ISTE 2023 Key Takeaways and Promising Practices

What a week we had in Philadelphia! 3Doodler was thrilled to join educators from across the country and around the world at ISTE 2023.

This annual event pulls together the brightest minds in education. It offers educators a deep dive into areas that interest them, with solutions and ideas to make progress.

While discussion around AI unsurprisingly took center stage, the breakout sessions focused more on boosting accessibility, play, and collaboration in schools. Catch a brief overview of this year’s event here and read on for our key takeaways from the educators we met with and sessions we attended.

Accessibility & Social-Emotional Learning as a Priority

Educators continue to prioritize social-emotional learning in the classroom. The strategies they rely on encourage students to develop emotional intelligence, resilience, build empathy, and create positive relationships.

One classroom example for younger students included Build Me “Emotions” by Lego Education, enabling students to share their emotions through hands-on building and play. Older students may enjoy an opportunity to introduce themselves to their peers at the beginning of the year. This can be a small, but valuable step towards getting to know each other (and how to pronounce names!) while also building a classroom community.

Accessibility tools are a game changer for many students. Unique tools by Apple and Microsoft make learning much more approachable for various audiences, including built-in tools for those who need visual, hearing, cognitive, or mobility support.

Melissa Stark, a Special Education Teacher and Instructional Technology Coach in New York City’s Department of Education, shared these tools and other critical tips to make learning more accessible during her ISTE presentation.

Importance of Play

A common theme that emerged as the event progressed was the importance of play-based activities, especially given the last few years of disruption brought on by the pandemic and distance learning.

One glance around the ISTE Playground, and it was clear to see how play could boost learning outcomes. Gamification was a clear focus, which adds gamelike elements to increase motivation and engagement.

Teachers are creating interactive and immersive learning experiences and boosting play with a host of learning tools like Class VR, Book Creator, and KinderLab Robotics, to name a few.


  • 3D pen artist sketching giraffes, man in red shirt, and paper
  • Group standing at convention table with laptop & phone doing 3d pen art
  • Crafting with 3D pens and string
  • Creative 3Doodler sketch using paper and cell phone

Collaboration Through Industrial Design Labs & Makerspaces

Several educators we spoke with explained their role in organizing maker spaces, fab labs, and industrial design labs. No matter what it’s called in your school, these spaces and the people who lead them are incredible. They provide students with an area at school that offers a break from the pressure of strict academic work and allow for more creative, hands-on learning.

Johanna Marshall, a teacher at Ridley High School in Pennsylvania, shared a session with her students to explain how they took an outdated industrial design lab and transformed it into a welcoming, student-centered maker space where everyone could contribute.

Students formed a Girls Who Code club and worked collaboratively to create working mazes. Later in the year, students made functional interlocking stools that tested their skills.

Lessons shared for those looking to create their own maker space included starting where you and your students are, only accepting useful donations, buying equipment with product support, and asking for help when you need it.

Inspirational as always, ISTE 2023 was a great reminder for all of us to focus on what’s possible and to celebrate student achievement at every opportunity.

What were your key insights from ISTE 2023? Tell us how we can support your goals to reach students and encourage their creativity. Share your thoughts with us @3Doodler or #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate.

Quick Tips to Support Social-Emotional Learning

A little time goes a long way to make social-emotional learning strategies stick!

Students benefit when they learn to manage their emotions, set and achieve goals, feel and show empathy for others, and create strong relationships.

As adults, we use these skills daily, so it makes sense to give students a chance to test their social-emotional strategies during the school day. And best of all, it’s often more manageable than it seems to incorporate a few social-emotional learning opportunities into a traditional lesson. Best of all, students walk away with more than just a good grade but tips they can use for life.

National SEL Week — March 6-10

The Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning (CASEL) offers comprehensive educational resources and research to support students, teachers, and parents.

CASEL recommends three daily practices that help support students in their SEL growth. The signature practices are very straightforward and include the following:

Three Daily SEL Practices:
  • Welcome Inclusion Activity – Builds community to tackle the word ahead. Examples include whole group meetings, morning circles, and peer-to-peer work.

  • Engaging Strategies – Offering interactive and reflective moments. Examples include partner discussions, private think time, or brain breaks.

  • Optimistic Closure – Highlights a sense of accomplishment and supports forward thinking. Examples include a one-minute accolade or a shared takeaway.


Test out these social and emotional learning tips in recognition of National SEL Week from March 6-10, 2023. The week will culminate with SEL Day on Friday, March 10, to showcase these tools’ powerful impact in uplifting hearts and connecting minds — the theme for this year’s week of activities.

Doodling Activities to Support SEL

It’s easy to see how working in 3D could be leveraged to support CASEL’s three daily practices in unique and creative ways. For example, a class could work together on a large 3D printing project as a welcome activity, or students could create individual items to share with a larger group in a morning circle activity. Doodling also provides a fun outlet for students to enjoy while using interactive and reflective moments or even acting as a brain break. Lastly, it’s fantastic to wrap up a lesson, like the ones featured below, with a key takeaway or accomplishment.

This week, explore the following lessons and recognize the value of social and emotional learning!

Grade K-2: Stone Soup

3D pen art: Small chocolate fish on K2 DoodleStoneSoup main.

Stone Soup is a classic children’s story in which a hungry stranger convinces people in a small village to contribute food to make a meal everyone enjoys and serves a moral regarding the value of sharing.

The class will hear the original tale and learn about the value of working together. Then, students will be able to create their own doodled stones using the chosen nouns. Working with a partner, they will create four different story stones. Finally, students will use their story stones as writing prompts, incorporating them into a simple story with a beginning, middle, and end.

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Grade 3-5: Puppets and Props Story Retelling

Hand holding cat puppet, 3D pen art

In small groups, students will enact a scene from a book with the class. But, with a unique twist, they will create and use doodled finger puppets to share their story with the class. Retelling a story is a fantastic way to build language, speaking, and listening skills. Plus, working together and having an opportunity to design with a 3D pen offers a creative outlet that students will enjoy. The final puppet shows will reflect an understanding of story structure, sequence, and reading comprehension.

