In the fall, I wrote a grant for drones. One little dream, led to this. With the help of the Manatee Educational Foundation and The Manatee County ACT department, these 4th and 5th graders are exploring drones. These specific ones are from the WOZU Education department. That's right, WOZ as in the infamous Steve Wozniak. "WOZ" is instilling his love of learning into a future generation and we are forever grateful for his investment.
Why Drones? Drones are being used for everything from environmental science to animal studies,using drones to transport organs and supplies and so much more!
Drones require specific aerodynamics to fly. The way the propellers spin changes the way a drone turns or moves across a 3-dimensional space. Maneuvering a drone requires practice and teaches an understanding of aerodynamics along with Newtons laws of motion.
Cognitive Development and Critical Thinking It doesn't matter whether you're flying a drone indoors our outdoors. Reacting to changes in flight patterns or environment allows your child to improve the cognitive reasoning skills. They will gain a better understanding of cause and effect. And they will be better equipped to make quick decisions under stress.
It's easy to see that kids enjoy flying these drones but they have also benefited my classroom. They have risen engagement levels, boosted confidence, increased teamwork. Our pilots are getting better every day. Their next challenges include picking up payloads and bringing them back to their base. They will have to calculate weight, if your payload alters with each flight, you’ve got to know exactly how that’ll affect your upward thrust. More adventures ahead!!!