Soaring their way into the world, drones have become more and more useful in everyday life. Certified drone pilot and Technology Education teacher Mike Petrie ’19 presented the “Beginner’s Guide to Drones in Tech,” during the 84th annual Technology Conference. Hence the height in the use of drones, this presentation was geared mainly for teachers who want to utilize drones in their classrooms or are beginning to, along with just any beginners interested in learning more about them. Petrie currently teaches at Camden (N.Y.) Central High School, where he utilizes drones in his own classroom, where students practice different controls and flying techniques. Petrie kicked things off by distinguishing different types of drones and which ones are best for utilizing certain things such as taking photos, coding and just for basic flying, providing a handout with 24 different categories of drones. While discussing the different types of drones, he also gave tips on how to use certain ones such as ones meant for photos or a basic one like a Tello. He also made aware of hazards that could damage drones such as hair or dust, which can easily be found in a classroom and accessories that would be good to purchase to care for them, like a case, or a kite pole to remove drones off the ceiling, as his students like to try and land their drones on the air ducts in the school gymnasium. Along with discussing the drones themselves, Petrie also provided resources that can be used to show where they can fly drones, the wind in a certain area, challenges that can be setup for students to try in a classroom setting while controlling a drone, New York State laws on drones and how to become certified in flying a commercial drone. The session ended with participants being able to fly a Tello drone, utilizing different systems and controls. “This is a great part-time job, it’s a great little extra thing,” Petrie said. “For us as teachers, even we could get into something over the summer where we do a little bit of survey work for somebody off to the side, or taking real estate pictures.” Learn more about becoming a certified drone pilot.
~Kiley Wren '24