Educators are often celebrated as our nation’s quiet heroes – dedicated, inventive, and unwavering in their commitment to helping others succeed. They are role models who shape the future for our children. And like any hero, they never stop learning themselves.
For Cary-Anne Cope and Carrie Smith, two educators from Little Elm ISD in Texas, being a great educator isn’t about knowing all the answers, but about showing students what they can learn when they don’t know something – and are willing to try something new.
Rebuilding the Learning Zone
From a National Institute of STEM Education (NISE) – certified district, Lakeview Elementary librarian Cary-Anne Cope and 5th grade science teacher Carrie Smith are leading the charge to bring 21st-century STEM to young learners. These days, “21st-century STEM” isn’t its own subject, but a collection of essential life skills applied daily across modern jobs, hobbies, and more. STEM is part of everything now, in ways both big and small.
“These kids have always had technology in their hands,” Cary-Anne points out. “It’s a regular part of their lives.”
Despite interacting with STEM constantly, kids aren’t always interacting with it consciously. That’s a big part of the problem. If students can’t see how resources like technology are connected to STEM, they’re not holding tools, but toys.
“The concern is that kids today will be unprepared for their futures because they haven’t learned how to collaborate, communicate, think critically or creatively. They need the four Cs,” says Carrie Smith.
Cary-Anne agrees. “Kids want instant gratification. They get frustrated easily when they’re used to having things done for them and suddenly have to figure things out themselves.”
Both educators know the challenges of getting kids to embrace productive struggle are numerous: short attention spans, absenteeism, fear of failure, and a dislike of working with others are just a few. Meeting those obstacles takes more than lesson plans – it takes persistence, creativity, and the kind of quiet leadership that often goes unseen. The truth is, neither Cary-Anne Cope nor Carrie Smith wear superhero capes; their powers are more subtle. But they do have a secret weapon or two: Pitsco’s hands-on tools.
The Four Cs as a Multisensory Experience
After years of teaching in an evolving classroom, watching students’ needs change alongside instruction, these two educators have learned something important: students miss hands-on experiences.
“It’s interesting,” Carrie says, “these kids want to do activities by themselves. But when you put a big challenge like the Drone Maker Kit in front of them, they’ll immediately start talking to each other, trying to figure it out. They can’t get enough.”
Unlike solving problems on a worksheet, activities like the Drone Maker Kit reward patience, effective teamwork, and analytical thinking with something tangible. If students take the time to think like engineers, they not only get to build a drone, but watch it fly. And the Drone Maker Kit is just a small part of Carrie and Cary-Anne’s project-based classrooms.
“We incorporate the four Cs in everything we do,” Cary-Anne explains. “We think about what accomplishing that looks like and sounds like and create a space based on that.”
Those essential Cs aren’t just for the students. Both educators have teamed up to develop a continuous life cycle of learning from Kindergarten through fifth grade, stemming from Cary-Anne’s first days as a librarian, when she realized the power of collaboration.
“You don’t always have to know exactly what you’re doing to be successful. You have to be willing to rely on others and figure it out together – no matter what it is,” Cary-Anne says.
Carrie agrees. “Our kids are digital natives. I remember the first time with the micro:bit coding tool – I learned more from the students than I expected!”
For kids of all ages, learning isn’t just about the content itself, but the skills developed through the process of getting there. When working with the micro:bit, kids had a chance to become teachers for the adults. This experience not only reinforced important skills like communication and critical thinking as kids walked the class through a how-to on hard and software interaction, but also boosted their confidence. They felt purposeful because they saw their knowledge was valued.
“I had several parents reach out to me because their kids were asking for their own micro:bit to continue practicing coding at home,” Carrie says, thrilled.
The kids saw the pocket-sized computer as more than an extension of the classroom. For them, the STEM tool was a means of inclusion in a wide world of technological possibility; video game development and animation wasn’t just for professionals – it was for them too.
One Tool to Do It All
In the Little Elm school district, six of the seven elementary schools are Title I. Like all teachers, those in Little Elm feel the pressure to make the most of their budget. But their schools’ statuses mean funding must support broader initiatives, like minimizing achievement gaps on a community level. This added responsibility means even more is at stake when selecting educational resources.
Classroom tools need to be super engaging, but cost effective. Be educational, and have more than one use case. They need to allow students to explore the real world in depth, and be flexible enough to be used across disciplines. Educators are tasked with finding an almost mythical sounding resource and incorporating that unicorn into their classroom. Ask Carrie and Cary-Anne, and they’ll tell you they have just the tool.
Bee-Bot’s learning magic may feel like a miracle – but it’s really just great design at work.
“Math and literacy benchmarks are up. Kids are excited to come to school, so absenteeism is down. We use Bee-Bot® all the time, as a whole class and at independent workstations.”
Both educators find that Bee-Bot’s impact isn’t limited to younger grades. While the resource is designed for K–2, Carrie and Cary-Anne say 4th and 5th graders are enthusiastic about any opportunity they get to use them. It puts challenging subject matter in a context that’s familiar to them: technology.
“We write our own curriculum,” Carrie says, “and we write in lessons that incorporate the Bee-Bot® because it’s so popular among our students, whether they learn visually, by listening, or hands-on.”
Bee-Bot® has become a key tool in interdisciplinary learning at Lakeview. When kids see the yellow bee and mats, they instinctively smile, ready to focus and problem-solve. Whether the goal is for a small group to program Bee-Bot® to the correct answer of a math equation, or a single child using Bee-Bot® to practice connecting new words to their definitions, the uses are seemingly infinite and always cross-curricular. The most important part? Students enjoy the process of learning, so small mistakes along the way stop being reasons to give up.
Heroes of Their Own Futures
Together, Carrie Smith and Cary-Anne Cope (and Pitsco!) have revitalized elementary education at Lakeview. Using hands-on STEM solutions, they’ve put 21st-century skills first, taking a room full of hesitant students and turning them into curious, creative, contemplative, and communicative thinkers. Courageous enough to lead their own learning, move beyond temporary failure, and inspire motivation in others, these kids are proving to be true classroom heroes.
For even more lesson inspiration, download our free Bee-Bot® Learning Activity Guide or explore video resources