The Inspire Africa group is making a positive impact among school kids, mostly in Southern Africa today, through their STEAM education curriculum that allows the students to use drone technology in their coding lessons.

Below is a conversation they had with Ché Marneweck, the educational Technology Integrator at Wynberg Girls’ High School in Cape Town, South Africa. Che sheds light on her and her school’s experience with Inspire Africa’s technology and services and how she has introduced these new subjects into their school curriculum.

Why do you feel the Drone and Coding Curriculum is so important to your school and your students?

I think it’s important as it creates opportunities for female learners that are not traditionally offered to them. We believe that, by using this course, we will help learners make connections between Mathematics and Science concepts through coding. And, hopefully, encourage more learners to take these subjects in the higher grades.

Why did you choose Inspire Africa?

They approached us and did a demonstration for some of the staff. We found the quality of the programme to be impressive, and it was along the lines of what we were looking for.

Has the implementation of the Drone and Coding Curriculum been easy?

It’s been good – we had some teething issues that we have had to work on. With technology, things can go wrong. The biggest issue has been learners’ cell phones sometimes losing connection with the drone. But the process of troubleshooting is an important life skill. Checking if the battery has enough power, whether it is switched on, etc…

The more familiar the learners have become with the program, the smoother it’s been to run. We’re 6 weeks in now, and it’s running very smoothly. Inspire Africa also checks in regularly and offers their support.

Have you found the learners receptive to the product and what has been their favourite part of using this product?

The learners have been very excited to take part in the curriculum. They most enjoy launching their code to see if it works. They also love ‘free-play’ at the end of the lesson.

Has it increased their motivation to learn?

I believe it has. We have spent a fair amount of time on shapes, exterior and interior angles, as well as variables. Some even come to the lesson having done their own research during the week.

Did you feel empowered by Inspire Africa to be able to utilise their learning tools well?

Yes. The training session went rather well, and the two teachers who were going to implement it felt capable of doing so after the training. I think the teachers who sign up to do the training would benefit if they are mathematically inclined and have some experience in coding.

The experience that Wynberg Girls High School and many other schools have had, has proven to us that Inspire Africa offer a credible solution and we can confidently recommend anybody looking for a solution to introduce the Drone and Coding Curriculum to your learners and staff to connect with the team from Inspire Africa.

Source: School Advisor