Drone Dialogue: How Drones are Preparing Students for a Successful Future
By Thayne Casper, PCS Edventures
The world can’t stop buzzing about drones. From same-day deliveries to search and rescue missions, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have spent the last few years innovating the modern world. As the tool of the future, emerging drone technology has found a place in nearly every aspect of our lives, and it’s easy to see why. Drones unlock remote areas once only accessible by helicopter, make jobs like agriculture and surveying jobs easier, and with perhaps their biggest draw, drones are lighter on the wallet. But that’s not the only impact UAVs are having.
Drones are stimulating education in ways we’ve never seen before.
On top of providing students with hands-on learning, drones introduce STEM through a thrilling, airborne platform. Unlike conventional learning models, UAVs 1.) open the classroom to individual exploration, 2.) boost engagement and retention rates, 3.) construct critical thinking and problem-solving skills and 4.) provide students with vital connections to emerging career and degree paths. From building the talents needed to succeed in an increasingly drone-filled world to delivering foundational experience with new technologies, systems and methods of learning, drone programs have been invigorating classrooms across the country. For more information on how drones nourish education read Drones and Hands-On STEM education.
Outside of constructing, configuring and learning to fly, drones are also helping students become more compassionate members of society. To highlight precisely how UAVs are helping students engage with the world, earlier this month, PCS Edventures, a provider of STEM learning solutions, introduced the How would you drone? Drones for Good Video Contest. Challenging 13–18-year-old students to submit a 60–90 second video detailing how they would use drones to solve global issues, this contest has over $15,000 worth of drone prizes up for grabs, for both the student and their school, and we want you to get the learners in your community involved!
By asking students to view drones as humanitarian tools, we’re bridging the gap between the classroom and the real world, inspiring learners to put their critical thinking skills to the test as they utilize new STEM technology to contribute to a global conversation. Drones key in on 21st Century Learning Standards, and as a pathway to career technical education, it’s no wonder why educators are so curious about the aerial robotics platform.
If you’re interested in exploring what a drone program can do for your learning environment, check out PCS Edventures’ premiere STEM learning solution, Discover Drones. As an open-source, modular educational UAV kit, this program utilizes a multi-platform learning approach to get students building, configuring, flying and exploring in a safe, secure and lawful manner. A turn-key STEM solution, Discover Drones has been invigorating education in classrooms across the nation.
Learn more about the How would you drone? Drones for Good Video Contest
