How To Fund 3D Printers For Your School

Schools around the world, whether K-12 or universities, are implementing cutting edge technology and makerspaces to equip students with 21st century design and problem solving skills. 3D printing is now one of the most popular and effective ways to drive classroom excitement, and incorporating the tech has gotten even easier as more 3D printing lesson plans are published to Thingiverse Education.

It’s no mystery that getting approval and funding for next-generation makerspaces can be tough, especially when working with limited education budgets. Education grants are valuable resources for gathering the funding necessary to provide students access to 3D printers, though searching to find which one is right for you can be time consuming. To make things easier, MakerBot developed a Grant Resource Guide to help you find and apply for relevant grants.
 
Check out the full Grant Resource Guide!

Here are some examples of how a well organized grant list can help you plan your applications and find what grants best fit your institution.

• Educators of America Grant: Grants are awarded to a teacher that is in need of an effective technological tool that will assist in bettering student achievement.
  Applications are reviewed quarterly (January, April, July, October).

  First Energy STEM Classroom Grant: Grants are awarded to programs that support classroom projects and teacher professional-development initiatives focusing on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM).
  Application period opens summer and closes late September.

  Hearst Foundation: Grants are awarded to early childhood, K-12 education, and
  professional development programs (but has a large focus on higher
  education) preparing students to thrive in global society.
  Applications are accepted year round and are reviewed within 4-6 weeks.

 
In addition to the Grant Resource Guide, be sure to check out Thingiverse Education, the world’s largest collection of 3D printing curriculum.

Repost from Makerbot

Will EdTech Ever Replace Books?

Technology has changed the way students learn in the classroom. With new technology like mixed reality offering immersive learning experiences, there are more opportunities for collaboration and engagement in the classroom than ever before. The new tools of edtech are exciting for many educators and parents but unnerving for those who want to preserve the old-fashioned "book learning" that has proven itself for generations. What's at stake when knowledge emerges from a computer or mixed reality station instead of a textbook? The answer to that question should put even the most traditional among us at ease: Books aren't leaving the classroom but instead complementing modern teaching styles and techniques.

Students Still Enjoy Books

E-books were perhaps the first widespread evidence of a shift from paper to virtual information sources. But despite the prevalence of online booksellers hawking electronic copies of classics, a 2010 New York Times report discovered students still prefer paper textbooks because the inability to flip pages, write notes in margins and highlight sections created a preference for printed pages. Although the latest E-book readers offer digital versions of these bookish habits, the report's consensus is that kids will not use technology just for technology's sake. There are times when printed versions are more practical, portable, and easier on the eyes.

Looking at History -- Literally

It's often forgotten that book learning itself replaced an even older form of transmitting information: oral history. In generations past, history was understood through the stories of elders and not dry descriptions in textbooks.

While many classrooms do integrate storytelling, especially at younger ages, modules are still largely paper-based, requiring students to sit still and absorb written information. Edtech can integrate stories with multimedia components like sounds to enrich the narrative and create a long-lasting, memorable impression of time-honored fables and tales from cultures around the world. When stories and fables are more active and alive, students are more likely to retain not only the moral lesson learned from them, but the vocabulary and other elements as well. They can then transfer their knowledge into their own creative work, such as writing haikus or planning out a hero's journey.

Teachers Accommodate Diverse Student Needs

Today's classrooms and curriculums accommodate students with diverse social needs and levels of learning abilities, an issue with which teachers and parents have long struggled. The good news is that these barriers to learning are weakened when stories, lessons, and activities are constructed not only of paper, but also of virtual tools that helps students of all kinds visualize and interact with the material they are reading. A zSpace case study on elementary students in the San Jose, CA area showed that virtual reality stations helped bridge the divide between English and Spanish. When a story about a volcano is paired with the hands-on learning experience of exploring one virtually, a new equality is established that doesn't minimize traditional paper-based learning.

Not Just a Fad

Fundamentally, educational technology is about learning. It is a tool teachers can use to complete a predefined curriculum. In order for the use of technology to enhance learning and not just provide a distraction, it must be connected to a specific purpose, such as to learn about the bones in the human hand or to experience key points on a timeline of historical events.

The augmented learning opportunities of edtech open new doors for all students by adding a fourth "R" -- reality -- to the traditional trio of "reading, writing, and arithmetic." Books are not forgotten but carried into a new era of education, one that shows, tells, and realizes more potential than ever before. So slip on a pair of 3D glasses and let yourself see how mixed reality technology strength-trains the brain for new frontiers in thought and progress.

Repost from zSpace Blog

Anatomy Class Can Be Tough!

Anatomy can be a tough course! People in the medical profession spend years learning the different parts of the body and how they work. But that has not stopped high school students at Liberty County School System’s Bradwell Institute from taking a challenging anatomy course.

