Help Teachers Obtain 3D Printed Math Manipulatives, One of the Most Requested Educational Tools for the Classroom
BROOKLYN, N.Y. — (BUSINESS WIRE) — November 12, 2013 — MakerBot® wants to help teachers teach math in a whole new way – in 3D! Pattern blocks, geoboards, tangrams, abacus, animal counters, measuring worms and more are just some of the options available for math manipulatives in the classroom today. But to obtain them, teachers must collect them on their own or order them from math websites, often spending their own funds to obtain them. Enter MakerBot and 3D printing. MakerBot is holding a design challenge on its website Thingiverse® to encourage its Thingiverse community to create math manipulatives that can be downloaded and 3D printed in the classroom.
The MakerBot Thingiverse Math Manipulative Design Challenge launches November 12, 2013, in conjunction with the MakerBot Academy education initiative to put a MakerBot in every classroom. Entries for the MakerBot Thingiverse Math Manipulative Design Challenge may be submitted via Thingiverse by uploading designs and tagging them with #MakerBotAcademyMath until November 18, 2013. Winners will be announced on December 9, 2013. Bre Pettis, CEO of MakerBot, and a former teacher, will review all entries and select a first, second and third place Challenge finalist. Finalists will be based on printability, educational value and creativity.
Prizes include:
First Place: The winner selects a K-12 grade classroom to receive a MakerBot® Replicator® 2 Desktop 3D Printer and three rolls of MakerBot® Filament. Finalist will also receive their 3D printed math manipulative displayed in MakerBot retail stores in New York City, Greenwich, Conn., and Boston; plus a Thingiverse tee-shirt, and their design featured on Thingiverse.
Second Place: Second place finalist receives his or her design displayed in MakerBot retail stores in New York City, Greenwich, Conn., and Boston; plus two spools of MakerBot Filament, a Thingiverse tee-shirt, and their design featured on Thingiverse.
Third Place: Third place finalist receives his or her design displayed in MakerBot retail stores in New York City, Greenwich, Conn., and Boston; plus a spool of MakerBot PLA, a Thingiverse tee-shirt, and their design featured on Thingiverse.
“Having been a teacher before starting MakerBot, I know how needed math manipulatives are in the classroom to teach different math concepts,” noted Pettis. “Math manipulatives are one of the most sought-after tools for the classroom, but often expensive and parts get lost and need to be replaced. By 3D printing math manipulatives, teachers take the creativity and control of these tools and bring them into the classroom to encourage even more innovation and inspiration. It’s a win-win situation for teachers and students alike.”
For more information on the MakerBot Thingiverse Math Manipulative Challenge, visit Thingiverse.com.
About MakerBot
MakerBot, a subsidiary of Stratasys, Ltd., is leading the Next Industrial Revolution by setting the standards in reliable and affordable desktop 3D printing. Founded in 2009, MakerBot has built the largest installed base of desktop 3D printers sold to innovative and industry-leading customers worldwide, including engineers, architects, designers, educators and consumers. MakerBot’s 3D Ecosystem drives accessibility and rapid adoption of 3D printing and includes: Thingiverse.com, the MakerBot Digitizer Desktop 3D Scanner, the MakerBot Replicator line of Desktop 3D Printers, MakerWare software, MakerCare, the MakerBot retail store, and strategic partnerships with top-tier brands. MakerBot has been honored with many accolades, including Popular Mechanics’ “Overall Winner” for best 3D printer, Time Magazine’s “Best Inventions of 2012,” Popular Mechanics’ “Editor’s Choice Award,” Popular Science’s “Product of the Year,” Fast Company’s “One of the World’s Top 10 Most Innovative Companies in Consumer Electronics,” and many more. Join the Next Industrial Revolution by following MakerBot at makerbot.com.
About Stratasys
Stratasys Ltd. (Nasdaq: SSYS), headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. and Rehovot, Israel, manufactures 3D printers and materials for prototyping and production. The company’s patented FDM® and PolyJet® processes produce prototypes and manufactured goods directly from 3D CAD files or other 3D content. Systems include 3D printers for idea development, prototyping and direct digital manufacturing. Stratasys subsidiaries include MakerBot and Solidscape and the company operates the RedEye On Demand digital-manufacturing service. Stratasys has more than 1500 employees, holds over 500 granted or pending additive manufacturing patents globally, and has received more than 20 awards for its technology and leadership. Online at: stratasys.com or blog.stratasys.com.
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