Students at Eblen Intermediate learned how to fly high with drones thanks to teacher Mr. Dean Gibbs and Curriculum Coach Haley Stamey. Assistant Superintendent Dr. Jamie Johnson and Eblen Intermediate Principal Josh Fisher joined in to see the lofty example of what STEM education is capable of.
“Drones are a great STEM lesson,” said Mr. Gibbs. “STEM is life skills, and drones are an excellent opportunity in the future for students. All kinds of jobs use them.”
Students worked in teams to guide the small drones down a long table to land squarely on an X-mark. “This much to the left,” or “come a little closer to me,” - students acted as airport ground-crews to the ones who worked as the pilots, switching places so that everyone got the chance to both fly and guide the drones.
“I got to fly a drone for the first time!” said Dr. Johnson. “It’s really nice to be here with the students and watch their excitement around learning.”
STEM education at Buncombe County Schools prepares students for the modern world and jobs coming available. Mr. Gibbs says that the drone lesson is one of many he does with his students to prepare them for their futures, integrating math and technology into science in a way where students learn to solve problems on their own, so that they can go into their adult lives prepared for the 21st century.