Incorporating 3D printing technology and enhancing makerspaces can be challenging due to the need for adequate training, resources, and curriculum alignment. Despite these hurdles, more schools are creating makerspaces to provide students a space for creative design. These collaborative workspaces give students dynamic opportunities to unleash their creativity and develop key skills needed to deal with real-life challenges. From kindergarten to beyond, students have opportunities to engage in hands-on learning experiences, including when 3D printing technology is involved. 

In the rural landscape of Eastern NC, Lydia Denton defies the notion that kids' ideas are insignificant. From childhood curiosity to inventing a life-saving car seat, Lydia's journey inspires. Part 1 of her incredible journey delves into her early years of curiosity and creativity, culminating in the development of the Beat the Heat car seat - a groundbreaking invention aimed at preventing hot car deaths. In Part 2, discover how Lydia's boundless imagination continues to drive inventive solutions for real-world dilemmas, including the role of 3D printing. 

We’re excited to announce a new update to the printing capabilities of our award-winning Robo E3 3D printers – you can now print directly from Tinkercad! Tinkercad is a free web app for 3D design, electronics, and coding. Teachers everywhere use Tinkercad to help get them started with 3D printing in their classrooms. 

The maker movement has increased in popularity, including in schools where hands-on activities and lessons have become an essential strategy for learning. Schools across the country have successfully created and maintained dynamic makerspaces to spark student imagination and creative thinking as well as curiosity in learning more about STEM-related topics. 

There are positive benefits that interactive, hands-on education has on learning such as providing students with multiple opportunities to see the world beyond the classroom walls via real-world connections. STEM education has influenced how teachers guide their students to identify real-world problems, research and design practical solutions, and collaborate and communicate their ideas with others. A STEM tool that has become a familiar fixture in many classrooms and school makerspaces is the 3D printer.  

Creating a makerspace in a school or classroom has several benefits including but not limited to high student engagement, critical thinking skills are nurtured, and collaboration and communication is common. In a well-run makerspace, teachers and students are designing, testing, refining, and building materials that answer real-life needs. 

The influence of STEM education on the maker movement is undeniable. The availability of constructive technology like 3D printers, robotics, new programming languages, and so on has made the implementation of maker education possible for more schools and districts. Why is the maker education movement on the rise?  

Makerspaces, or a collaborative workspace in a classroom, school, library, or other setting, are increasing in popularity in schools because of their many benefits to student learning. These benefits include, but are not limited to, providing students with  

Growing up, my dad spent lots of time in the garage working on things — his 1972 Ford Pinto (understandably), my brother’s bikes, and making small items for our home. The garage was his makerspace and he used it to design, plan, and follow through on his creative ideas. Later, my brother used the garage as his makerspace. These days makerspaces are moving out of the garages of hobbyists to classrooms and schools for our students to engage in interactive experiences that spark imaginations.