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Grade 6-8: 3Doodler Stop Motion

Close-up of yarn 3D pen toy figure.

Stop-motion animation is a fantastic way to teach students about story structure, think creatively, and work together on communication and teamwork skills. Students will work in pairs or small groups to identify fictional themes in this activity. Next, they will choose a scene representing the theme and doodle their characters and props in 3D. Once ready, they will enact the scene and create a stop-motion animation. The experience will help students build confidence and share their ideas as they work with their peers.

Get the Lesson

National SEL Week is an opportunity to recognize the value of social-emotional learning and find ways to incorporate it into your day. Tell us how your classroom incorporates SEL and tag us @3Doodler #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate.

March is Youth Art Month

Youth Art Month celebrates the visual arts each March with student exhibitions, public artworks, art festivals, and school events.

Established in 1961 by the Art & Creative Materials Institute (ACMI), the creators sought to emphasize the value children derive from art education. Today Youth Art Month is coordinated nationally by the Council for Art Education (CFAE).

3Doodler is delighted to support the visual arts and inspire young creators to use their imagination and bring their ideas to life. Explore Youth Art Month activities and learn how to engage with 3Doodler’s community to celebrate the visual arts!


New York Youth Art Month Poster New York Youth Art Month Poster

Your Art, Your Voice

This year participants will recognize the month through the theme “Your Art, Your Voice.” In addition, participating states host various activities, from a state flag design contest, local and state Youth Art Month proclamations, and art shows at state capitals and legislative buildings.

The celebration is intended to bring attention to visual art’s value in developing critical thinking skills, raising multicultural awareness, and encouraging technical, communication, and expression skills.

The Texas Art Education Association kicks off Youth Art Month with a Big Art Day, where grades K-12 participate in art events across the state. Big Art Day will take place on March 2, 2023, featuring 1,000 art activities.

In Illinois, students participate in a statewide art show hosted by the Illinois Art Education Association. The submissions are reviewed by a panel of judges who select 45 participants to feature in a statewide slide show that travels across the state.

Visit the Council for Art Education to learn more about Youth Art Month events and activities in your state.

Inspiring Young Artists

3Doodler looks to inspire young artists in the classroom and at home through lessons, projects, stencils, tutorials, and more. All these resources are readily available in the 3Doodler resource library and the 3Doodler App.

The 3Doodler App is a great way to encourage budding artists to expand their ability to draw and create in 3D. Through the app, young artists will find stencils, tutorials, and other art prompts to jumpstart their creativity. Plus, they can share their latest doodle creations with the community via an online gallery. The photos featured are from Doodlers like you. In addition, fellow artists can comment on shared designs and offer support. It’s a fantastic way to build community and celebrate art.

Explore Your Creativity

Get started by creating one of the following projects to celebrate Youth Art Month!

Collage Display

Small 3D pen art - bulletin board with photos and phone.
Create a wall display for some of your favorite artwork. Hang it in your room or a common area in your home to celebrate artistic expression all year!

Get Started


Action Figure

Black bug with yellow and red wings on white surface 3d pen art
Design and personalize your action figure to represent your art and your voice. Use our stencil to start with the basic shape and add details all your own!

Get Started


Keepsake Box

3Doodler creates blue pattern on small wooden ring box
Personalize a box for one-of-a-kind keepsakes, jewelry, or other items you want to keep safe. Follow our pattern using your favorite colors, or create a unique design!

Get Started

We’re excited to see what you create during Youth Art Month. Use our project ideas or create free-hand to share your art in your voice. Share your projects with @3Doodler or tag #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate!

It’s Engineers Week!

This week is all about engineering as we explore the many contributions this field and the people in it have made to improving our world.

Science, math, and technological literacy help us engage in engineering and solve problems to help those around us. So let’s learn more about these fields and see how we can contribute with 3Doodler tools as an early introduction to 3D printing, creative problem-solving, and breaking down how things work.

Change Makers

Engineer’s Week began in 1951 by the National Society of Professional Engineers (NSPE) to highlight engineers’ critical role in society. The week coincides with President George Washington’s birthday, as he is often described as America’s first engineer. But engineers go much further back in history, and their contributions are vast.

Look around you and imagine for a moment all the things in your life that engineers have played a part in creating. The list is endless. Engineers have contributed many ways to improve lives, from electricity to the telephone, cars, airplanes, and computers.

Meeting an engineer is one way to help demystify the field and learn more about what engineers do. DiscoverE, the organization that sponsors Engineers Week, hosts monthly Chats with Change Makers to speak with a real-life engineer and learn about a new field. Explore past episodes or join the next one live to learn more about technology fields.

Creating the Future

In addition to meeting engineers, young people can explore the various engineering disciplines at school or home with easy-to-follow lessons. This week we’re sharing a few challenging and fun engineering lessons to build and test designs in 3D.

The engineering design process offers a way of thinking that you can apply to solve a problem. Each step provides new information about the situation and encourages you to think critically about how you might solve it. Engineers often repeat the process to come up with the best possible solution. Working as a team, you can share ideas and find new perspectives by involving others.

The Engineer Girl offers a simple way to think about the engineering design process. It’s also a great place to start exploring careers in engineering and learning more about the field.

Design Like an Engineer

Working with friends has never been better as students explore STEM-focused design challenges that span sports, architecture, and design. These 3Doodler lesson plans will inspire critical thinking and opportunities to apply the engineering design process.

Grade K-2: STEM Doodle Hockey

STEMDoodleHockey with 3D pen art: Plastic construction on table.

Time to hit the ice! Students will design a template and doodle the best hockey stick in this exciting lesson about design and function. When they’re ready, it will be time to test their hockey sticks out on the ice to see which stick can shoot a puck the farthest and with the most accuracy through a goal. Game on!

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Grade 3-5: STEM Doodle Engineering Challenge

Toy ladder & gun on floor, 3D pen art

With just a few materials, students will be challenged to build the tallest tower. Students will work together and use critical thinking skills to make predictions, record observations, and analyze their structures. It’s a lesson in design thinking they be talking about for weeks to come!

