“We work with integrating the technology into the classroom for (the) teachers, learning how to use it with their curriculum and the lessons that they already have planned”
— Erika Fischer, Digital Integration Specialist.
The Indian River County Schools success story highlights the transformative potential of integrating hands-on, technology-enhanced learning in the classroom, making STEM education both enjoyable and impactful.
Installation Snapshot:
28 schools, PK-12, including 5 charter schools
17,366 students; 1,037 teachers (2024)
17:1 Student:Teacher ratio
Graduation rate of 95% (increased from 87% over 5 years)
The Challenge
When Indian River School District (Vero Beach, FL) faced the challenge of engaging students in hands-on, interactive learning, they knew they had to find a way to ensure teachers felt comfortable and confident using new technology. Traditional teaching methods often left students disengaged, and teachers overwhelmed with integrating new tools into their existing curriculum. To address this, Kerri Wall, Lead Sparkologist for Instructional Technology, explored different solutions that were easy to use for both teachers and students - “When I took over this position four years ago, one of my initiatives was to make sure that we were getting more STEM equipment into classrooms.”
Key Solutions
To address these challenges, Indian River implemented Robo 3D printers and MyStemKits curriculum. This comprehensive combination provided a user-friendly and effective way to enhance STEM education.
Robo 3D printers, built specifically for education, promote an engineering mindset and unlock creativity with their safe, user-friendly design. 3D printers enhance hands-on learning and allow students to experience real-world connections. “It adds to our curriculum,” commented Mikey Marini, Elementary School Gifted Teacher. In her class, students studied animal adaptations by printing bird beaks with connectors. “The students could actually hold them and test them,” Marini related. This hands-on activity allowed them to test the beaks in different habitats and with various foods, making the learning experience tangible and engaging.
Bundled with Robo 3D printers is MyStemKits STEM curriculum. MyStemKits MyStemKits is an all-in-one curriculum solution for the 3D printers, including ready-to-print designs like the bird beaks, as well as engineering design challenges that task students with creating their own 3D-printable objects.
Additionally, students applied their block coding skills using Tinkercad to design and print name tags, further integrating technology into their learning process. “They were so excited, all of them,” said Marini. “They’re proud...holding (the name tag) up and saying, ‘I did this. I made this.’”
Valery Sommers began using the Robo 3D printers with her Juniors the previous year and currently uses them with her Seniors. As a High School English teacher, she saw the power of using 3D printing technology to make literary symbolism come to life. Her students chose a book they were reading, explain its importance, and design a 3D model of the symbol to print.
“It’s so fun. After all of the years (of teaching), last year ... was the most fun I’ve had teaching because of the 3D printer in a long as I can remember,” stated Sommers.
"Even in the final weeks of the semester, the high school class we visited was full of seniors focused and engaged with the learning, working collaborately to create something they were proud of,” observed Hannah Olson, MimioSTEM Product Manager and MyStemKits Co-Founder.
The combination of Robo 3D printers and MyStemKits curriculum offers a user-friendly and effective approach to enhancing education across various subjects. Beyond STEM classrooms, these 3D printers empower teachers in every discipline to create engaging learning experiences for their students.
