Incoming! Drones are Educational
Drones are one of those modern gadgets that teachers might consider to be interesting, but without a place in their curriculum. Cue the image of students gathering around the toy, the teacher flying it briefly, followed by a post-demonstration mini-lesson and worksheet.
That scenario represents the least of this teaching tool's potential in the classroom. It's an example of technology integration, but not of "technology-integrated learning," a concept explained by Dr. Green in the article, "Through the Looking Glass," which unpacks how "emphasis placed on technology over pedagogy may negate our influence [as school librarians] altogether" (Knowledge Quest, 2014, p. 41). This is where technology integration models come into play to ensure librarians are curating and advocating technology that can truly be effective for student learning. Whatever model you choose to measure your ideas against, be sure you research it well to understand why it is effective, who was motivated to endorse it, and what science is used to support its conclusions. (See Dr. Green's analysis of the SAMR model, its fuzzy background, and misuse of the TPACK model.)
The R.A.T. technology-integrated learning framework is a much more legitimate model according to research of its history (Hughes, J.E., 2020). It provides three simple indicators as to whether a tech-integrated, student-centered learning project is a justified, meaningful use of technology in pedagogy. Meaningful use would require technology be a Replacement means for content delivery or existing pedagogical strategies for teaching, an Amplification or extension of student capabilities, or that it would provide a Transformative opportunity for students to experience meaningful learning in new ways. Drones definitely check the boxes of the A and T requirements of the tech-integration model.
Most people realize drones come in a variety of shapes and sizes; basically, they are cameras on a remote-controlled hovering helicopter. They have flown into modern news through controversy around breaching privacy, law-makers regulating their use, and delivering our orders. While they are, no doubt, on the cutting edge of new technology, their practical application might be hard to imagine past their literal purpose which is to record video and maneuver.
The introduction of using drones requires educators to describe the debate around this technology and the laws that govern their use in the real world. Social Studies teachers might make a connection between drone use and "territorality," "relationships of power and spatial organization," or "human settlements" and "urban land use" (SCCCR Social Studies, 4 and 5). There are also the obvious topics of geography, topography, and map reading literacy. An assignment might be participating in a discussion about how drones relate to any one of these concepts or sharing a video created using drone footage to illustrate an idea about a concept.
Math teachers could also incorporate drones by using them to teach velocity and relativity. The height of the drone could be measured and the distance of objects calculated. Velocity could be shown by measuring a distance and flying the drone over a certain amount of time from point A to point B. Drones definitely provide opportunities to "apply the concepts of ratios and rates to solve real-world and mathematical problems" (SCCCR Math, 6.RP.3).
Drones produce compelling video footage which can be used in an ELA classroom to discuss and illustrate 3rd person point of view and meet Inquiry standards (SCCCR ELA, I.3, I.4, I.5 and RL.11). Is the perspective of the drone omniscient or limited? It depends on what the drone can "see." To be compared with a first person camera point of view and first person narration. ELA standards can also be met by using the drone video footage to produce journalistic videos on any topic, from local current events to human interest stories and school initiatives. Narrative scripts can be written to accompany the stunning visuals and video editing/post production skills are needed to put it all together.
Outside of the obvious general subject area standards drone projects can meet, there are other frameworks school librarians are concerned with fulfilling, like the ISTE & AASL standards (see my recent post for more on these). Drone technology meets the critical thinking requirement of the 4 C's framework. They also all require creativity, communication, and collaboration. Drones pair nicely with GPS technology, which amplifies their collaborative and communicative potential.
Works Referenced
It is amazing how you have presented drones and how they can amplify and transform the learning in a classroom. You have nicely shown how drones can be used in cross-curricular ways. I think that it is a good idea to discuss the debate around the use of drones. The students can take one side and have a real debate of the issue. I agree with you that drones school librarians can extend the learning of drones by incorporating critical thinking and inquiry-based learning. I see how using drones would amplify and transform the learning in a classroom or library using the concepts of the R.A.T Model. The ways in which you suggest teachers use drones to enhance learning is a great way to introduce the equipment in a way to encourage active and positive uses of the drone. Thanks for referencing the standards to go along with your unique and innovative suggestions for classroom use.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much for your kind words!
DeleteWhen I first started considering drones in the classroom, I had the same initial first impression as what I described in the first sentence of this post: drones are cool, but probably not useful in the classroom setting.
Then, the more I thought about drones and talked about them with my husband (who is a special education teacher), the more ideas came to mind. Then, it was just a matter of tying ideas for drone use to content-based standards. I think it's important for a librarian's purchases and practices to be grounded in practicality!
-Tiffany Taylor Brewer
Okay. You've got me ready to go get a drone! Your instructional ideas for using drones not only have teachers thinking outside the box, they're thinking outside the building! Drones are available in all shapes and sizes these days, but taking learning outside is a great way to create impactful lessons. My library has very high ceilings, and I am already brainstorming activities and collaborations that would be enhanced by introducing a drone. However, sometimes I feel that librarians get tied to the library because that is where all the books live. I need to think harder about ways to take library lessons outside and show kids that books and a love a reading don't have to be confined to the classroom. A drone would provide an excellent opportunity to get out of the library!
ReplyDeleteIt took me a long time to come up with uses for every content area.. Mostly, I just wanted to explore the possibilities to justify use outside of only using it for our school news show (which I run through the library).
DeleteMy school's library also has high ceilings and I like where you're going with that! We get to think big!! Our school has a robotics team that would probably benefit from a drone, too... Another avenue to go down...
-Tiffany Taylor Brewer
Wow--what an impressive post! I've got to admit, when I saw drones on the list of potential hardware to explore this week, I skipped right over it and moved on to considering the next option. I couldn't BEGIN to think of ways to use drones in (or out of, as the case may be) the classroom, in large part because I know very little about drone technology (although I know some people who use drones for video and aerial photography, when I think "drone," I think "toy" or "scary surveillance thingy"). Clearly I needed to learn more about drones, but even more clearly do I need to think outside the box! Your examples of potential learning experiences with drones are fantastic, and even better, you connected them directly to standards! My favorite example of yours has got to be the use of drones in understanding perspective for the ELA class, maybe just because I'm a reformed English major, but I also think that it's an inspired use of the technology, and one that's bound to be exciting for students because they'd never see it coming! Now you've got me wondering what other ways we could use drones in the classroom, and if there are ways we could use drones in the school library at large . . . Awesome post!
ReplyDeleteTiffany Alley
Thank you so much for your feedback and kind words! I just really want a drone for our school news program so that we can create compelling footage for the camera! :)
DeleteI taught 7th grade ELA before becoming our school's librarian so I'm always in that frame of mind.. It's harder for me to come up with Math connections, but my husband teaches middle level Math remediation (Resource), so he helps me in that area. I also have experience with 7th grade Science and Social Studies standards because I co-taught one year with a teacher from both of those subject areas. Becoming familiar with standards in every content area and grade level will definitely take a lot of time.
I think it'd be effective to teach point of view and have students write descriptions of drone footage in third person point of view and first person camera footage in first person point of view!
Drones are kind of a scary concept, like you mentioned.. They could also pair with dystopian literature.. 1984 vibes? A discussion around their potential use by corrupt governments like the ones from that novel and Brave New World (or any other dystopian lit.) would make a strong connection between modern technology and the potential trajectory of our world's future!
-Tiffany Taylor Brewer