Science and Anatomy Teacher Pamela Donald is taking advantage of new educational technology to supplement the anatomy coursework of her students. She says that even though the students were exposed to physical dissections, many were squeamish and shy actually doing the dissection. Ms. Donald then introduced the students to the human heart through zSpace, which combines elements of VR and AR. By using virtual models, students were exposed to the heart in a way that they found accessible. Learning about the human heart just seemed to click in a way that had not happened before.

Repost from zSpace.

This Makerbot Educator Teaches Life Skills in Her 4th and 5th Grade Science Classes

Among the cacti and tumbleweeds of Scottsdale, Arizona, is an oasis of learning known as the Rancho Solano Preparatory School. At this private pre K-12 school, education is all about preparing students with the life skills needed to succeed in our ever-changing 21st century world. In fact, it’s stated mission is to “cultivate in our students the ingenuity to thrive in a global society and to be architects of their future.”

That’s a mission that Shannon Feaster takes to heart in her 4th and 5th grade science classes. As a member of the MakerBot Educator program and a teacher of 20 years, she’s going beyond the books to meet the rigorous standards at Rancho Solano.

Since August of 2016, she has used a MakerBot Replicator (5th Gen) and MakerBot Replicator Mini to challenge her students to design and 3D print projects. In turn, she’s elevating engagement, encouraging real-world problem solving, and teaching larger life skills —especially those for tomorrow’s jobs.

We chatted with Shannon to learn just how she is 3D printing in the classroom and what she’s achieved with her students.

MakerBot: What MakerBot products are you using and what do you like about them?

Shannon: We use MakerBot Fifth Generation 3D printer, MakerBot Replicator Mini, MakerBot Desktop, MakerBot Mobile app (teacher only), and Thingiverse. All are very user-friendly for both teachers and students.

MakerBot: What do you and your students primarily 3D print in your classes?

Shannon: Projects! My students have used the printers to create everything from robots with second grade science buddies to cars, design prototypes, and organisms for plant or animal classification and adaptation units. Both printers are also used by my STEM club.

MakerBot: How does 3D printing with MakerBot help you target specific learning goals?

Shannon: It goes right along with STEM and Next Gen Science Standards —we find a need, design, test, modify, print, modify again, and use! It’s not only teaching the kids about the design process, but they also have to collaborate, problem-solve, show persistence with a project, and see value in how technology can change lives for the better. We hope to soon work on printing toys and food bowls for a rabbit rescue in our community.

MakerBot: Tell us about the most exciting or interesting lesson that you’ve run with your MakerBot so far.

Shannon: After studying about the 5 kingdoms and ecosystems, my 4th grade students had to design their own organism and write a book about its scientific classification, habitat, and more. They used TinkerCad to create their organism. Some did plants, some did new species of animals, and some even did protists and bacteria. They 3D printed their organisms and had them on display along with their book about that organism.

MakerBot: What does having access to a MakerBot 3D Printer help you achieve in your classroom?

Shannon: Simply put—projects come to life! Students have the opportunity to design, test, modify objects for projects; and the kids use the 3D printer to make models to show what they have learned or to use for presentations.

MakerBot: Do you think having access to tools like a 3D printer at this age helps set your students up for success in the future?

Shannon: I think our 3D printers set my students up for success simply because they can turn their ideas into a reality and they understand how to persevere through a difficult design and learn from their mistakes to make improvements. These are not simply STEM objectives, but also life skills.

MakerBot: Have you saved time or money creating teaching props for projects or on other teaching supplies using a 3D printer? If so, how?

Shannon: Absolutely! It was actually my students who reminded me that I could 3D print containers for all of our STEM materials, and even a screwdriver to keep in the classroom! They have also used the MakerBot to create props for a play they are currently doing in Language class. And other teachers like to ask my STEM club students to print math manipulatives and letters for the younger grades on campus!

MakerBot: How do you plan to continue using 3D printers in the future? Do you have any new projects coming up?

Shannon: My fifth graders will be taking a trip to Biosphere II and after our ecology unit, they will jump into Google Sketchup to design their own Biosphere. They will export their designs from Sketchup to 3D print the model to use in a presentation or project. The 5th graders are also designing a working windmill to print and use! After studying the Human Body, my fourth grade students will use the printer to design cross sections of a heart, cells, eyes, and more.

MakerBot: Is there anything else that you would like us to know about how MakerBot empowers you or your students?

Shannon: One of my fourth grade students has a notebook with drawings of prototypes and he now has the means to design and print his models. Being able to take his designs from paper to a real model has inspired him to further his ideas, and even look into how to present and patent his ideas!

Thanks again to Shannon and Rancho Solano Preparatory School!