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Grade 6-8: STEAM Design Challenge

Orange chair with purple trims created using 3D pen art

Using their 3Doodler 3D pens, students will attempt to create a functional chair under intense time constraints and with just a few materials. Will they be up to the challenge? Time will tell!

Get the Lesson

Engineers Week is an invitation to celebrate problem-solving and find ways to make the world a better place. Share how engineering inspires you #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate.

A Winter Wonderland: 3D Ice Castle

Ice sculptures, castles, and palaces are wonderfully artistic and inspire the imagination just as the temperatures begin to drop.

3Doodler took inspiration from the wintry weather and the long history of icy architecture to create a stunning 3D ice castle. See where we found our inspiration and design an ice castle with our latest stencil!

Ice-Inspired Architecture

Ice castles and palaces have popped up in all sorts of cold-weather locations around the world, from Montreal to Switzerland and even St. Paul.

Montreal has a long history of ice castle creations. Before modern technology, people cut ice blocks from the frozen St. Lawrence river. Montreal’s first ice palace was designed for the Winter Carnival of 1884. In addition to the ice palace, the Winter Carnival featured snowshoe races, toboggan slides, and sleigh rides.

Seeking to attract tourists and following Montreals’ lead, organizers in St. Paul, Minnesota, built an ice castle in 1885. In fact, the city has created 37 ice palaces of all different shapes and sizes to date. Today, the ice palaces appear less frequently. In fact, they are often organized to coincide with significant events, like the Super Bowl in 2018. The city of St. Paul features a video explaining how the project came together with a stunning result.

The Jungfraujoch Ice Palace penguin sculptures. The Jungfraujoch Ice Palace penguin sculptures.

In the 1930s, mountain guides in Switzerland carved corridors and hallways with picks and saws in the center of the Jungfraujoch Ice Palace. Today, artists continue to astound visitors with eagles, bears, and penguins carved in ice. Beautiful as it may be, bundle up if you plan to visit. The temperature is a frosty -3 degrees celsius.

Designing an Ice Castle in 3D

The 3Doodler team took inspiration from traditional ice castles created with blocks of ice and more modern interpretations, like the ice palace from Disney’s Frozen. The 3Doodler ice castle stencil offers a series of easily made shapes. You can create a small or large castle by attaching the pieces together.

In the 3Doodler version, we used four large sides, two medium sides, and two small sides. Attaching these shapes together, we created alternating sides for the ice castle. If you wanted to create a larger castle, you could continue to make the side shapes to build out the castle design. Follow the process step-by-step in the ice castle tutorial.

Stay tuned for more ice-inspired designs by a guest artist. The possibilities are endless. Share your designs with us by tagging #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate.

Honoring the Life and Legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The civil rights movement was a fight for equality for African Americans under the law in the United States. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. led the movement along with other civil rights activists in the 1950s and 1960s.

Revisit the history of the moment and engage students in an important classroom discussion about the work of Dr. King and other civil rights leaders. As you explore historic events, consider creating the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama, which was the site of the Selma-Montgomery March in 1965.


Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks at the 1955 bus boycott. (National Archives) Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks at the 1955 bus boycott. (National Archives)

Civil Rights Movement

Slavery was abolished at the end of the Civil War, but it didn’t end discrimination against Black people in the United States. The fight for equality would begin in earnest in the mid-20th century and continue for the next two decades.

After reconstruction, the South implemented a series of “Jim Crow” laws to erase gains made after the Civil War. The laws restricted voting rights for African Americans, banned interracial relationships and allowed businesses to separate clientele based on race.

On December 1, 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat to a white male passenger on a bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Police arrested Parks, and word of her situation spread quickly, igniting a series of protests. As a result of her act, Parks is known as the “mother of the modern-day civil rights movement.”


Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the March on Washington. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at the March on Washington.

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

In response to Parks’ arrest, Black community leaders in Alabama formed the Montgomery Improvement Association (MIA). Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. led the MIA, a role that put him front and center in the fight for civil rights.

Through King’s leadership, the African American community experienced more progress toward racial equality in 13 years than in the past 350 years. Dr. King took inspiration from his faith and the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi to lead a nonviolent resistance that included protests, grassroots organizing, and civil unrest.

King was elected president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) in 1957 to provide organizational leadership to the civil rights movement. In 1963, he led a coalition of groups in nonviolent protest in Birmingham, Alabama. The brutality that ensued by the city’s police force led to national outrage. Later that same year, King led the March on Washington, where he gave his famous “I Have a Dream” speech to an audience of a quarter-million people.

King became the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize in 1964 at 35. Also, in 1964, due in part to the March on Washington, Congress passed a landmark Civil Rights Act ending legal racial segregation in the U.S. Congress passed the Voting Rights Act a year later, in 1965, a result of the Selma to Montgomery, AL March for Voting Rights.


The Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama. The Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Alabama.

Relive a Moment in History: Selma to Montgomery

In January 1965, Dr. King led a coalition of activist groups to call for voting rights in Selma, Alabama, where despite repeated attempts, only two percent of Black voters were registered. The campaign saw mass arrests but little violence until February. Then, in Marion, Alabama, state troopers joined local police to break up a march. A state trooper shot a protester who later died from his wounds.

In response to the death, activists set out to march from Selma to Montgomery. While Dr. King was in Atlanta, Hosea Willams and John Lewis led the march. The marchers made their way through Selma across the Edmund Pettus Bridge. A blockade of state troopers and law enforcement officers ordered the marchers to disperse. When they refused, the troopers attacked the crowd with clubs and tear gas. Television coverage of the event, “Bloody Sunday,” as it became known, sparked national outrage.

On March 21-25, 1965, Dr. King participated in a federally sanctioned march from Selma to the steps of the capitol in Montgomery, Alabama. President Johnson signed the Voting Rights Act of 1965 with Dr. King and other civil rights leaders on August 6, 1965.

