DroneBlocks curriculum: hands-on coding with Crazyflie Nano

With the rising give attention to STEAM schooling, the demand for partaking, hands-on studying instruments is extra important than ever. DroneBlocks has turn into a preferred selection for educators trying to convey drones into the classroom, providing a complete curriculum that caters to varied talent ranges. So is DroneBlocks curriculum any good, and what’s it like?

I’m a former instructor, with 6 years of expertise instructing early elementary. After that, I used to be an elementary college principal for five years. I’ve seen my justifiable share of curriculum, so I used to be desirous to see what DroneBlocks would educate. Whereas I’ve by no means beforehand reviewed a drone curriculum earlier than, I put this one to the take a look at, going by means of it myself with a important, principal’s eye.

Right here’s my evaluation of the DroneBlocks curriculum, and my suggestion of what kinds of school rooms it’s good for.

DroneBlocks goes past conventional digital coding instruments and classroom robots by introducing college students to programming by means of drones. The system gives skilled growth assets for lecturers, coding platforms for college students, and a user-friendly app that makes it simple to entry coding classes proper within the classroom.

Utilizing the Crazyflie Nano drone, college students can program flight patterns, actions, and instructions with block-based or text-based coding.

DroneBlocks curriculum value (and else you want what you’ll want)

DroneBlocks gives a curriculum package deal priced at $495 per yr, granting entry to over 40 programs that cowl a variety of matters. From drag-and-drop block coding to superior programming in Python and JavaScript, the curriculum is designed to accommodate completely different studying phases and pupil skills.

A standout function of the curriculum is the inclusion of a drone simulator. With it, college students can follow coding and flight expertise in a digital setting earlier than flying actual drones.

Initially designed for the DJI Tello, DroneBlocks shifted to utilizing the Crazyflie Nano after DJI stopped producing the Tello. The Crazyflie Nano is offered for buy on their web site individually or in bulk packages of 10 drones. (This system nonetheless helps the DJI Tello EDU.)

Whereas there are nonetheless some references to the DJI Tello all through the curriculum, they’re minimal and unlikely to confuse college students or lecturers. (DroneBlocks is engaged on updating these references to align with the Crazyflie.)

The Crazyflie drone

Weighing simply 27 grams and becoming comfortably within the palm of your hand, the Crazyflie Nano is ideal for indoor use, making it perfect for classroom settings. Its small measurement reduces the chance of injury to the drone and the environment, making it a secure and manageable choice for college students studying to code and fly.

The Crazyflie Nano has a comparatively quick flight time of simply 8 minutes, with professionals and cons. Whereas it could be a brief interval for college students desirous to fly the drones, it additionally means educators want to search out time to cost them between courses. Luckily, the Crazyflie Nano prices rapidly.

Nonetheless, the quick flight time encourages college students to give attention to coding and problem-solving. When working by means of simulations, they’ll want to think twice about essentially the most environment friendly coding course of to get from level A to level B.

Along with the drones, college students will want entry to computer systems. Many faculties use Chromebooks, however any laptop computer is appropriate. You’ll want not less than as many laptops as drones.

DroneBlocks: skilled growth

Each yearly DroneBlocks curriculum buy features a free 2-hour skilled growth session. The session will be attended by any variety of lecturers, and I’d suggest sending all educators who will likely be utilizing the curriculum.

Faculties can select a time slot that matches their schedule, although it’s a good suggestion to plan as slots refill rapidly. This 2-hour coaching isn’t only a generic overview. It’s a tailor-made expertise that may be personalized to suit lecturers’ wants, pursuits, and questions.

The session covers all the things from getting began with the drones to troubleshooting connection points, with a give attention to sensible classroom purposes. The coaching doesn’t cease on the fundamentals—DroneBlocks gives extra instruments like Miro boards for lesson planning and a customized jobs wheel program for classroom administration. These considerate touches present that DroneBlocks understands the distinctive challenges educators face and is dedicated to supporting them each step of the best way.

Whereas lecturers could discover it robust to suit one other two hours of coaching into their schedule, this specific coaching feels helpful, informative, and like a normal good use of time.

Given this system’s value (particularly with the added expense of drones), investing in instructor studying is crucial.

A glance contained in the DroneBlocks curriculum

The DroneBlocks curriculum principally hones in on instructing college students the right way to code. It’s damaged into varied classes that every entail 2-10 video classes. Most movies are about 5 minutes lengthy.

Nonetheless, lecturers shouldn’t anticipate to easily play the movies every day as an educational instrument. Like every curriculum, lecturers might want to spend time reviewing the supplies and making a plan that works greatest for his or her classroom.

{Hardware} classes

Nonetheless, it does educate sensible constructing, too. For instance, the primary course covers the right way to construct the Crazyflie Nano drone. The meeting course of took me about quarter-hour, guided by a principally useful video tutorial that was a bit difficult to observe at occasions. In a classroom setting, this might take not less than half-hour, so it’s a good suggestion for lecturers to construct a drone earlier than this class and have a transparent system in place for labeling and storing the drones.

Whereas difficult, the meeting course of gives a superb alternative for hands-on studying, instructing college students not simply the right way to fly drones but in addition how they work.

Printed directions with clearer pictures would have made the method smoother, and sadly, DroneBlocks doesn’t provide printed supplies for many programs. Nonetheless, the trial and error concerned in constructing the Crazyflie Nano provides to the educational expertise. College students would seemingly profit from the chance to problem-solve and troubleshoot throughout meeting, making ready them for the challenges they might face in coding and flying.

Software program classes

A standout course is “Welcome to Mars,” which challenges college students to program their drones to navigate a simulated Martian panorama, mixing coding with creativity and problem-solving. The curriculum creates backstories for why college students want to finish missions, which helps construct engagement.

One other standout course is Block Coding – Math Version, which integrates coding workout routines with math issues. This course is ideal for lecturers trying to incorporate extra STEM content material into their classes, because it encourages college students to use their coding expertise in a mathematical context. The mix of coding and math creates a dynamic studying expertise that retains college students engaged and challenged. This course additionally comes with printable worksheets that align with the teachings, a function I want all programs included.

Who’s the DroneBlocks curriculum for?

The DroneBlocks curriculum, paired with the Crazyflie Nano drone, gives a wealthy and fascinating instructional expertise. The curriculum is comparatively reasonably priced in comparison with others, however the startup prices will be vital, particularly when investing in Crazyflie drones.

College directors contemplating this curriculum ought to guarantee there’s a devoted instructor who’s captivated with STEM, extremely organized, and planning to remain on the college for a number of years.

Subsequent, guarantee you may have time within the schedule to include this program, together with the mandatory supplies and correct classroom storage for the drones. When you have all these components in place, the DroneBlocks curriculum generally is a implausible addition to any STEM program, combining the joy of drone expertise with the tutorial advantages of coding.

In case you’re enthusiastic about this system however don’t have all the things in place but, contemplate beginning small. You would buy one Crazyflie drone and have lecturers do a number of whole-group actions, educate coding in small teams, or run an after-school program. From there, you possibly can increase this system by buying extra drones. Take a look at DroneBlocks right here.

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