More Resources for 3D Printing in the Classroom

MakerBot provides a variety of resources designed for educators of all experience levels with 3D printing. To learn more about how you can 3D print in your classroom, visit makerbot.com/education. For classroom-ready lesson plans, check out Thingiverse Education. To become a MakerBot Educator, visit makerbot.com/educators.

Repost from Makerbot

Join the Maker Movement with zSpace

Tinker Toys of Today's Generation: Join the Maker Movement with zSpace

Ding Ding. The clock strikes 8:00 am and children are in their seats. The bell tells you it's time for 45 minutes of math class, going over Chapter 12, then off to science class to learn the scientific method.

This is how the average school day is laid out: rigidly structured by schedules and bells, paced by textbooks and chapters. But what if we allowed a creative space for our students to transform from passive learners into active creators?  

The Maker Movement is the shift to learning through firsthand experience. From tinkering with existing objects to coming up with one's own idea, the maker movement encourages students to experiment, take risks, and play with their imagination.

By allowing kids to learn in non-linear and creative ways, we honor different styles of learning and empower students to break free from constraints of habitual thinking. Technologies enabling design, construction, and invention are the tinker toys and building blocks for today's and tomorrow's generations. These tools transform STEAM education using the basic human impulse to create.

By encouraging students to prototype, experiment, and innovate, Makerspaces create a new generation of creators, who will likely be inspired to start their own companies, design their own products, and make their dreams into reality.

Learn how to transform your classroom into a Makerspace with zSpace for Education.

Let us bring a zSpace demonstration to your school.

It's very easy to set up.

1) Send us an email. 

2) Let us know a good time and date to call you.  (provide a direct phone number) 

3)We will call you.

zSpace, The Perfect Cross Curriculum Environment

How many programs do you run across that can serve multiple curriculums?

Purchasing a zSpace lab can get your Math, Science, History and Language Arts staff all singing your praises; one purchase and many happy educators.

But, zSpace is not about only making the educators happy.

• zSpace meets and supports the Louisiana State Standards
• Ideas4ed can assist with the incorporation of your zSpace lab into your curriculum program.

o   We can collaborate with your teachers to create or connect zSpace activities that will support standards in all core areas across grade levels.

o   We can correlate current zSpace activities to Louisiana, Next Generation Science and Common Core science standards across grade levels,

o   We can collaborate with your full staff in creating a living document that is cross- curricular.

Simply put, Ideas4ed and zSpace will work very hard with you to seamlessly integrate a zSpace lab into your school.

Let us know when we can talk.

Get Social with zSpace

Though they can provide jaw-dropping and immersive experiences, head mounted display VR and AR products such as Oculus Rift and HTC's Vive have sparked concerns of technology's social impact.

Due to their restrictive headsets, these new technologies do not allow for users to communicate and interact with others. Users are virtually cut off from the world around them and are placed into new, simulated realities. This type of isolation surely will not help instill social skills such as verbal communication or body language cues in kids.

zSpace, however, is a screen based virtual reality system that can provide awe-inspiring experiences, while still allowing students the ability to work together, communicate, and interact.

For more on the social benefits of zSpace, watch CTO Dave Chavez, discuss how zSpace is different from other VR and AR solutions.

Let us bring a zSpace demonstration to your school.

It's very easy to set up.

1) Send us an email. 

2) Let us know a good time and date to call you.  (provide a direct phone number) 

3)We will call you.

STEM Learning with Edtech

The demand on students to understand Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) is greater than ever before. Current research demonstrates that through hyper-realistic visuals, interactive components and a user-friendly interface, both teachers and students experience learning gains when presented with complex science content. In recent years, a growing number of instructional technologies have emerged to address these learning needs of a growing and diverse K-12 population.

Educational technologies can provide learners with unique, educational experiences, not always possible in the traditional classroom. But what makes these technologies especially useful in the classroom?

Educational technology can allow students to:

• Explore and interact with STEM content and practices without the economical or ethical issues of costly consumable materials or preserved animal specimens.
• Have the opportunity to experience and recover from experimental (controlled) failure.
• View aspects of science that, until now, resided only with the minds of expert scientists and engineers.

It’s an exciting time for K-12 educators and students. STEM learning is more accessible, more interactive, and more immersive than ever before through a growing body of educational technology. To live in the digital age means to learn in the digital age.

Dr. Vayla Lee, Superintendent of Schools - Must Read zSpace Comments

" When you take the glasses off you are walking away with a new understanding, like never before. zSpace makes learning come alive."

Valya Lee

Superintendent 

Liberty County School District

This comment is just part of what Dr. Lee has to say about how zSpace is engaging her students in learning.  