Make a bridge through history by recreating the Edmund Pettus Bridge in 3D. It’s an opportunity to learn from events of the past and understand the legacy of Dr. King and other civil rights leaders. The 3Doodler tutorial and stencil provides a straight-forward way to recreate this historic bridge.

Share your experience with us and tag @3Doodler or #3Doodler #WhatWillYouCreate on social.

 

Fall into STEM with Lessons for K-8

Boost classroom confidence through a series of STEM lessons that enable students to work in teams and engage in critical thinking skills. Science and math concepts can sometimes be hard to understand. With a unique hands-on approach, students will grasp new ideas in no time!

The 3Doodler lessons span grades K-8 with creative exploration that will have students embracing new ideas. Combine these activities with other resources we’ve rounded up for a completely new approach to tried and true topics.

Grade K-2: Basic Needs of Plants & Animals

To survive, plants and animals have different needs, which we can break down in this hands-on lesson. Students will break into groups and explore the needs of plants and animals using the free worksheet. Working together, they will first trace or draw the symbols for the items listed on the sheet. Then, they will doodle their designs using a 3Doodler Start+ 3D printing pen. Once the symbols are ready, students can use a Venn diagram to compare the needs of the animals with the needs of plants. Students could deepen their understanding by studying the needs of animals from different habitats.

Consider closing this lesson with a video and resources from Plum Landing by PBS to see how plants and animals thrive in a city. This colorful and creative lesson will invite playful exploration of what animals and plants need to survive!

Grade 3-5: Cloud Doodles

With the change of seasons, there’s no better time to observe the science around us. A quick look up at the sky reveals many scientific observations, and for this lesson, we will be looking at different cloud types with a fun twist. By working in small groups, students will be asked to learn about four different types of clouds, study their shape, and research the weather conditions associated with each cloud. Once the research is complete, the students will create cloud doodles and then repurpose them as everyday objects, animals, or people — a poodle, a boat, or car fumes.

Extend learning with a lesson on how clouds affect climate from NASA. Students will appreciate the vital role clouds play in the water cycle and reflect on their understanding. What do you see when you look at the clouds?

Grade 6-8: Bridging the Gap

Bridges have played an essential role throughout history in providing access to routes to transport people and goods. Over time, the design of bridges has evolved from a simple slab to modern structural marvels. In this lesson, students will work in small groups to explore different bridge shapes and their structural elements.

Challenge students to create a bridge that spans 20 centimeters and test its weight-bearing ability with a small car or other materials. Gradually increase the weight to see which group built the strongest bridge. It’s a fantastic way to combine multiple subject areas, from history, architecture, and design to science, math, and engineering. Encourage the teams to reflect on what worked well, what didn’t, and how they could have improved their design.

Consider kicking this lesson off with a bit of history. The oldest surviving bridge in the United States is the Frankford Avenue Bridge in Philadelphia, built in 1867. It played an important role in linking Philadelphia to cities in the north, namely Trenton, New York, and Boston. Speaking of New York, the iconic Brooklyn Bridge was completed in 1883 and was the longest suspension bridge of its time. Much more to learn about the role bridges have played throughout history!

Hack Life with Everyday 3Doodler Projects

With a 3D pen, you can create anything you can think of at home or in a classroom. Why not craft Doodles and create some genius solutions along the way?

Whether you’d like to organize your cables, create decorative storage for your jewelry, or keep those pesky flies off of your snacks, our collection of popular, practical stencils will help you hack everyday life with a touch of creativity. Take a look at a round up of innovative 3D pen ideas for the 3Doodler Start and 3Doodler Create+!

Practical 3D Pen Projects to Hack Life


3D pen art: Dog with baseball bat on its back

Puppy Earphones Wrap

For 3Doodler Start and 3Doodler Create+

Organize your earbud cables with your very own handmade puppy headphones holder. Use our stencil and never get those cables in a twist again!

3D pen art showcases a tree with various jewelry hanging.

Joy for Jewelry Trees

For 3Doodler Start and 3Doodler Create+

It’s easy to lose jewelry pieces without a place to store them. This jewelry tree project allows you to display your jewelry and keep everything organized. Follow our stencil to make this perfectly practical project!

Colorful 3D pens and pen cup on desk

Delightful Desk Organizer

For 3Doodler Start and 3Doodler Create+

Time to declutter that desk! This pragmatic desk organizer stencil is here to help. Pick your favorite colors of 3D pen plastics, turn that 3D printing pen on, and start Doodling your way to orderliness!

3D pen art: Fruit on table with cord

Coolest Cord Holder

For 3Doodler Create+

Use our practical cord holder stencil and some FLEXY 3D pen plastic refills to organize your cables in style.

3Doodler craft: Cake on plate with plastic cover.

Shoo-Fly-Fabulous Food Cover

For 3Doodler Create+

This adorable food cover will help those pesky flies bugger off! Use the best 3D pen and our easy-to-follow stencil to bring it to life, then take it on your next picnic.

3D pen art: Wineholder with wrapped string around bottle.

Whimsical Bottle Holder

For 3Doodler Create+

Next time you need to BYOB, bring your favorite glass bottle in a DIY FLEXY bottle holder, which you can make from our groovy stencil. Guaranteed to wow fellow beverage fans – they’ll be whining for their own!

We want to see your life hack Doodles. Please share your hack-tastic creations with us on social media!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #LifeHacks#WhatWillYouCreate

Extend Learning With Free Resources

We know how valuable ready-to-go learning activities are. That’s why we have so many available for free, just for you.

We’re here to help by sharing free classroom resources, which include lessons written by teachers for teachers, webinars, tutorials, hundreds of stencils, and more. We’ve got just what you need to plan your curriculum and enhance learning with 3D printing pens throughout the entire school year. We’ve put together a list of our resources to help you set up your learning environment for success for many years to come!

3Doodler’s Free Learning Resources


Colorful 3D pen art on blue background

K-12 Lesson Plans Bring Learning to Life

Our lessons are made by teachers and include step-by-step instructions, vocabulary words and activities, and they also include educational standards such as Common Core, NGST, CSTA, and ISTE. Get ready for your students to be engaged in project based learning and having fun exploring concepts in STEM.

