Today’s school teachers are constantly faced with the challenge of engaging their tech-savvy studentsFinding user-friendly tools that enable project-based learning, differentiated instruction and common core standards-aligned lesson plans is time-consuming.
The use of drones in instructional activities gives students a concrete example of how STEM concepts can be applied and utilized in the real world. Drones hold students’ attention and engage them in an activity, so students can more effectively master and apply skills that they learned during instruction.
Benefits for all students
The book “Drones in Education: Let Your Students’ Imaginations Soar” helps educators see the benefits of introducing the use of drones into the curriculum as a tool for improving student engagement.
One key benefit of using readily available, hands-on technology like drones in the classroom is that it provides student-centered, technology-driven learning for girls and other underrepresented groups who may never have been exposed to it otherwise.
Real-world application
Drones have become a powerful business tool in many sectors, including real estate, military, manufacturing, farming and transportation. They are being developed to use in countless areas of commercial and civil government applications. Goldman Sachs estimates the drone sector to be a $100 billion market by the year 2020. A report released by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International projected more than 100,000 new jobs in unmanned aircrafts by 2025.
These industries need highly skilled people to lead them. More and more universities are developing drone degree and certification programs to meet these demands. Introducing this technology into K-12 schools allows students to become experienced with the tools at an early age and gives them a head start in the job market. Moreover, the technology offers a hands-on approach to teaching that is proven to be successful. As more technologies find their way into the school curriculum, students will also become more experienced in problem solving and critical thinking skills that are essential to their future.
