In the morning the group leaves the chairs and tables to go to the schoolyard for the first lessons. Guest teacher Marc Côté has already planned a short flight in front of the class, during which the drone will be lifted a few tens of meters before flying around the school and landing in the same place.
are we good The frequency is good? asks the pilot. Yes! Answer together with the students who saw the criteria that must be met to start the flight earlier in the morning. The drone takes off followed by a Wow! Cool! collective.
A student supported the lecturer. She and her classmates were able to follow the flight of the drone in real time via a screen.
Photo: Radio Canada / Patrick Foucault
Under the captivated gaze of the students, a smooth maiden flight takes place. Then it’s the youth’s turn. Back in class, they form teams of three people, each with a specific role: a pilot, a programmer, and a flight planner. Your mission: to plan and execute a safe indoor drone flight from A to Z. Most succeeded in less than thirty minutes.
“I’ve never done that before,” says Christa-Marie. It was really fun and different.
The students program their drone flight on their laptops. The trainer Marc Côté and the teachers are at their side.
Photo: Radio Canada / Patrick Foucault
For his part, Max has learned a lot. It was a lot of steps but a lot of fun.
“It really was my best morning of the whole year. »
– A quote from fifth grader Chelsea
The course not only aroused the interest of young people during the day, but also pushed many students to pursue further goals. “I really want to learn more about coding,” says Liam without hesitation.
The drone used for the outdoor demonstration falls into the category of micro drones under 250g. As a result, it is subject to significantly fewer regulations than drones over 250 g. The flight with the students was conducted in compliance with all Transport Canada regulations.
Learn while having fun
In addition to programming and mathematics, the students were able to integrate several important concepts of everyday life. “We talk a lot about communication, collaboration, critical thinking and technology,” explains Marc Côté.
As the founder of the DroneGO training program and former teacher, he offers this course in various schools in Ontario.
Students will grow in an increasingly technological future, so it will be important for them to develop related skills.
Laura Stiven, teacher, is excited for students to experience the concepts we see in the syllabus, such as measurements, distance estimation, or Cartesian planes.
The Catholic primary school Notre-Dame-des-Champs did not hesitate to tackle the project with its students. “We really try to involve them in their learning so that they can enjoy learning in a fun way,” explains director Josée Savage-Levac.
When the director sees the twinkle in the young people’s eyes, he reaffirms in a resolute tone: the course will take place again next year.