By Bethany Dunn
At John Adams Middle School, the gymnasium is occupied by the students of the Drone Club run by Mr. Travis DeSart, who is a Project Lead the Way teacher. The busy, slightly chaotic environment serves to support an enthusiastic group of students and their love for the technology of drones. Drones have become more involved in technological advancements in society, finding their way to be an integral part of photography and videography, uses in the military, and even data analysing for geographical plotting. At John Adams Middle School, they use drones to enhance their learning of technology; spending their time taking turns operating the drones and using a headset to see through the drone’s aerial view.
Within the gymnasium at John Adam’s, students aren’t the only ones welcome to the club. 9th grader Shadow Hall is a mentor to the younger students, as a former member of the John Adams Drone Club himself, and now a member of the drone club at John Marshall High School. “The reason why I fly, because it's relaxing. Y’know, start playing music and I just… relax.” Says Hall. He recalls his first experience with Drone Club in 6th grade, being encouraged to join by a teacher he admired, "There was a teacher named Mr. Anderson and he was like, ‘I’m doing this club.’And I was like, ‘Why not just join?’ So that’s why I’m in this club now, I was like, ‘Oh, this is fun!’” When Hall’s classes end, he returns to his former middle school as alumni and helps the younger kids connect with one another and learn about the systems and physical bodies of drones.
The drones, which have two different models, often crash and fall into one another, setting an exciting, unpredictable undertone for the students, never knowing what might happen next. The club strives to create a comfortable community and connect kids through their love of drones and technology. The students talk about their knowledge of drones with passion and excitement. They are eager to explore the field further through the club, viewing it as a valuable opportunity to visualize a long-term career in drone technology. When asked about career opportunities, 6th grader Miles Johanson said, “Yeah! They use drones to follow people in the Olympics; those are some really cool [drones].” The club’s lead teacher, Mr. DeSart agrees. “Drone club is great for career connections,” he said, “because it helps them not only get used to technology that is starting to be used in many different aspects of society. They are using drones for police work, agriculture, and more. It also helps them problem solve and work with other students as a team.”
Drone Club allows students to explore career options and consider what it might look like to take their hobbies to the next level. The presence of supporting teachers and club leads as well as mentor Shadow Hall, illustrates that the club's impact reaches well beyond middle school years. The students at John Adams are enriching themselves, not only with a hobby they enjoy, but the opportunity to connect with their peers and find something that sticks with them in the next chapter of their lives.
This activity is partially/fully funded with a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) using federal funding, ALN 84.287, 21st Century Community Learning Centers. The contents of this activity does not necessarily represent the policy of the federal Department of Education or the state Department of Education, and you should not assume endorsement by the federal or state government.