Neighbor News
Mercaz Academy Pilots Take To The Air With Media Lab Drone
Getting a real birds'-eye view of Plainview
A technology microgrant from the Jewish Education Project enabled Mercaz Academy to create their first Media Lab in the form of a video recording studio, complete with a new iPad for recording and editing, a green screen, a teleprompter…and a drone for aerial recording.
Working as a team, and directed by Director of Educational Technology Lynda Last during recess and lunch enrichment time, sixth grade students at Mercaz Academy have been learning to operate the drone. This activity allows students to acquire expertise in piloting techniques, photography, and coding. Piloting the drone is also an exercise in collaboration, as the pilot looks through the lens of the drone (seeing what the drone sees) and the spotter watches the drone in the sky to ensure that it is operating safely and not flying into danger. The sixth graders have learned the necessary safety rules–the drone can fly no higher than 400 feet, must be grounded if there’s a plane nearby, and must stay clear of trees and wires.
The first team of drone pilots has been practicing aerial photography in and around the Plainview campus, and all the students at Mercaz are enjoying their new birds-eye view of the school.