Browse Lesson Plans

Various 3D pen art on table

STEM Stencils

We have over 300 stencils available for free on our website. From cranking V-8 engines and hydraulic claws to the Eiffel Tower and the Golden Gate Bridge, our versatile stencil library will bring hands-on learning projects to a variety of subjects in your curriculum.

Browse Stencils

Person 3D doodling on computer screen.

Webinars and Tutorials for Whizz Kids

We have an archive of educational webinars and tutorials that link with lesson plans and projects! From language arts activities that bring characters to life to diving into chemistry and creating 3D atoms, our webinars are great ways to enhance learning in your classroom.

Webinars / Video Tutorials / Web Tutorials

Phone with 3D pen & app introducing 3Doodler

There’s an App for that!

With tutorials, stencils, webinars and more, the free 3Doodler App has tons of educational projects that can be Doodled directly off of a tablet screen safely with the 3Doodler Start! If using the Create+, just be sure to place a Create DoodlePad on top of the tablet before Doodling.

Get the Free 3Doodler App

Be sure to follow us on social media for weekly teacher tips, classroom inspiration, teacher spotlights, giveaways and more! We’re on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest and Linkedin. Follow us so you don’t miss out on the fun!

We want to see how you use 3Doodler EDU in your learning environment! Share your 3D classroom projects with us on social media, and be sure to tag us so we can share what you’re doing with our community.

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #WhatWillYouCreate

Teacher Tips: Preparing for the New School Year

Planning for back to school can seem daunting, especially given the current uncertainty regarding whether to teach students in the classroom or remotely.

Our back to school tips and resources will help you prep with ideas to keep remote learning hands-on, and our list of engaging lessons for all grade levels will help you launch your school year with success.

Tips for Hands-On Remote Learning

The 2020-2021 school year will likely be fully or partially remote for many teachers, so we’re sharing resources that can help you integrate hands-on projects into your virtual learning environment.

  • If your class is partially remote, plan a hands-on project that students can do remotely. Send students home with 3D pens and plastics for an activity, then have them share their projects with the class in a virtual classroom meeting. Sanitize the 3D pens once they are returned to your classroom to keep your tools clean and safe.
  • Use our 3Doodler EDU Webinar archive and our free lessons to extend your hands-on learning projects. Great for the the classroom or the living room!
  • Add the free 3Doodler app to your classroom app tool belt. It is filled with tons of educational, tactile projects to make Doodling as easy as 1, 2, 3D!
      • Students can Doodle with the Start pen directly on the tablet screen safely. If using a Create+ pen, tape a DoodlePad on the screen to protect the tablet.

Plan Lessons Ahead

We’ve picked some great lessons for each grade level to help you plan for back to school. Crafted by teachers, each lesson has step-by-step instructions to make it easy for you to implement. Common Core, CSTA, NGST and ISTE standards are included in our lessons to help you fit them into your curriculum requirements.

Lessons for Grades K-2

Doodle-Sole-Charms (Sense of Touch & Sight)
Time: One 45-minute session
Skill: Beginner
Grades: K to 2nd

In this lesson, students will work with a partner to investigate two of their five senses, touch and sight, and then identify various patterns using these senses. Students will doodle "sole-charms" for their sneakers using the soles of their shoes to create the texture. Students can then attach to the charms to the laces of their sneakers.

MATH: Comparing Numbers with Doodle Gator
Time: Two 45-minute sessions
Skill: Beginner
Grades: K to 2nd

In this activity, students will work in pairs to doodle models which will be used to identify sets of numbers as greater than, less than or equal to. Students will hear the story of Doodle-Gator, a hungry, number-chomping gator who always likes eating the largest number, and Equal Eagle, who loves balancing numbers of equal value on her wings. This will help students remember the meaning and proper usage of these math symbols used to compare numbers.

Lessons for Grades 3-5

Dial up the Sun! Patterns on Earth and in Space
Time: One 45 minute session, which must be followed up over 6 consecutive hours. *Conduct this activity on a sunny day!
Skill: Beginner
Grades: 3rd to 5th

In this activity, students will work in pairs to design an innovative gnomon for a functional sundial. Students will record data regarding their observations about the length and position of shadows cast by the sun over a series of 4 hours. Based on this data, students will make inferences regarding patterns to predict the length of the shadow and its position over the next 2 hours.

Pentomino Puzzler (Geometry)
Time: One-two 45 minute sessions
Skill: Intermediate
Grades: 3rd to 5th

In this activity, students will work in pairs to create a set of 3Doodled pentominoes and then assemble them to solve the 6x10 rectangle. Pentominoes are tetris-like shapes that your students will enjoy designing and working with, as they're problem solving. The focus of this lesson is on the "Standards for Mathematical Practice," which compose the critical components of thinking and reasoning.

Lessons for Grades 6-8

ELA: 3Doodler Stop-Motion
Time: One 45-minute session
Skill: Intermediate
Grades: 6th to 8th

In this activity, students will work in pairs or small groups to identify the theme of a fictional text, summarize a scene that best reflects the theme, and create a 3Doodler stop-motion animation to enact the scene. Creative thinking skills will be integrated into this hands-on project that will help you assess your students' level of comprehension.

MATH: Doodler Dice Rollers
Time: Two 30-40- minute sessions
Skill: Intermediate
Grades: 6th to 8th

In this activity, students work in pairs to doodle dodecahedrons (12-sided) and icosahedrons (20-sided) to use in a math game that practices order of operations. Students will then create their own Doodle Dice Roller games to practice math skills.

Lessons for Grades 9-12

The Basic Unit of Life: Prokaryotic and Eukaryotic Cells (STEM)
Time: Two 60-minute sessions
Skill: Advanced
Grades: 9th to 12th

In this activity, students will work in pairs to doodle two cell models, one of a prokaryotic cell, and one of a eukaryotic cell. The students will build all parts in each model such as the nucleus, plasma, cytoplasm, mitochondrion, etc. The student pairs will analyze and record the differences and similarities between the cells.

