I laugh as I begin this blog post because beginning with a quote makes me think of how we were taught to write an essay in high school. Beginning an essay or presentation with a quote is great because it prefaces the topic. It can instantly inspire the writer or the reader. In the case of the above quote, I am inspired by how Einstein explains a “problem”. True, a solution may be a simple calculation or skill to be learned, however, the problem and what was in place to formulate the problem is where the magic lies….and furthermore how the problem is viewed is where the value falls.

Troubleshooting and problem-solving, while often frustrating to endure, are incredibly valuable skills to develop for all learners. Possessing the drive to test, research, evaluate, test again, collect data, compare, then test again and again is an incredible trait! This is how one learns. This is how one grows.

I guarantee that you will encounter an opportunity to practice your perseverance in troubleshooting when working with robotics and drones. My advice? Embrace this! Make your students excited for it and remember that the opportunity will probably arise at the worst time—usually at the end of the class or in the middle of a performance. So be prepared and know how you will welcome the challenge.

I am the first to admit that some of my most difficult and frustrating times working with drones in the classroom happened when something honestly would not work. Fortunately, these same times were also the most dynamic for both my students and me. As an educator, when you work alongside your students and model the process of identifying a problem, aggregating data, iterating, and working towards a solution, you are demonstrating an incredibly important life skill. This is the reason we would like to introduce a new mini-course created just for you to guide in working through the most common issues encountered with DroneBlocks and Tello.

Our introductory courses include snippets or troubleshooting advice, but we understand that when working through a lesson with students, you need a quick reference guide for inspiration when things don’t go as planned. The new course, titled “Troubleshooting Tello” is a collection of topics divided into short video clips explaining issues you may experience with Tello drones in the classroom. A Data Collecting Sheet is provided, along with printable guides to Launching DroneBlocks with the Tello drone for the various devices you may be using.

We hope this collection of tips makes your troubleshooting “opportunities” run a bit smoother. We also hope you instill in your students the value of working through problems and show them how much can be learned from finding a solution.

Please find “Troubleshooting Tello” on the DroneBlocks website. If you subscribe to the DroneBlocks Membership, you will also have access to this course. Thank you for supporting your students and bringing DroneBlocks into the classroom!