Empowering Students with STEM

All you have to do is ask Hala about the inventions her students have made with Strawbees and she can lead you on a full classroom tour of all of the things they’ve made – a helmet with a flower on top, a lie detector hat, robots of all sizes including one that dances when you clap, a dog that moves, a safe that will swat anyone that tries to take money from it...

A garbage can that automatically opens and a rock-paper-scissors game all made with the combination of Strawbees, recycled materials, and the micro:bit. And she would have even more inventions hanging from the ceilings of her classroom if it weren’t for the fire marshal. 

“I challenged them one day to make a frog because the Strawbees frog is so cute. I love those frogs. I had all of them hanging from the ceiling but then I had to take them apart. The fire marshals didn’t like it though. But I did tell them that, ‘If you can recreate the frog, I’ll show the principal and you’ll get some candy!’ They loved the challenge.”

With Strawbees, Hala finds it easy to spark the competitive spirit in students. Giving them all of the steps and just telling them to do it could be too boring or overwhelming. She uses her own spark for creativity and invention to inspire them, even when they are intimidated by robotics and coding. 

“I don’t just say ‘Make a robotic dog that walks and wags its tail’. That would overwhelm them. Instead, I say, ‘Build the body. Don’t attach the head yet. Let’s learn how to make the tail spin.’ Once we’ve coded that, then I ask, ‘Now, how would you attach this to the tail?’ And they can figure it out on their own.”

Lessons naturally build on each other. Kindergartners build simple shapes and then the first graders recreate what they built. Second graders add to it and write code. By third and fourth grade, they are working on themed projects – from silly trash cans, to alarm clocks to safes. By the fifth grade, they can explore more inventing.

“I realized that if I taught code step-by-step, I’d lose them. But if I presented it as a challenge, something competitive, they’d be all in. They’re smart and tech-savvy. I just show them the tools. I spread code snippets around the room, and they figure out how to put them together.” 

Teamwork becomes natural as fast learners help others and the kids who need support get hints and help. With the help of Bobbi Starling in her district and the Strawbees team, Hala was able to take on her role effectively, and the way parents also feel proud of what her students create gives Hala even more passion in her role.