Doodle-Atoms
Time: Two 45-minute sessions
Skill: Intermediate
Grades: 9th to 12th

In this activity, students will work individually to create a Rutherford model of an atom. Students will also work with a partner who will be responsible for double-checking their work for accuracy as the project is worked on. Their work will be shared with the rest of the class and displayed for other classes to see.

Want more free K-12 lessons? Browse our 3D Pen lesson library.

Do you have back to school tips to share with our community of teachers? Please post them on social media, and be sure to tag us!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU

Featured image courtesy of Meredith Beed.

Lessons require a 3Doodler Start pen (ages 6-13) or Create+ pen (ages 14+) and 3Doodler Start 3D pen plastics or Create+ 3D pen plastics. We have 3Doodler classroom sets and Learn From Home Sets for differing learning environments. Our 3D pens and 3D pen plastic refills can be purchased on our website or on Amazon. 

Note: 3D pen plastics are not cross-compatible between the Start and the Create+.

Creative Projects to Bust Summer Boredom

How can you prevent a summer slump this time of year? Despite the lovely weather and freedom that summer break brings, often the familiar words “I’m bored” fill the air. Bring in the boredom busters!

These easy projects provide fun and creative ways to bust summer boredom, no matter which 3D printing pen you have. Spark imagination and build excitement. Have your 3D pen plastics handy and get ready for a craft-tastic time with your 3D Build & Play, 3Doodler Start, or 3Doodler Create+!

Projects for 3D Build & Play


3D pen art: Toy giraffe and horse on toy blow dryer

Spectacular Story Settings

Tell new and exciting tales with our free downloadable story backgrounds! Find your favorite new backdrops here, print them out, and let your imagination run wild.

3D pen art with toys on table.

Extend Your Play Full STEAM Ahead

Go full STEAM ahead by extending your storytime play with tech! See this amazing example of a stop-motion animation film made with the 3D Build & Play characters. Take your adventures to the next level with stop-motion animation.

Projects for 3Doodler Start


Golf ball shadow captured in small handheld 3D pen art!

Flashlight Projectors for Spooky Summer Stories

Tell spooky summer camp stories with custom flashlight projectors. Make them with our free stencils or create your own!

Plastic animals standing on wooden table - 3D pen art

Ping Pong Safari

Create a collection of your favorite safari animals with our safari animals tutorial. Simply use a ping pong for the base of your animal, add their features, then it’s safari time!

Projects for 3Doodler Create+


3D art: Purple bird feeder hanging from tree with green background

Beautiful Bird Feeder

Build a bird feeder in any color you like with our easy-to-follow stencil. Pick your favorite 3D pen plastic refills and start Doodling!

3D pen art of a small chocolate hedgehog.

Hedgehog Hider

Create your own hedgehog hider by following our fun tutorial. A perfect storage spot for your tiny bits and bobs.

What are your favorite 3D pen ideas that bust summer boredom? Let us know on social media, and be sure to share pictures of your projects!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #BoredomBusters #WhatWillYouCreate

Cool Projects for Summer Break

Summer is nearly here!

Now that school is coming to a close, we’ve got some fun projects to help keep your creative spirit high this season. No matter if you’re Doodling from home, a makerspace, or summer school, you’ll enjoy the creative process of making these projects, as well as the cool Doodles you’ll have when you’re finished! All of these activities can be made with the 3Doodler Start or the 3Doodler Create+ pens.

Who’s ready to start creating in 3D?

Stellar Doodles to Celebrate Nasa’s SpaceX


Plastic rocket on table - 3D pen art

Rockin’ Rocket Doodle

Build your own rocket model with our out of this world stencil. It will be out of this world. Lift your Doodles off of the page and celebrate SpaceX’s lift off! Make it with our free stencil here.

Chocolate donut created with 3D pen

Doodle to the Moon and Back

Create your own moon with this stencil, or even an entire mobile of the planets in our solar system. Follow our stencil here to explore outer space hands on.

Fun Fashion for Warm Weather Vibes


Woman wearing 3D pen art earrings in close-up

Fancy Floral Earrings

Want to have one of a kind earrings that are sure to wow your friends? You can create your very own flower-themed earrings with our easy stencils. Compliments guaranteed! Make it with our free stencil here.

Flower-adorned S Hippie Glasses created with a 3D pen.

70s Hippie Glasses

Embrace your favorite 70s music with these fun, groovy glasses. Perfect for selfies and festival vibes.
Follow our stencil here to tune into your inner flower child.

Custom Tools to Document Your Summer

3D pen art on small green & grey notebook cover.

DIY Book Cover

Make a custom journal to log your summer experiences! Use FLEXY with the Create+ for a flexible journal cover, or use any other plastics with the Start or the Create+ pens for a hardback. See the project here.

3D pens in blue box on white surface

Perfect Pencil Box

Add a custom pencil box to your creative space to store your pens, pencils, and markers. Decorate it based on your favorite colors and themes. Use our stencil here to bring the pencil box to life!

Projects to Salute Summer Snacks


3D pen art: Cookie dough, cutter and table.

Coolest Cookie Stamps

Everybody loves cookies! Make your own custom cookie stamps with this neat stencil. You can even get creative and make your own cookie stamp designs. Dress up your cookies with our free stencil here.

3D pen art: Backpack, phone, and wallet on table

Fun Food Badges

Dress up hats, shirts, bags, and more with DIY pins of your favorite food! I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream badges as cool as these. Follow our stencil here to start creating.

There are so many projects to help you launch into summer. What will you create?

Please share your amazing creations with us on social media!

@3Doodler #3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #WhatWillYouCreate

Bring Summer Reading to Life in 3D

Did you know that summer reading often promotes academic achievement more effectively than summer school does?

Books provide a great summer escape, and reading develops students’ comprehension and their ability to retain information. Research suggests that learners who read over summer break show a significantly higher level of literacy and academic gains. This same study shows that the progress made by summer readers is equal to, and sometimes even greater than, the achievements made in summer school!

As school comes to a close and summer weather heats up, students might be reluctant to pick up a book. So, how can parents and teachers get learners excited about their summer reading list?

