The Onshape Teaching Symposium is a virtual event bringing together educators who use Onshape in K-12 and higher education to share teaching methods and best practices, discover project and lesson ideas, and see examples of student work.
Who Should Attend
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Educators looking to find inspiration, ideas, and community.
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Teachers of any level - middle school, high school, or beyond - looking to begin using Onshape as part of their instruction or level up their existing use of Onshape.
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Education users, hobbyists, or makers curious how Onshape is being used in education.
What You'll Find
- You will hear from teacher innovators, Onshape experts, and industry leaders using Onshape to create new products.
- Teachers from upper elementary to university level will come together to discuss how Onshape can be used in the classroom to unlock creativity, promote inclusion, and enhance collaboration.
- Interactive breakout rooms will allow you to participate in discussions with educators and Onshape experts on topics such as technical tips and tricks, design thinking, competitions, student projects, and more.
Agenda
Welcome and Opening Remarks
Jordan Cox, PTC
Insider Insights Keynote: Bringing 3D to the Masses Through Education
John McEleney, Onshape
Onshape truly represents a break from the past. For the first time, cloud-native CAD is unlocking the creative potential in young people all over the world and enabling a revolution in STEM education. Hear from former SolidWorks CEO and Onshape co-founder how Onshape is transforming the way students and professionals engage in design.
Panel Discussion
Chris Rogers, Tufts | Steve Vasiloff, Saline HS | Additional Panelists TBA
Hear from educators, thought leaders, and industry insiders how the STEM revolution is changing the way schools do education and companies do business. Panelists will discuss how technologies like Onshape are unlocking new teaching methods, supporting the development of critical skills, and enabling new pathways from school to the workforce.
Interactive Breakout Rooms
Technical Tips and Tricks for Teaching with Onshape
Can a 7 Year Old Do CAD?
Onshape for Teams
Onshape in the High School Classroom
Advanced Applications with Onshape
Do you have a specific interest in secondary school STEM classes, teaching design at the college level, or would you just like to learn more about Onshape? We have a session just for you. These breakout rooms are meant to be interactive, so bring questions or ideas! See the event details section below for more information.
Industry Insights Keynote: Making Products that Make a Difference with Onshape
Ian Gardiner, Avidbots
Based in one of Canada's hotbeds of digital innovation, Avidbots prides itself in fostering a culture of creation and sharing of ideas. Learn more about the role of Onshape in Avidbots' product development process, and the "magic carpet" that the company has created to meet a variety of customer and societal needs.
Closing Remarks
Matt Shields, PTC
Session Details
Panel Discussion
These experts represent a broad range of educational levels and areas of interest and will share their ideas on CAD, education, design, and innovation. We will explore questions such as:
- What is the role of project-based learning and STEM in the future of education?
- How can CAD - specifically cloud-native CAD - be used in the classroom beyond drafting?
- What skills and mindsets are most important for the next generation to develop?
- How can cloud-native technologies enhance inclusion and equity in education and the workforce?
- How will education, engineering, and product development be different in the future?
Interactive Breakout Rooms
Featured Speakers
John McEleney, an entrepreneur and industry luminary, has spent his career transforming businesses, driving corporate strategy and forecasting what’s next in product development and manufacturing. As co-founder of Onshape and former CEO of SOLIDWORKS, McEleney has led more than one revolution in 3D design and experienced firsthand the close relationship between education and product development innovation.
Jordan has spent the last 30 years working in industry and academia as a mechanical engineer and professor specializing in product development, engineering design & analysis, and now leads the Education team at PTC.
Chris Rogers is a founding member of the Tufts Center for Engineering Education and Outreach and served seven years as the Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Tufts University. As the John R. Beaver Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Chris is interested in engineering education, educational robotics, and education outreach.
As a Senior Mechanical Engineer at Avidbots, Ian designs intelligent and helpful cleaning robots to assist people in their daily lives.
Steve is using Onshape in all of his classes: Introduction to CAD, Advanced CAD I, Advanced CAD II, Computer Aided Design, and Computer Integrated Manufacturing courses. His students use it for everything from the basics all the way up and through fully functional complex assemblies like a twin vertical steam engine.
Laurent is the founder of techademics.xyz, a company dedicated to unlocking the creative passions of young people. Through his unique blend of technical expertise and whimsical project ideas, Laurent has students as young as seven years old creating designs and products in Onshape.
McKenzie is an engineer on the PTC education team, supporting a variety of programs and partnerships. She attended Worcester Polytechnic Institute before joining PTC through the Technical Rotational Leadership Development program. Following the program she joined the PTC Education team, where she leads partnership relations and assists with user enablement. She works with organizations like FIRST robotics, where she is able to bring her experience as an alum, mentor, and volunteer to help other teams utilize Onshape.
Drew Bennett earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Maine in 2021. Before joining PTC as an Education Technical Services Engineer, he worked in precision machining and CMM inspection for various companies in Maine. Throughout his education, Drew developed a passion for 3D Modeling and working with the FIRST community, and continues to do so in his spare time.
Naomi is a former classroom teacher with fifteen years of teaching experience, along with dual degrees in computer science and engineering. In Washington state, she started and ran a highly successful engineering program and robotics club, which she still supports while working full-time as a Curriculum Specialist with PTC.
Matt earned his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Tufts University, where he developed learning environments to enable students of all ages to engage in authentic engineering practices. He is now the manager of education innovation with PTC Education, supporting researchers and teachers pushing the boundaries of what's possible with Onshape.
Matt is a former classroom teacher with sixteen years of teaching experience, along with a masters degree in mechanical and aerospace engineering and a PhD in curriculum and instruction. In Charlottesville, Virginia, Matt started and ran a highly successful engineering program and a science club. Matt still teaches physics at the University of Virginia while serving full time on the education team at PTC.