Modern Blanket Toss: Findings and Observations

2014 FINDINGS
I’m already really interested in the sciences. I’m not too great at math, but
when I can relate it to physics, I can do the math much more – much better
than just math in general. So, when I – and when it comes to science and
physics, if I relate my mathematics to science and physics, I can understand
it better, so I’d definitely say that I want to do something that involves
science.
Students in general did not answer enthusiastically when asked if they had
learned communication skills in the program, though they did all prepare
presentations for the class. A typical response to the question about
communication skills is:
I don’t know, I’m not that much of a – or I’m not used to being around a lot
of people that I’m not used to, and if I probably do it, I probably won’t be
able to speak in front of them.
I’m able to teach them how to operate one and how to do the payload
checks, the checklist and to know what’s wrong with a UAV so we wouldn’t
have to waste money on a crash.
Pretty well prepared. I don’t know that much, but I know enough... like how
to operate one, the payload checklist, how to find out more for the payload
checklist by experience, and camera lenses, because they get oily, and those
are not in the checklist... And how to teach them a little bit about mapping
and collecting data.
If I had help with others, 'cause it's hard for me to put my thoughts into
words and say it out to others, but like if I had time before telling them.
I've learned a lot of stuff, but I'll probably need help from the other people
that came to explain more.
Both students and teachers agreed there was more to learn. Six weeks was not
much time to cover the technological goals and there was just not enough time
to cover everything that the students were ready to learn. Students became
proficient at data collection, but only a few of them learned about transferring
files to the GINA website and the Frisbee-Golf course data was not compiled
and/or edited into a map before the students went home.
I feel like there’s a lot more that we need to learn in that class. I feel like
we’re missing out, like we didn’t have enough time.
The thing I would like to change is actually put layers of the codes into the
computer like a GIS program software like we did last year and use the data
we collected from the UAVs and put that into software and create a world of
what we collected.
Yeah. What would I change? I’d say nothing. I love the learning process you
guys put us through. It helped out a lot. Rather than just those skills, like
communication skills also and leadership skills. I would probably just throw in
more mapping software time for us. That’s about it.
Two students felt they could share their knowledge with some support from
peers.
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