The elective Butler Tech class – called “Project Lead The Way” (PLTW) Flight & Space course at the Liberty Twp. school - allows participating students to earn Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) Drone TRUST certification.
The course also emphasizes career exploration, encouraging students to see potential applications of drone technology in the real world.
Lakota teacher Ethan Hodge, who also teaches Automation & Robotics at Liberty Junior, said exposing students to the world of drone flight is both entertaining and educational.
“As a teacher, it’s always a highlight to see students ‘get it’ for the first time,” said Hodge. “So seeing them succeed on the first couple of drone challenges was a great treat for me.”
Hodge had students use a Codrone EDU drone to learn the basics of drone programming and operation.
Students spent approximately 16-20 hours completing a series of drone challenges that required them to demonstrate their skill and proficiency in safely, correctly, and effectively using a drone.
The Recreational UAS Safety Test (TRUST) drone certification is the culmination of their classroom experience with drones, he said and this credential can now be included in their future that students can list on their resumes, use in their personal lives, and possibly use as a stepping stone to use drones professionally in any number of fields.
“It was also rewarding to see students realize that drones are being used in many fields and how many different ways they could use their new skills.”
The course also emphasizes career exploration, encouraging students to see potential applications of drone technology in the real world.
Some students, said school officials, were particularly drawn to the idea of using drones in innovative and impactful ways, and the experience helped them consider how this technology could play a role in future careers.
While for other students, the experience even sparked aspirations related to aviation, as they envisioned pathways that build on these new skills.
Hodge said the semester doesn’t end with drones as students are now turning their attention to space exploration.
He said students will study topics like lunar landings, astronaut training, and the future of space travel before culminating the course with a Mars landing simulation—applying everything they’ve learned to design and plan a habitat and sustainable settlement on the Red Planet.
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