MakerBot and leading specialist distributor ArtSystems will be promoting the power of desktop 3D printing to education providers at the eagerly anticipated ICT for Education series of conferences.
The conferences, applauded by audiences as enjoyable events which help teachers and schools keep abreast of the latest technological advances, will be held across the country from May to November 2018, with events in Norwich, Brighton, Newcastle, Manchester and Nottingham, the next being on the 18th May in Norwich
Each event will see the MakerBot Starter Lab in action. Starter Lab is a unique solution involving multiple 3D printers – managed through a central resource – which makes it ideal for educational sites, enabling staff to manage a professional suite of MakerBot 3D printers.
Ted Freer, ArtSystems’ Divisional Manager Design and a STEM Ambassador since 2017, will be presenting at the events. He explains why MakerBot and Artsystems value the conferences: “We are dedicated to the STEM initiative, an educational program developed to prepare primary and secondary students for college and graduate study in the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics, or STEM.
“In addition to subject-specific learning, STEM aims to foster inquiring minds, logical reasoning, and collaboration skills. In line with that concept the ICT for Education conferences create the perfect environment in which educators working at the coal face can receive expert tailored advice towards finding the perfect technological solution for their students’ needs.”
He continued: “We want to provide as many education professionals as possible with the opportunity to see MakerBot in action while offering them the freedom to ask questions in a non-pressurised environment. The ICT for Education conferences are ideal for this; we can share prime time with delegates that would not be possible during larger, more intense events.”
Educating towards Industry 4.0
Ted’s series of talks will cover the impact of Industry 4.0 on job skills and employability in the future, while also citing examples of schools successfully addressing these fundamental societal changes through STEM teaching.
He concluded: “Industry 4.0 will profoundly influence change in our society, having a direct impact on our daily lives. Crucially, it will affect the way we design, develop and manufacture products, requiring a workforce with new and very different skillsets from those that exist today.
“The challenge now is to develop an agile, informed education system that can prepare and inspire suitably qualified personnel to thrive in this new and highly dynamic workspace. My presentation defines Industry 4.0, and outlines steps that educators can take to prepare students for these disruptive changes.”
Ted Freer is a graduate of Liverpool University with a Bachelor of Education degree, and he later gained a Diploma in Business Administration from Leeds Metropolitan University. For over 30 years Ted has worked in various project and business management roles; more latterly with ArtSystems, where he has a focused his expertise on new product development and the STEM enterprise.
ICT for Education conferences are free of charge for delegates and include complimentary lunch and refreshments, for more information visit https://www.ictforeducation.co.uk/
