Modern Blanket Toss: Findings and Observations

2014 FINDINGS
The UAV aircraft kind of like has a brain ... Like it has like a computer, and
then the TX is the controller that controls aircraft, and those two...they kind
of talk to each other. So, they kind of give each other some information,
data, like where to fly and how high to fly. We learned about ... the aircraft,
like what the parts are and how to use those properly and correctly. We did a
lot of experiencing how to fly aircraft...
... a preflight, and then when you’re done flying there’s also a post-flight
checklist. And when you’re doing your preflight checklist... instead of saying
yes or I don’t know, he wanted us to say “check.”
Students learned about types of UAV beyond the ones they used in the course.
They know that sensors and/or cameras can be changed on the UAV depending
on the type of data a particular project needs. They know that 3D printers are a
viable technology now and can be used to create parts for UAVs.
During the leadership portion of the course, students learned four skills that
help make a good leader (listen, learn, love, lead.) They practiced those skills in
leadership cabinets where they solved a problem by following a protocol that
gave everyone a say but also moved the decision process forward. Many
students appreciated that the leadership skills were immediately applicable to
their flight teams and that being a “facilitator” gave them the opportunity to
practice leadership. The following are illustrative.
Yeah. This class made my leadership skills rise a lot. I feel more comfortable
speaking in a bigger crowd than what I used to back at home.
... we were working in groups, and we all worked together, and we took turns
as roles. And I’d have to say [we learned leadership skills], because after the
weeks have gone by of seeing progress in everyone’s ability to work together.
Through the leadership classes I have learned that empathy is definitely a big
thing when it comes to leadership, and you need to listen to what your other
– what the other people are saying and then decide on an end result by
compensating with everybody in a way. And a lot of the time most people
don’t realize that when being a leader you have to listen to the other people.
You can’t just make a decision. And what UAV flying is about is you have to
have a team. You have to have a team to fly the UAVs, because there is
copilot, pilot, payload operator, spotter. There are so many different roles
that not just one person can do it all. You have to be able to work as a team,
and in order for that you need to develop leadership skills, and I’d definitely
say that my leadership skills have improved by being in this program.
Students had a wide range of interests they are considering pursuing in college,
most of them STEM fields. Examples of topics mentioned as possibilities are:
biology, physics, engineering, environmental science, herbology, math, medicine,
nursing, geometry, criminal justice, business, architecture, liberal arts,
biochemistry, and chemistry.
Though many students were interested in STEM fields before attending Upward
Bound, most also thought the Modern Blanket Toss program encouraged them
further to pursue STEM fields in college. The following are illustrative.
You need the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics to work with
UAVs, and UAVs are really cool, so I think this has encouraged a multitude of
people that normally wouldn't choose something 'cause they thought it'd
sound boring.
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