Quadcopters, or drones, have come into wide use recently for a variety of applications including video inspection of otherwise inaccessible areas, real estate sales, and entertainment. Students are interested in them and in some cases own their own. The combination of high mobility, relatively low price, and autonomous operation is quite…

The commercial use of UAS (unmanned aerial systems) more commonly known as "drones" is increasing rapidly in a variety of areas from agriculture to construction (Marshall, 2016). The need for people who can safely operate UAS, understand the legal restrictions and privacy concerns related to UAS use, and build and repair UAS is…

This paper presents a competition-based active learning approach that prepares undergraduate students for careers in the drone industry. The competition-based learning (CBL) approach focuses on preparing students for three key drone industry requirements (1) drone assembly, testing, and validation using commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) parts, (2)…

Computational thinking, programming, coding, and analytical thinking are high-demand skills in today's educational and occupational arenas (Wing, 2006 & 2014). In addition to these skills, students need the ability to think creatively, work collaboratively, and develop design solutions to complex problems to succeed in school and a…

Science communication is increasing through the use of Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) or drones. Within the Arthur Temple College of Forestry and Agriculture at Stephen F. Austin State University (SFASU), UASs such as the DJI Phantom 4 Pro and Mavic Mini2 drones were used by students and faculty to study mistletoe, crepemyrtle and fire ants and…

Education in the United States is facing a crisis of completion and performance, both at the secondary and postsecondary levels, with high dropout rates and a significant number of students ill-prepared for further education and careers. These problems are even more acute in America's urban schools. Today's CTE is on the cutting edge of…

The incorporation of scientific inquiry into college classrooms has steadily risen as faculty work to move away from exclusively didactic methods. One type of inquiry structure, the design task, produces a product rather than simply a conclusion. This offers students a context to apply their understanding of content in a tangible way that has…

When NetJets, a private aviation company, announced it would keep and expand its operational headquarters in Ohio, Richard T. Santulli, chairman and chief executive, didn't give credit to tax breaks or any of the other incentives states and cities typically use to woo or retain corporations. Instead, he said the critical factor was the state's…

This special section on aviation careers describes the programs of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the Metro Tech Aviation Career Campus in Oklahoma City, the Aviation Technology Center at Vincennes University in Indianapolis, and the Miami-Dade Community College's Eig-Watson School of Aviation. (JOW)

Several teachers from State College (Pennsylvania) Area School District became intrigued with helping their students better understand the science associated with a unit on air and aviation. In particular, they observed that students often encountered difficulty with abstract flight concepts, such as lift, thrust, and drag. Content issues became…

In honor of the Wright brothers' first flight, the article profiles aviation and aerospace technology programs that are training workers in aviation safety and explorations. Looks at programs from Eastern New Mexico University-Roswell, Pima Community College, and Olathe Northwest High School. (JOW)

Building and launching model rockets makes a great activity for a technology education class. A model rocket curriculum provides a valuable tool for improving students' technical skills that includes, but is not limited to, following technical instructions and procedures while learning about aerospace technology. This article describes a way that…

Describes two new vocational schools--the Laurel Oaks Educational Center in Cincinnati, Ohio, where glass-walled classrooms look out on a mall to promote community, and the Tulsa, Oklahoma, Technology Center that will include two jet-sized hangars, a runway, and a pressure chamber to measure the physical effects of altitude. (JOW)

Aviation High is a career and technical education school in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens and the nation's largest aviation-focused high school. Required courses for all 2,000 students include the usual English, math, science, and foreign languages, but also airframe and power plant shops. A 5,000-square-foot annex at John F. Kennedy…

The current paradigm in science education calls for greater emphasis on guiding students in active and extended scientific inquiry. This is supported by research suggesting that using a hands-on approach to learning fosters ownership in the learning process and allows students to gain greater appreciation for the design and implementation of…