I'm super excited to have our Agriculture Education Instructor - Mr. Justin Waller - be a guest on my blog!
The Agriculture Department at Pocahontas Area High School has recently acquired a new Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) or drone to help integrate new emerging precision agricultural technologies into the classroom. Mr. Waller knows this technology will help keep his students on the cutting edge of a rapidly changing and important industry.
Mr. Waller also identifies "with this new technology comes a great responsibility." New rules and regulations are always being set forth by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) as the technology develops.
Mr. Waller has set three important goals for successful curricular integration of the drone.
First, and most important goal for students is to be knowledgeable about flight rules and regulations. As a safety precaution and learning procedure, students will successfully complete a written and pre-flight exam before being permitted to operate the UAV.
His second goal is for students to be skilled in operating the UAV manually. He will start by giving students hands-on experience operating and flying the UAV in the field, learning how to operate various flight functions and camera positions. Next, he will expand their knowledge by integrating Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Mapping so students can learn how to draw field borders for a “hands free” flight pattern, integrating precision agriculture basics.
Third, increase student awareness of the applications for UAVs in the agriculture industry, which in turn, will stimulate students to come up with their own uses. Mr. Waller believes UAVs have the potential to improve crop production, whether it be corn and soybeans or fruits and vegetables. Relevant uses for UAVs are in their infancy and just starting to be developed.
UAVs have the potential to give farmers real-time information about their crops while they are growing in the fields. One obvious use for UAVs is crop scouting. With the aid of infrared cameras, farmers can instantly evaluate crop health by stitching together a map of color contrasts. The map will show how much sunlight is absorbed by the crop canopy, which helps farmers to find potentially yield limiting problems in a timely fashion. “Crop Surveillance” if you will. Imaging is only the beginning, and Mr. Waller feels having a knowledge of the value a UAV could bring to a farming operation is important.
Mr. Waller took a group of students out to demonstrate a test run - aka... he wanted to drive the drone. Honestly, who wouldn't! The image capture of this UAV is phenominal!
Some of our students demonstrating a little "yard signage."
This is without a doubt, a powerful and authentic technology infused learning opportunity for our students and not only in Agriculture Education. The application of a UAV seem endless. Small businesses and large companies alike are seeing the benefits of the technology. Examples include shipping and delivery, storm tracking, planning construction projects, search and rescue, geographic mapping, law enforcement, journalism, filming and aerial photography to name a few.
I just happen to teach a May Term class called Digital Photography. Can you tell I'm super excited to see the possibilities this drone will add to my existing curricular content! May needs to hurry up and get here :)
Stay tuned for additional blog posts related to our UAV! When warmer weather hits, our students will explode when they put the UAV to work!
If you are interested in additional information about our UAV, please contact Mr. Justin Waller. He would love to share his journey in acquiring the UAV and what it has brought to his classroom instruction and student learning.