Dioramas are impactful projects that support student creativity and imagination, as well as enhance learning. The process of creating a diorama supports three dimensional thinking, hands on learning, creative problem solving, and artistic expression. Learners must use critical thinking skills to pick a scene from a book, plan their project, then bring their ideas to life in 3D.

In short, dioramas are a surefire way to bring fun, creativity, and enhanced learning to the summer reading list. Just share these easy steps below so learners can bring their favorite summer read to the third dimension.

3Doodler Summer Reading Design ChallengeA diorama activity for all grades!

Materials:

Now it’s time to make your diorama

The featured diorama is based on Animal Farm
  • Farm and animal 3D pen art on card.
  • Tabletop 3D pen art: cute fake animal creations.
  • 3D pen art featuring farm animals on grass
  • 3D cake with cow atop - 3D pen art
  • 3D pen pigs in plastic house
  1. Read a book from your summer reading list.
  2. Choose a scene from the story that you want to bring to life.
  3. Integrate at least five aspects of the scene you selected into the design.
  4. Next, plan your design. Brainstorm how your figures and scene props will look, and how you will include them. Sketch a draft to help you visualize the outcome.
  5. Use the 3Doodler pen along with upcycled materials to create a scene based on the sketches you came up with.
  6. Once your diorama is complete, share it on social media!

You can browse our free stencils for figurines, chairs, trees, cars, and other items you may want to include in your project.

We can’t wait to see reading come to life in 3D! Share your projects on twitter, instagram, or facebook, and be sure to tag @3Doodler.

#3Doodler #3DoodlerEDU #SummerReading #WhatWillYouCreate

The featured diorama is based on one of our favorite summer reads, Animal Farm, by George Orwell.

Learning how to learn with 3Doodler Learning Packs

Recently we had the opportunity to interview Oletha Walker of JFK Elementary School, and Blair Cochran of Melrose High School, both of whom use the 3Doodler Learning Packs in their classrooms.

Upon first glance, Oletha and Blair’s classrooms are quite different. Oletha Walker is a charismatic Challenge Resource and Project learning teacher of a young and dynamic group of students from grades 3-5. Her class is all about getting messy and having fun while learning. Blair Cochran is an outstanding high school Science teacher, with an ambitious group of students who are passionate about the subject. He leads his students to delve deeper into a topic, to ensure they truly understand it. Despite their differences, they have one thing is common: both classrooms enjoy hands-on learning experiences.

Visualizing concepts in 3D with Oletha’s class

Oletha is a strong believer in the benefits of hands-on learning to help engage both the left and right side of the brain. She believes it encourages trial and error, embracing and learning from mistakes, and trying again.

With the 3Doodler Start Learning Pack, Oletha’s students are able to put their thoughts into something that’s visual and tangible.

This is not new to them, as Oletha’s classroom is equipped with a traditional 3D printer – which sounds very cool. In practice however, Oletha found herself having to sit next to the printer to keep the students away from it due to its heat warnings. Her students could only standby and wait for a single print to be shared with the whole class.

“The 3Doodler frees up time” – Oletha

"This little tool is a game changer. I have seen students that usually have low motivation come to life when they have this tool in their hands. It does not matter what their learning abilities are, anyone can successfully use this tool."-Oletha Share

Ever since introducing the 3Doodler to her class, every student has access to their own tool and is able to quickly and easily create their own item. There is no concern over anyone being injured, because the pens’ tips don’t reach high temperatures. Now Oletha has the freedom to circle around the class, guiding, monitoring, and giving feedback. More of her lesson plans can be accomplished because the students are able to work quickly and analyze and revise their designs before class time is over, as there is no downtime waiting for the printer to complete the layering. “As we all know, there is never enough time in one class to accomplish all that you would want,” Oletha commented.

Design, Build, Modify

In one of her classes, Oletha’s students were tasked with designing their own aquaponics system that could be used in someone’s apartment. Traditionally, a lesson like this would be limited to drawings, but with the 3Doodler, this lesson went to a whole new dimension. Her students were able to demonstrate their ideas more accurately with their 3D designs, make needed modifications, and build discourse around what they were designing.

What’s next?

For the next school year, Oletha is excited to have the entire school reimagine their town. Each person will imagine a futuristic version of their town and then create a model using the 3Doodler. This will be displayed so visitors to the school can see how the students envision their town to become.

Exploring and testing new learnings in Blair’s class

A typical lesson in Blair’s class goes like this: the class discusses the new topic for 10 minutes, then actively explores that topic further (which can take on a bunch of different formats), followed by some reading up and videos to strengthen their understanding of it. Blair likes to break down the topics into bite-sized chunks so the students can focus on a single understanding and how it is linked to other ideas.

What Blair’s students love the most about using the 3Doodler is the ability to physically create what they have pictured in their mind. When it comes to exploring a new topic, the students are able to ‘sketch’ their understanding of it and test it out. Moreover, Blair appreciates how easy the students have found this tool is to use.

"There was very little start up time. All my students were using the pens successfully within a couple of minutes."-Blair Share

Connecting the dots

During a lesson on circuits, students used the 3Doodler to create 3D models of voltage in a circuit. Blair has found that students typically struggle conceptually with this unit. What Blair has done for years is draw the circuit and have the students draw the 3D images of the voltage. With the 3Doodler, the students were able to physically create these plots instead. “I believe that the ability to create these models gave the students a new way to access the concept, and thus provided more students a pathway to learning,” Blair commented.

What’s next?

For the next school year, Blair is looking forward to incorporating the 3Doodler Learning Packs into the school’s MakerSpace and more of his classroom units.

Interested in our EDU Learning Packs?

Learn More

We want to say a huge thank you to both Oletha and Blair, for graciously welcoming our team into their classes. We had such a great time and were overjoyed to see the students using the 3Doodler and having fun with it.

