Digital Fabrication for Educators: Inaugural Fusion 360 Training

Fusion 360, a powerful cloud-based CAD/CAM software that is free for educators, has been gaining popularity in schools because the design files can be output to multiple digital fabrication tools such as CNC machines (like ShopBot tools), laser cutters, and 3D printers. While the price is right, sorting through the possibilities and keeping track of …

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Electronics, 3D-Carving, and Molding & Casting at Fab Labs

Soldering surface mount components to the PCB board: LED, switch, battery holder.

The first three months of 2019 saw a flurry of Professional Development in Fab Labs from Mississippi/Louisiana to California. Fab Labs have a full quiver of digital fabrication tools and a well-stocked electronics station. The goal for these Professional Development workshops or …

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Makerspaces in Education: Becoming Comfortable Using Your ShopBot and Other Digital Fabrication Tools

Showing off projects created on a ShopBot CNC and a laser cutter

Do you own or have access to digital fabrication equipment such as a ShopBot CNC machine, laser cutter, or 3D printer, and an interest in education? Do you want to know more about the software and machines available for digital fabrication in …

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The Future of Educational Technology

Say “Educational Technology” to a room of teachers, administrators, and vendors, and you will get many different definitions. Having recently attended the Future of Educational Technology Conference (FETC 2018) as a “civilian” rather than an exhibitor, I was able to attend workshops and presentations, visit the entire convention floor of vendors (387), and stop …

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High School Students from Dripping Springs, TX Use ShopBot Tools to Rout the Competition

Jad Jadeja and the students from the Innovative Airflow Technologies and Turbo Tigers teams.

Dripping Springs might not be the biggest city in Texas, but big things are happening at its only high school. As a school that is totally committed to providing students with challenging learning opportunities in science, technology, and math, the …

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Digital Fabrication for Educators: Your Place or Ours

Whether it takes place at ShopBot, or on site, a 2 – 3 Day Professional Development workshop gives teachers a chance to hone their skills with digital fabrication machines. Educators starting at all levels, from newby to someone with a year or more experience running their ShopBot CNC router, end up with new techniques …

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It’s a Fidget!

In an attempt to keep the kids involved through the end of the school year, I asked my students what they wanted to make with the ShopBot. You can probably guess what they said if you’ve seen what the latest craze is: fidget spinners. My response was fidja-what? They proceeded to introduce me to …

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Our History, Our Future

We made a jig to CNC the tops and sides of our CO2 cars.

Hello, my name is Devin Wilson and I am excited to be a part of the ShopBot world! I am a first year Carpentry and Technology teacher at Rosman High/Middle School in Rosman, NC. There have been some ups and downs, but …

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My Latest Adventures in the World of Education

In my role doing community outreach for ShopBot Tools, I have participated in the installation of several new digital Fab Labs/makerspaces in public and private schools around the US. While each of the installations has been different, there are lessons to be learned from each one. Here are a few recent case studies:

IU1, …

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From Student to Instructor in Three Years!

When Grant Wolfe first started to learn how to use the ShopBot Buddy in his Construction Tech classes in school less than three years ago, he likely didn’t realize that he would be helping train Belton High School students on that same equipment today. The skills he developed in operating this equipment was not …

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