A few weeks ago, a wave of excitement swept through the ISP HUB as Middle and Upper School students eagerly gathered before and after lunch to put their coding skills to the test—by taking control of Tello drones during our first ISP Drone Challenge!
Purchased through the ISP Fund, this hands-on addition to our technological toolkit allows students to apply and stretch their coding skills in new and exciting ways. Organised by Design and Technology Coaches, Elizabeth Perry and Amy Garrett, and lead Librarian Ligita Calloway, the lunchtime Drone Challenge introduced this exciting technology to our students. The challenge was simple yet thrilling: using block coding, students were tasked with guiding the drones through a series of manoeuvres, from take-offs to mid-air flips to precision landings.
What surprised many students was how seamlessly the coding skills they had learned in other ISP classes translated into piloting these high-tech gadgets. As they experimented with the drones, they were eager to try more complex challenges and try different motion control blocks.
“I really liked programming a drone to do things, which really felt like coding industrially. I hope to do it again someday.”
Martin, Grade 10
Computational thinking skills are essential to prepare students for future scenarios, opportunities and careers; this Drone Challenge was a fun and interactive way to allow students to transfer and practice these skills in a hands-on experience.
The Drone Challenge marked the beginning of many possibilities to integrate this new technology at ISP. Recently, in Elementary School Coding electives, students were excited to get their hands on the drones and explore how to communicate and programme them using block coding.
The potential for incorporating these drones into classroom experiences and extracurricular settings is exciting… Stay tuned as we explore more ways to extend learning with the Tello Drones.
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