To hear the entire 2:52 minute interview with Dr. Lee, select the link below.

http://zspace.com/videos/liberty-county

Need more proof that zSpace is providing a learning experience like no other?  

Let's hear from Jeffrey Baier, Superintendent of Los Altos School District talk about how zSpace provides a meaningful and relevant experience. 

To hear the entire 2:03 minute interview with Mr. Jeffrey Baier, select the link below.

 http://zspace.com/videos/lasd-partnership-stem-pilot

How about another testimonial from a professional educator, like you, talking about the zSpace experience? 

Listen to what Dr. Peter Licata, Director Choice and Career Options, Palm Beach Community Schools has to say. 

He is going to rave about zSpace. . 

To hear the entire 2:23 minute interview with Dr. Peter Licata, select the link below.

http://zspace.com/videos/palm-beach-community-schools-use-zspace

If you watch at least one of these interviews, you will hear how virtual reality with zSpace in the classroom has positively impacted the learning experience at these schools.  

Let us bring a zSpace demonstration to your school.

It's very easy to set up.

1) Send us an email. 

2) Let us know a good time and date to call you.  (provide a direct phone number) 

3)We will call you.

VR vs AR vs zSpace - Who will win the classroom?

If it is your responsibility to figure out what technology offers 

the most engaging learning experience, 

to the broadest audience, 

at the most cost effective price, 

then this email is written for you. 

VR was the big topic at CES 2017.

VR is a hotter topic than when smart boards or iPads were introduced.  

Kids love the Samsung and Google Goggle experience.

Sony is in the game. 

It is transporting kids to new places and providing new experiences. 

VR is engaging, but does the new technology sit well in a classroom? 

Is there a learning experience?  

It's a burning question for me.  

Over the holiday, I was able to be the tech geek that I am 

and check out the local Best Buy for cool gadgets. 

It was my chance to see the latest and greatest in VR.

VR Goggles

Virtual Reality (VR) goggles are totally immersive and getting more so with every iteration. 

The visuals and audio are awesome. 

Sony and Oculus are incorporating the devices for the hands.  

It is impressive technology. 

It is really cool for a single player.  

Looking at it with an educators eye, 

I could not imagine how you would manage a classroom of kids

with eyes and ears covered.  

  
There doesn't appear to be a strong focus by any of the headset VR manufacturers mentioned to move from the gaming world to K12 education. 

VR glasses and Google goggles are cool for single application, but out for the classroom.

Augmented Reality (AR)

Augmented Reality (AR) is amazing. I think the best example of it is still Pokemon GO. The characters overlaid in the real world gets my imagination going about where this tech will go. 

Google has created an AR experience 

for a few museums around the country. 

I'm sure we will see more applications from them in 2017. 

I'm just not sure how well AR can ever work in the classroom 

with the student being tied to a desk. 

For AR to be awesome, 

the students need to move around in different environments. 

Since the Reality part never changes, 

it may not be all that exciting

for student engagement and learning. 

  
There is no thriving education piece that I could find

and you need to move out of the classroom to be engaged. 

For that reason, AR is out.

Desktop Virtual Reality

zSpace is real world virtual reality as called by the manufacturer.  

I think that description not only sells the product short, 

but really misses the boat in trying to describe the experience. 

To me, zSpace is a holographic experience. 

There are hundreds of objects floating in the air, 

in front of the computer, 

that can be manipulated. 

Yes, it is virtual reality.  

But, until you sit in front of a zSpace desktop computer

and see for yourself, 

I think it is best described as a computer that let's you 

interact with a hologram.  

It is mind blowing the first time you see it. 

It is inspiring the first time you see kids around a zSpace workstation.  

The really cool part about the experience is that is can be viewed by multiple people. 

There are glasses to be worn, but the kids are not isolated like VR glasses.  

Multiple kids can wear glasses and view the experience at the same time.  

Committed to Education
 

zSpace is also completely committed to creating an educational experience. 

There are hundreds of holographic models that can serve a science teacher, 

a history teacher, 

an arts teacher, 

a geography teacher, 

and an ELA teacher. 

It's safe to say that everyone in a school can use zSpace. 

Any subject area can be enhanced with the zSpace product. 

Check it out here: http://edu.zspace.com/activities/ . 

For that reason, zSpace is the WINNER.

Planning 2017/18

If you are working on your budgets for next year, 

trying to figure out the best bang for a school buck, 

and want a product that will engage all the students

across multiple curriculums, 

check out zSpace. 

We can bring a demo unit out, 

so that you can see first hand how well it engages students 

and how easily it will integrate into your curriculum. 

There is even a zSpace tour bus with a dozen stations.

Hit Reply to Arrange a Demonstration

Let me know a good time to talk.  Share a good phone number to contact you. We will get back to you.