Empowering Teachers With Creative STEM Tools
As an Instructional Technology and Library Consultant, Judy Bowling provides support and professional development to educators in Wayne County focused on the effective use of instructional technology in the classroom. This includes supporting them in maker-centered learning and STEM education.
Her mission: make STEM approachable, scalable, and fun for every educator.
Judy Bowling
Instructional Technology and Library Consultant
Wayne RESA
Michigan
Background
With a long background in education, Judy has worked as a classroom teacher, technology specialist, library media specialist, media and technology coordinator, and now supports teachers throughout Wayne County, Michigan.
“I like using Strawbees because they foster creativity, hands-on learning, and critical thinking. Students can build something simple or something complex using robotics, encouraging them to explore engineering and design concepts. Strawbees are also reusable and open-ended in nature, helping students bring their ideas to life in a fun and engaging way.”
She loves providing authentic learning experiences that spark ideas, elevate creativity, and engage students while making meaningful cross-curricular connections that deepen understanding and promote real-world learning.
Implementation
Strawbees is a versatile tool that can be used across all grade levels. Its flexibility allows teachers to easily scale activities up or down and integrate them into their existing curriculum.
“Teachers don’t have a lot of extra time as they’re committed to covering their curriculum. That’s why we like to use materials like Strawbees to make meaningful connections to what they’re already teaching—but with a creative, hands-on twist that gets kids thinking and building.”
Outcomes
Teachers consistently give positive feedback once they’ve had the opportunity to work with Strawbees. The materials are playful, inviting, and user-friendly. The straws are easy to connect, and when combined with the robotics components, they allow students to build surprisingly sophisticated and durable creations.
Once teachers had the chance to get hands-on with Strawbees, the experience shifted their perspective as they quickly saw how the tools could be integrated into their own lessons. She also helped teachers explore using recycled materials, like milk jugs and manila folders, to create custom connectors. Given the variety of projects students work on, durability remains an important factor.
“Not all straws are created equal. A straw might just be a straw, but what makes Strawbees stand out is their durability and the variety of shapes and sizes they offer.”
Drawing on both her experience and adaptability, Judy has successfully integrated Strawbees into a wide range of lessons from science activities to creative extensions like promoting STEM through literature. She’s used books to inspire design thinking challenges and even had students build historical artifacts to represent different time periods. With so many teachers eager to bring STEM into their classrooms, Strawbees has become a go-to tool.
“They’re very much a part of the work we do with maker-centered learning and STEM education,” Judy shares. “Strawbees are open-ended and full of possibilities that you can take in any direction. From creative play and design thinking to high-level construction and robotics, the versatility is incredible.”
