3D Printing WorkshopsThe most advanced professional development for educators
3D printing workshops are the fastest way to help your teachers bring 3D technologies into the classroom. A 3D printer can serve as an extremely valuable educational tool and has one of the largest open source communities in the world. We believe there is far greater educational value in learning how to build technologies from the ground up, including 3D printers. The valuable knowledge and skills you can gain from the building experience is essential to helping you maintain your 3D printer in a high demand environment such as the classroom. To truly understand the possibilities of 3D printing, what it’s limitations are, and ways for you push the envelope of innovation, you’ll need a strong foundation of knowledge about 3D printing technology. Our Build Your Own 3D Printer Workshops provide such a foundation and guarantee to accelerate your learning about 3D technologies exponentially.
“We have a vision of teachers building 3D printing labs with their students…”
Proficient knowledge of how to use and maintain 3D printers is now essential for STEM and CTE teachers who want to use 3D technologies in their classrooms…
3D Printing Professional Development Workshops
CLICK HERE for a downloadable flyer for the 3-Day “Build Your Own 3D Printer” workshop.
Just got a new 3D printer for your classroom and are wondering where to get started? This 1-day workshop on 3D printing basics will help you understand what is required for the 3D printing process. We teach how to use several 3D printing software programs that can help teachers produce faster quality 3D printed parts using less plastic. Plus we introduce a variety of free and open source 3D printing communities that will only further introduce current educational trends with 3D printing.
Need a refresher course on 3D printing maintenance and calibration? This workshop encourages teachers to bring in their own 3D printers to work on and use. Teachers will be learning maintenance and calibration techniques to keep their 3D printers running at full capacity!
Build Your Own 3D Printer Workshops
As educators begin to utilize 3D printers in the classroom, they realize the time and monetary constraints can greatly limit the educational experiences for their students. Teachers who learn how to build their own 3D printers rather than simply purchasing them are much better equipped to help their school build a low-cost 3D printing lab and have the skills to maintain the machines themselves.
In the past four years, Open Source Classroom has facilitated the assembly of over 200 open source 3D printers and worked with over 500 teachers. We are currently utilizing the flexMendel 3D printer in our “Build Your Own 3D Printer” workshops. Once you have learned how to build your own 3D printer from the open source 3D printer platform, you can build as many 3D printers as you want at cost in almost any configuration you can dream up. There is no better way to construct a 3D printing lab at your school than through building it yourself. Depending on your needs, you have the ability to change the flexMendel’s design for various sized 3D printing applications or construct a completely different mechanical setup altogether. The technical experience gained from this experience gives workshop participants a complete arsenal of knowledge and skills they can utilize when using a 3D printer in the classroom.
Why do we use the flexMendel 3D printer?
The flexMendel was specifically designed to be used in educational environments. This 3D printer comes loaded with advanced features and integrates high-end industrial automation components with open source hardware and software. The mechanical design of the flexMendel allows users to make a variety of calibration adjustments while it is in operation. The automation components minimize over-constrained axes while reducing friction and uneven weight distribution. There are dozens of custom 3D printed, CNC milled, and laser cut parts that have been designed specifically to improve print quality and simplify maintenance. Plus, the flexMendel design is wide open allowing students to actually SEE how 3D printing technology works. Learning how to build the flexMendel 3D printer is a challenging exercise for anyone wishing to take their 3D printing skills to the next level. This is NOT your average 3D printer!
- High quality flexMendel 3D printer designed specifically for use in educational settings
- Increased confidence when integrating 3D printing into their existing curricula
- 3D Printer in the Classroom Teacher Guide
- 3D Literacy® Curriculum Guide with example lesson plans
- Open source and Free 3D printing educational resources for teachers and students
- 3D printer tool kit for flexMendel assembly and ongoing maintenance
- 1kg spool of high quality PLA filament
- USB drive with flexMendel source files
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