Introducing the new 3Doodler EDU Learning Packs

Anyone who is familiar with the 3Doodler brand will recognize that our Purpose is to inspire and enable everyone to create. As a tactile tool, there’s a natural fit of our product in learning Art & Design, STEM, and other academic disciplines, corroborated by the growing demand from classrooms over the last few years. To continue to meet students’ learning needs, it’s important for us to constantly improve our EDU products and ensure the best possible classroom experience for our users.

A first glance of our Learning Packs

Designed with teachers, for their classrooms

We have spent countless hours working on the redesigned Learning Packs, with the outcome of an easier, better experience for teachers and their student users. Finally, with the launch of these products today, we’d like to share the thinking behind the new design!

All our 3D pens are made to be as simple and easy to learn as possible, avoiding obstacles between a user and their ability to create. This quality had to be carried through every aspect of the new EDU Learning Pack product experience, from the moment the teacher and students open their boxes, to when they make their first doodle. And what better way to truly understand the needs of teachers and students in the classroom, than to ask teachers?

3 Design Thinking Pillars

After numerous consultations with teachers who use the 3Doodler, it became clear to us that there were 3 consistent themes in what they were looking for:

Simple to understand

“If they don’t use it, lose it.” The first step to making our Learning Packs more valuable, was by removing components that don’t add value for teachers. We took out what they thought was least useful in the EDU Bundle, making room for more items, such as education-specific learning materials and robust containers.

With the contents that remained, we redesigned the creatives, the wording, and the overall layout, to make the information more clear, concise, and easily digestible. We also learned that teachers and students find it easier to process images rather than words alone, so we added more visual examples, and less text, in our guides.

Efficient use of time

Teachers are busy people. Finding the time to plan a new lesson is a challenge, let alone to introduce a whole new way of enabling student learning. To overcome this, we had to find a solution that helped teachers save time – before, during, and after the class. An important component in saving time for teachers was to make the Learning Packs extremely accessible to students, so that they could take charge of their own learning journey with 3Doodler.

"Students can help themselves to their own pens and accessories, and grab plastics from the huge assortment available in the Plastics Kit." Share

The new Learning Pack contains a Teachers’ Kit, Students’ Kits, and a Plastic Kit. Before class, the teacher can familiarize him/herself with the Teachers’ Kit, which comes with a checklist of items to go through, a cheatsheet, and lesson plans and activity guides. During the lesson, the class can refer to a specially designed poster (included in the Learning Pack) on doodling basics. A troubleshooting guide and set of tools is also available for quick fixes. By creating multiple easy-to-grab Student Kits, students can help themselves to their own pens and accessories, and grab plastics from the huge assortment available in the Plastics Kit.

Separating out the kits this way makes the material management easier for the teacher. They no longer need to spend time on distributing the tools and figuring out all the components, eliminating confusion and chances of errors. Student teams will also appreciate a sense of ownership over their own kits! After the lesson, students simply have to return all materials into their compartments, ready for the next class.

Friendly and intuitive to all

The Activity Guide and free lesson plans, tutorials, and stencils on our website have all been designed with teachers, and with the aim to inspire everyone to create, no matter their age or artistic ability. Building a dinosaur fossil may appear overly ambitious, but not if you have a stencil you could print and use. A roller coaster model seems impossible to make? Not if you can follow a step-by-step guide.

There are ideas for everyone, and limitless things to create, play with, and learn from. All it takes is to start.

Check out our new Learning Packs here

Learn More

Think Like A Doodler

The other day, my fifth-grade students were brainstorming problem-solving technologies for future homes. Hands immediately flew up in the air. “Robots that wash dishes!” “Robots that walk your dog.” “Robots that do your homework.” I finally had to stem the tide of robotic responses with a reminder that these things already exist.

I challenged students to think beyond what they’ve read and seen to come up with their own ideas. “Think like a Doodler!” I told them! My students immediately understood the meaning of this directive, because doodling has been at the heart of so many of our classroom activities. Through their doodling experiences, my students have learned the following:

Creative 3D pen art with a question mark by Daniel Seghers

Doodling is Inquiry-Based

We always begin doodling by posing a question or problem. This is followed by a design process that paves the way to new learning. Within this format, the teacher serves as the guide, while students take the lead, doodling their ideas, testing them, improving them and retesting them in a fun, motivating fashion. Problems spawn solutions.

Small plane with propeller 3D pen art: Top teacher tips for doodling quotes.

Doodling to Connect The Dots

Doodling is a physical experience that taps into prior learning while building neural pathways. I call this “connective learning,” because doodling bridges the old with the new, conflating the two into sparkling innovations. Doodlers know that great ideas come from thinking across experiences. Leonardo Da Vinci would have made a great doodler in the way he stemmed the tides of disciplines, like anatomy, geology, and mathematics in his inventions.

Doodler's imaginative square with intricate shapes - 3D pen art

One Doodle in a Million

Doodles come in all different shapes and sizes. There has never been (and never will be) a one-size-fits-all approach to doodling in our room. Students are amazed at the range of solutions generated by their peers when given a doodle-design challenge. Doodling is an open-ended way of thinking that encourages a vast array of opinions and perspectives nurturing a growing bank of possibilities.

Hand holding globe with heart 3D pen art - Think Like A Doodler Quotes

Empathic-Doodlers

Doodling enhances thought through feelings. Doodlers are receptive to the needs of others, connecting in ways that go beyond words. When you doodle, you open your heart to different perspectives, cultures, and ways of being. Characteristics like kindness and compassion not only generate ideas, they enhance our world.

For students to think like Doodlers, teachers must allow them the freedom to expand their frame of mind, nurturing a new language of invention that embraces doodles of all shapes, sizes, and color. Doodlers know that great ideas result from a diversity of lines and textures, awakening our creative spirit.

So, when was the last time you encouraged your students to think like a Doodler?

Julia Dweck is a public school teacher who works with students in grades K-5, focusing on the importance of creative and open-ended thinking. Julia is the 2016 winner of the Da Vinci Science Award for her innovative integration of technology in the classroom.

She serves as a school resource and exemplar for inventive implementation of the arts and sciences. Julia encourages her students, friends, and peers to take risks, whenever possible, in order to grow. Follow her on Twitter @GiftedTawk