Invercargill 3D Printing in the Classroom - Teacher PLD

Discover how to get the most out of your classroom 3D printer in this practical, one-day hands-on workshop. Learn to keep your printer running smoothly, design and print educational models, jigs, prototypes, and moulds, and boost classroom creativity while keeping students engaged and safe.

3D printers are often under-utilised in the classroom. They're too slow to print a one-off product for every student, so teachers who try to use them that way end up disappointed. Their real strength lies elsewhere: because they can handle almost limitless complexity, they excel at producing reusable tools, jigs, and moulds that a class can use again and again. Once teachers learn to design with that in mind, printers go from a slow novelty to a genuine classroom asset.

This hands-on workshop will give you the confidence to keep your printer running smoothly, and the skills to design and print classroom-ready models, jigs, prototypes, and moulds.

The day blends theory and practice.

Morning session: develop a technical understanding of how 3D printers work, including materials, slicing, file types, and common failure points. Get hands-on experience setting up, calibrating, and troubleshooting printers for reliable, repeatable results.

Afternoon session: put it into practice. Use jigs to create wooden designs, and mould with wax, silicone, and plaster. You'll leave with a set of resources ready to inspire your students.