction with an organic design — no glue, no seams.