Got to Start Somewhere ~ Cheerson Drone Materials ~ Drones

Flying drones.  Racing drones.  Videography with drones.  Being irresponsible with drones.  Building drones.  Drones have been around for a few years, but are increasing in popularity. It doesn't matter if it is recreational usage or finding innovative ways to make a buck flying a drone, the race is on to becoming the best of the best when it has to do with a drone.

There is really no easy way to start.  You might as well just dive in.  So that is what I did.

There are lots of things to consider when starting a drone program at your school.  As previously discussed, ask yourself what the main purpose of your drone will be when beginning your own program.

For Carol Morgan School, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, I wanted students to learn how to fly and build their own drones to fly.  For engineering students, this was a great way to show them how to use various tools and teach about motors, soldering, gears, and electronics ~ more on this topic in the next blog.

In an earlier blog, I mentioned Cheerson CX-10 drones.  These are great to use (and inexpensive) to learn about flying.  There are also lots of YouTube videos online that will assist with flying instructions.  Once you get the hang of flying, you will learn how to do all the fun tricks.  I particularly like this video:

Learn to Fly a Quadcopter ~ TheBeatTheBush. “Learn to Fly a Quadcopter for Cheap | BeatTheBush.” YouTube, YouTube, Feb. 2015, www.youtube.com/watch?v=8bNEYBK2qhM&t=305s.

I purchased the following:

• 30 Cheerson CX-10 quadcopters
• 2 ~ Rechargeable 16 Bay Charger
• 4 ~ 12 pack AAA rechargeable batteries
• Needle Nose pliers

Before flying, we discussed the FAA flying rules and drone vocabulary.

FAA Rules ~ know before flying
Drone Vocabulary

Using these two documents of information we moved on to Getting Started with UAVs.  I used this HyperDoc to have students watch videos for understanding and this lead to great discussions about the FAA rules and are these rules really enforced in the Dominican Republic. Yes, my lovely students, the FAA rules are enforced here!


Because the flying time of these drones is approximately 6 minutes, I was able to have 2 flight times.  I would have enough drones for each child ~ (class size was less than 20 and I could always count on someone being absent).  I would give the students a checklist of skills that I would like them to learn. 

**Note ~ because the flying time is so short, the most you will spend on flying is about 30 minutes of a class session.  

Learning to Fly Drones ~ includes FAA and classroom rules for flying.

In closing, this is a really fun exciting activity.  However, always stress safety first and follow the FAA and classroom rules.

Buying Guide ~ Drones

Do Your Research

Before investing money in a drone, first ask yourself what is the main thing you would like your drone to do:

1. racing
2. videography or photography
3. learning to fly
4. or building

Asking yourself this question and doing your research about different types, warranties, customer service, and spare parts could save you time and money.

Below is the list of drones that were purchased for the Drone Program at Carol Morgan School.

Cheerson CX-10A

Cheerson CX-10 in Silver

The Cheerson drone is a simple little (and I mean little) that is great if you have never flown a drone before.  This little drone fits in the palm of your hand and comes with a 4 Channel controller.    A person is able to practice ascending, descending, moving forward, backward, left, right and final some 3D tumbling.  You can even throw this in the air to begin flying.  CONS:  These break easily so have spare props on hand, needle nose pliers to pull of the props to replace.  Also a good idea is to buy the cages that fit around the propellers to protect in case of crash landings.  PROS:  Cheap investment of about $18 with free shipping on Amazon.  Comes in lots of colors ~ pink, purple, blue, white, black, silver, and gold.

Total flying time is 6 minutes and about 45 minutes to fully recharge.  The controller needs 2AA batteries.

If you are successful and learn how to fly without crashing, but still don't want to spend the money, try the Cheerson CX-10WD.   This will do everything the CX-10 will do, but it comes with a First Person View controller so you can see where you are flying through the mounted camera.  This little WiFi HD camera can take real-time FPV by connecting it to a smart phone.  It will also take pictures and videos. 



GoPro Karma Hero5 Black

Features include folding arms, GoPro Hero 5, FPV, easy takeoff and landing.  This model comes with the battery, extra props and a backpack carrying case.

This drone will be used for our aerial shots of the school and incorporated into the regular curriculum.  As teachers and students become more comfortable with flying, we will use this drone in our curriculum.

DJI Mavric

Very similiar to the Karma, but this one folds up and fits in your pocket.  This one will be easier to carry around but still very functional when using with our classes.

YKS Drone Kits

I'll talk more about this one in a future blog post, but this is one of the better drone kits.  

Traveling Made Easy with Google, CCs, GSuite, & Apps

Summer is over, but it is never too early to start planning the next adventure.  As an international teacher, I am always looking for ways to make my life easier when traveling.   Selecting the best credit cards, getting the upgrades, and making itineraries are just a few things that can be accomplished digitally.



Credit Cards
Having some spending power when traveling, makes life that much more enjoyable.  We always are on the hunt for the card that will provide the best services and benefits. This is an on-going hot topic among international teachers.  In a recent, informal survey of international teachers (very informal), most agree that the Chase Sapphire Reserve is the best card for traveling.

At the time of this writing, Chase is offering 50K in bonus points if you spend at least $4000 USD in the first three months.  The key here is to apply for the card when you have big purchases to make in order to benefit from this offer.  The $450 USD annual fee pays for itself with the $300 annual travel credit, $100 credit towards TSA or Global Entry fees, and a Priority Pass membership.  This membership allows you entry into over 1000 airport lounges which means free food and drinks (including alcohol) ~ (lounges vary in service).

