New Shaper Classroom Guide Brings Hands-On Experience to Shop Class and STEM Education

Shaper, the human-involved robotics company focused on making precision woodworking easy and accessible, is redefining technical education in the classroom with the introduction of the new Shaper Classroom Guide for educators. Created as an educational companion to Origin, Shaper Tool's easy-to-use handheld CNC router that brings digital precision to the craft of woodworking, the Shaper Classroom Guide helps instructors teach digital design skills, creative thinking and problem solving.

"We believe that hands-on learning is key to a successful education," said Joe Hebenstreit, CEO of Shaper Tools. "Critical thinking, problem solving and the practical application of knowledge are increasingly important in order to provide students with a bright future. With Shaper Origin in the classroom, the traditional shop class experience is safely and creatively elevated to teach students about project design, building principles and basic computer-assisted manufacturing techniques."

Shaper Origin is an easy-to-use handheld CNC router. With automatic cut correction and an intuitive touchscreen interface, Origin allows students to accurately create a variety of woodworking projects. Combined with Shaper Workstation, which functions as a fixturing and precision workholding solution, students can quickly create projects that open up a world of woodworking, joinery, fine furniture making and much more.
"Adding Origin to a classroom or school shop class is a great way to build on existing tools that you may already have," noted Hebenstreit. "In recent years, classrooms have adopted machines like 3D printers and laser cutters. Combining those with Shaper Origin to further expand students' capabilities and broaden their creative possibilities is a win-win."
The Shaper Classroom Guide is a collection of projects and training resources designed to get educators and students productive on day one with Shaper Origin. The projects are meant to easily adapt to existing curriculum and are fun and engaging for students. Teachers can continue the discussion with other educators on the Shaper Forum, and gain inspiration from ShaperHub - another resource for teachers and students to find additional projects and ideas..
"Our students are interested in creating things," says Mel Goodwin, the STEM coach at Laing Middle School of Science and Technology, in Mount Pleasant, South Carolina, and an Origin instructor. "When we ask what's appealing about a particular project, they always tell us that it's the opportunity to make their own idea, to create their own thing. Shaper Origin, puts them in a position to create products that they really couldn't imagine before. We've found that having Origin in the classroom gives a range of possibilities that simply doesn't exist with any other tool that is likely to be available to a middle school student."

"With a traditional CNC machine and a class of 35 kids, only one student at a time could learn how to program the CNC and 34 other kids would have to watch. That doesn't work very well," said Joe Campbell, CTE instructor, with Glendale High School in Glendale, California. "When I saw Shaper Origin, I said, ‘wow, this could work for us.' This means multiple students can be working on the Shaper Origin at the same time, And you don't need, necessarily, the big wood shop that a lot of the schools have lost. One of the interesting things about Shaper Origin is that as soon as you use it one time, your brain is filled with ideas of what you're going to do next."

"Our math teachers really like it because of the grid system and the geometry involved with Origin," noted Anthony Agundes, shop teacher at Cunha Intermediate School in Half Moon Bay, California. "To me it is math in a practical application. It's been a really good tool to use for these kids and they're really enjoying doing it. When they finish they ask me what our next project is, what are we going to do next?"

"Having the Shaper Origin in the classroom definitely highlights the skills that we're trying to develop in the students to get them ready for post-secondary life, working with industry standards and working with companies that are looking to hire new personnel" said Brian Reed, coordinator of STEM and Digital Learning for the Rockwood School District in St. Louis, Missouri. Reed also oversees all of the industrial and engineering technology programs at the district, including the use of wood, metals, geometry and construction and also oversees online learning. He continued, "These skills developed by using the Shaper Origin really prepare them to fill those roles. They're excited to use it. They've actually taken ownership of incorporating the Shaper Origin into other projects that they've been working on in the class, which has not happened before we got them."

The Shaper Classroom Guide includes how to use the Shaper Origin and Workstation and topics such as scanning, designing, cutting, classroom projects, learning resources with helpful videos and links, safety recommendations, work area set-up, a settings guide, tool recommendations and even a helpful grant writing guide for teachers needing additional resources to fund Shaper Origin and Shaper Workstation in the classroom. Teachers interested in obtaining the free Shaper Classroom Guide can visit shapertools.com/edu to download the free guide.
Shaper is a human-involved robotics and woodworking company focused on making precision cutting simple and intuitive. Shaper Origin is its flagship product: an intuitive handheld CNC router that brings digital precision to the craft of woodworking. To learn more about Shaper, visit shapertools.com or on Facebook and Instagram @ShaperTools.