3D Printing Certification for Teachers with MakerBot Sketch

Most 3D printers land in a classroom with a sharp learning curve. Teachers face a long ramp before students see results. The MakerBot Sketch Classroom takes a different approach by bundling 3D printing certification for teachers, ready-to-teach lesson plans for students, and the hardware itself into one classroom-ready package.

Every MakerBot Sketch Classroom Bundle ships with two ISTE-Certified teacher licences and ten student licences. Through Thingiverse Education, more than 600 lessons become available for use across any grade and subject. The combined effect is a complete 3D printing program, not only a printer on a desk.

3D Printing Certification for Teachers: What's Included

The MakerBot Certification program is the leading 3D printing certification for teachers and students. It is the only ISTE-Certified 3D printing course on the market. ISTE is the International Society for Technology in Education, the standards body setting the technology benchmarks Australian schools and universities measure against. The teacher track covers two streams: printer operations and curriculum creation.

Bundled teacher licences come with applicable professional development credits. Australian educators apply PD credits towards their Continuing Professional Development hours under state teacher registration requirements. Modules use interactive and media-rich content, so the learning experience matches the kind of digital classroom your students already work in.

What students get: design thinking, problem-solving and critical thinking

Student licences extend the same MakerBot Certification program to ten students per bundle. Course modules cover four core skills: 3D printing fundamentals, innovative design thinking, problem-solving, and critical thinking. Each skill maps to the work the modern job market values most.

Students who complete the program earn a credential to take into future course selection conversations, internship applications, or design portfolios. Teachers also see less classroom prep time because students arrive at each print job with the skills already in place.

Thingiverse Education: 600+ ready-to-teach lessons across every grade

Thingiverse Education comes with the Sketch Classroom Bundle at no extra cost. Access opens up more than 600 3D printing lesson plans, all created by working educators. Lessons cover every grade level, from primary school through senior secondary, and every subject from mathematics to history to engineering.

Lessons are searchable by grade, subject and skill. Teachers also customise existing plans, adding their own task sheets, learning outcomes or assessment criteria. The Thingiverse Education community is the largest active 3D printing educator community online, so new plans land each month.

What's in the MakerBot Sketch Classroom bundle

Here is what every Sketch Classroom Bundle ships with:

• Two MakerBot Sketch 3D printers. Each has a fully-enclosed printing chamber, a heated and flexible build plate, a particulate filter, touchscreen capabilities, on-board camera, and Wi-Fi capabilities.

• Certification licences for two teachers and ten students. The MakerBot Certification program certifies teachers in printer operations and curriculum creation. It educates students in 3D printing, innovative design thinking, problem-solving, and critical thinking. ISTE-Certified, with applicable professional development credits.

• MakerBot Cloud. A connected platform for consolidated 3D printing file management. Teachers manage, monitor, queue and print student projects from any browser. Native integration with TinkerCad, Autodesk Fusion 360 and Onshape covers most school CAD environments.

• Thingiverse Education. Access to 600+ 3D printing lesson plans created by educators, designed for all grade levels and subjects, with the largest active 3D printing educator community.

• Direct MakerBot support. The support team is made up of 3D printing experts who help teachers troubleshoot quickly during class time.

• Compatible MakerBot PLA and Tough materials. Available in yellow, blue, red, white, and grey.

• Print accessories. Each printer comes with one extra build plate, one snips, and one spatula.

Which MakerBot Sketch is right for your classroom?

Three Sketch models share the same certification and Thingiverse Education access:

• The MakerBot Sketch Classroom Bundle is the two-printer default. It is built for class sizes of 20-30 students with a tight student-to-printer ratio.

• A faster single-printer alternative is the MakerBot Sketch Sprint Bundle. It prints up to two times faster than the Sketch and suits short class periods.

• Schools needing more build volume choose the MakerBot Sketch Large Bundle, which doubles the standard build envelope. It suits longer projects, design-and-make assessment, or shared-printer setups where students need bigger pieces.

For full hardware specifications and bundle inclusions on each, see the Sketch Classroom hardware overview. All three Sketch bundles include the 3D printing certification for teachers and the Thingiverse Education library. Beverly Owen's classroom showcases real-world use through the educator spotlight.

Safety, reliability and Australian classroom deployment

Safety is the first conversation principals, IT managers and STEM coordinators want to have. The Sketch has a fully-enclosed printing chamber, a built-in particulate filter, and external surfaces stay cool while the build plate runs over 100°C inside. It is UL-Certified, which is the third-party safety certification Australian schools recognise alongside local AS/NZS standards.

Hardware testing on the Sketch tops 46,000 hours, covering system reliability, subsystem performance, and print quality. This level of testing matters when a printer runs across multiple classes per day, term after term.

"With SKETCH, we are changing the way 3D printing is used in schools and advancing the possibilities of learning to boost student innovation. We believe that SKETCH Classroom is the best 3D printing setup for the classroom, with an ideal student-to-printer ratio, making 3D printing more accessible to students, and setting educators up for 3D printing success," said Nadav Goshen, CEO, MakerBot.

Pricing and how Australian schools get started

Pricing for the MakerBot Sketch Classroom in Australia runs through a quote process. Final figures vary with bundle configuration, materials packs, and whether the school is buying for a single classroom or a district-wide deployment like the one at Calcasieu Parish School Board in the United States. Australian schools comparing total cost of ownership often start with the 3D printer cost Australia buyer's guide for context.

For a tailored quote on the MakerBot Sketch Classroom, including 3D printing certification for teachers and ten student licences, get in touch with Australian 3D Printers.

Frequently asked questions

What is MakerBot Certification?
MakerBot Certification is the only ISTE-Certified 3D printing training program. It covers two streams: a teacher track on printer operations and curriculum creation, and a student track on 3D printing, design thinking, problem-solving and critical thinking. The Sketch Classroom Bundle includes two teacher licences and ten student licences.

What is Thingiverse Education and how many lessons does it include?
Thingiverse Education is MakerBot's classroom lesson library, included with the Sketch Classroom Bundle. It hosts more than 600 3D printing lesson plans created by educators, covering every grade level and subject area. The accompanying community is the largest active 3D printing educator community online.

Is the MakerBot Sketch Classroom safe for students?
Yes. The Sketch has a fully-enclosed printing chamber, a built-in particulate filter, and external surfaces stay cool while the heated build plate runs inside. It is UL-Certified and tested for over 46,000 hours of system reliability, subsystem performance and print quality.

How many teachers and students get certification licences?
Two teachers and ten students per Sketch Classroom Bundle. The teacher licences certify printer operations and curriculum creation. The student licences run them through the 3D printing, design thinking, problem-solving and critical thinking modules.

Where can Australian schools buy the MakerBot Sketch Classroom?
The MakerBot Sketch Classroom Bundle, Sketch Sprint Bundle and Sketch Large Bundle are all supplied in Australia through Australian 3D Printers. Pricing, configuration and lead time are confirmed on a per-quote basis.

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3D Printer 3D Printer Australia 3D Printers Classroom 3D Printing Education ISTE K-12 MakerBot MakerBot Certification MakerBot Sketch MakerBot Sketch Classroom STEM Thingiverse Education