Most credit cards match one point for every dollar spent.  CSR gives 3 times the points for travel and dining charges and usually offers points specials throughout the year.  Currently, CSR is offering 3x the points for AirBnB bookings.  Follow the link to Chase Sapphire Reserve and see if it is the credit card for you.  



Google Trips
This is the bomb of all apps when traveling to new places, and is available as an app for your phone (IOS & Android).  

You need to log in with your Google account, and the app will draw from your Google Calendar and Google Email to show you a list of your recent and upcoming trips.  

Google Trips will provide you with your "Need to Know" information such as currency, emergency services, and airport transportation.  The power of the app is in the Things to Do section.  The app can build custom itineraries based your interests, or you can select a general itinerary based on the amount of time you will have in that area.  If you have wifi or cellular connection, Google Trips will display real-time information and give you opening and closing times. It also displays the average time more tourists spend at different attractions.

If the weather impedes on your travel plans ~ no worries ~ Google Trips will recommend alternative activites to get you out of the rain or snow.  

Google Translate
Can't speak the language?  No worries with Google Translate.  Download the app and have it ready.  After selecting your languages, for example English --> Chinese, you can write or speak in English and it will automatically translate the text to 
Chinese.  You can also do this in reverse by using the arrows in the center.

Translation of English to Chinese

Don't want to type or speak?  Use the camera feature.  Open the camera on your phone and then hold the phone over the text.  Through the camera, you will see the translated text.


Google Maps

Never get lost again with Google Maps.  There is so much in this one app that planning your trip and navigating unfamiliar streets will be a breeze.  When you have wi-fi you can look for your directions and plan your course to use off-line.

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Using this hand guide, you can navigate through all the features that GMaps has to offer.

Recently added as a feature, GMaps will now show you parking difficulties in major cities.  You can then decide if you are driving, walking, or taking an Uber.  Look for the red P symbol in the bottom of the map for indications of how difficult it will be to park.

After you have become a pro at using GMaps, check out all the other tips and tricks that GMaps has to offer.   Click Here!




Google Flights
Have you ever visited an airline website to search for flights?  You have signed into your account and began your search.  You were not ready to purchase, so you closed the site and returned less than 24 hours later to find the price of the flight jumped $100 in price.  How can this be?  Simple answer is "cookies".  Little programming scripts that airlines force you to accept and enable before using their websites.  Annoying!

Cookies are the reason Google Flights is probably my favorite website to use ~ flights.google.com.  Using an Incognito Window Tab, this website allows you to search and compare prices for most flights around the globe ~ without the cookies.   It does not track your search history.  Once you find a good flight, you can track the price.  Google flights will send you an email every time the flight price changes.  You can also look at the flight price history to determine the best time to purchase the ticket.

You can also search the same flights on different days and find out which day has the best prices.

GF also lets you click on the airline icon and it will direct you to the airline's website to purchase your ticket!  Super convenient to have all of this at your fingertips.

Click here to see all Google Flights has to offer.

What's your favorite travel tool?

Brush vs. Brushless Motors - Partner 1 & 2

I used this blog post to have students start thinking about the types of motors we were using in the drones.  Students researched the definitions and in their own words were able to describe in writing the differences between brush and brushless motors.  Students were also able to formulate an opinion on which was a better type of motor ~ quality vs. economy.

Students used cited multimedia evidence to support their findings.

Partners were able to submit one blog.





What's the Difference?




Which one is more efficient?  Why?

Assigning TASKS in Google Docs

Have you made comments in a Google Doc and ever wondered whether your students have read, looked at, or reflected upon your comments and feedback?

Google has added the task features for Google Docs and Google Slides.  Whenever you start a new comment, you can type "+email address" (no spaces) and you will get an option to assign this person a task.  ex. +jnorman@cms.edu.do

This sends the person an email to read and complete the task.  When it is done, the person can mark it as resolved.  A great way to communicate and collaborate.  

Keep on Googling!

The Keyword

Did you know that Google has/had 19 different blogs?   Nineteen blogs in which to announce all things Google.  Too many....way too many.  Nobody's got time for that ~ and I think Google realized that.

At the end of September, Google launched blog #20.  The blog of all blogs.  It's being penned as the only Google blog we will now need to learn about Google happenings.

It's called The Keyword and can be found at https://blog.google 

It's a blog for one stop shopping - to find out about everything Google - latest stories, the newest products, and Google topics.  

So simple.

Google Certified Training App Opens Oct. 12

The Google Certified Trainer program is accepting applications through December 31, 2016.  Applicants will be notified in January 2017 about acceptance.

Click here to learn more.

To apply, you must first pass the Google Certified Educator Level 1 and 2 exams.  The Training Essential Exam is the next step to becoming a GCT, Google Certified Trainer.  This exam is made up of 5 exams:

• $ exams ~ Gmail, Calendar, Sites, Docs & Drive
• + one (your choice) ~ Chrome, Chromebooks, Google Play or Android Tablets.

These exams are designed to test the skills of a person who would like to teach others or provide professional development to others on how to use the G Suite of applications.  The cost is $15 for each and this certification is good for 18 months.

To see the requirements for all the exams ~ click here.