Strawbees

What obstacles might students face in STEM education? For students with physical and mental disabilities, not every school is an inclusive place. But Strawbees and BirdBrain joined forces to remedy this. In this lesson, kids use Strawbees tools and Hummingbird Bit to design accessible playground equipment—making inclusivity a priority while practicing STEM skills.

The Strawbees STEAM kits provide students with a complete solution built for hands-on design, engineering, and programming. Each kit is comprised of reusable and recyclable straws and connectors that fit together and kids can create structures or robotic mechanisms with complete customization. Plus, teachers can find lessons or activities within Strawbees Classroom.

You might already know that the micro:bit is an extremely versatile STEAM tool. It’s also, however, compatible with a bunch of other technologies, like the Finch Robot 2.0, Hummingbird Bit, pi-top CS Kit, and more. Those are not the only STEAM solutions on that list, however, so we explored one of those other in-depth EdTech kits in the Strawbees micro:bit

The Strawbees Classroom platform is now accessible to any educator, and the Strawbees team has made a bunch of improvements to the LMS. Now, teachers can try a giant library of Strawbees example activities, share their own project guides, and directly assign new challenges. With access to the portal, engineering and exploration in elementary STEM is much easier.

Access the full replay of our webinar with the Strawbees team, including all the noteworthy nuggets we shared about the versatile Strawbees invention kits, STEAM learning, and SEL. You’ll also learn about using the Strawbees hardware and content in SEL lessons, providing building materials for each student, and navigating Strawbees Classroom to extend STEAM projects.

The Strawbees STEAM kits can add value to all learning environments, allowing students to explore their creativity and bring their ideas to life through hands-on building and trial and error. Students can learn about everything from shapes and geometry to constructing bridges, designing 3D models, or building flow, block, or text programs in Strawbees Code.

Xaviera receives $100 to put towards school supplies every year but, as we know, this isn’t always enough to create impactful STEM experiences. While thankful for that money, she’s also explored STEM grants to further her resources. Particularly as she works to improve her STEAM lab, these new materials will be super helpful for her and her students.

Like so many educators, Jolie has been challenged to find a creative way to continue providing STEM programming for kids from a distance. Many children and parents aren’t yet fully comfortable with in-person programs, so, with a little ingenuity, Jolie has adapted the museum’s offerings to allow for students to try various STEM activities at home.

This first webinar is scheduled for Wednesday Sept. 15 at 3:30 PM ET. Since SEL (understandably) is very closely tied to students experiencing new emotions and communicating their thoughts, it’s connection to hands-on, exploration-based learning continues to grow. So, we’ll be focusing on how to integrate SEL in the classroom this school year.

We have awarded our educational technology grant for the month of April to Creighton Helms of the Gervais School District. Creighton serves as the principal of the Gervais Elementary School in Gervais, OR and has really worked to create relevant STEAM learning opportunities for the students he supports.