Learn Python – 10 Minutes a day for 14 Days

You may have noticed the many fantastic DroneBlocks courses available that utilize Python to program your Tello Drones. However – we also understand some educators might have been hesitant or unable to dive-in due to lack of experience in Python or curbed by the intimidation of learning the language. As good as our instructors are – there is no substitution for fundamentals – and with more and more schools invested in launching new STEM Programs, we understand some educators are learning as they go, or simultaneously working on STEM skills and certifications as they teach. We understand all of this, and so we created a Python Fundamentals course like no other that currently exists. It is specifically tailored to you, our base of hard-working, multi-tasking teachers and administrators and gives you the resources you need to both understand and teach Python in 14 super short digestible lessons.

The Python Fundamentals course is the brainchild of DroneBlocks’ curriculum specialist Clinton Evans. You may already be familiar with Clinton from his courses like our latest Welcome to Mars and also from his monthly Up in the Air video blog segment that reviews all things DroneBlocks. Clinton recognized the need for a good introduction to Python course through his own personal experience learning the language and felt every course was really tailored to people already familiar with the jargon and other coding languages. “We’ve got amazing Python courses in DroneBlocks created by Pat Ryan and Dennis Baldwin, but you need to be comfortable with Python terms to truly unlock these lessons, and so I knew what we needed is a slow, thorough Python introduction Course” explains Clinton. “Firstly, it is designed for someone with no experience, we assume you are a non-programmer and know nothing.” In this course, the Drones mostly remain on the sideline, and the focus is solely on learning the language with daily ten-to-fifteen minute lessons, followed by short quizzes and exercises. If done in one shot, the course takes around 2-hours, but Clinton knows that programming a little each day brings consistency and can fit better into educators’ busy schedules. “It builds good habits and gives you many little victories. There are no teeth on this snake! No intimidation.”

Overall, through this course you will learn how Python is a language that interprets information, reading it line-by-line and following steps in a sequence to deliver a desired outcome. One lesson for example is called Breaking Down Data Types such as integers, floats, strings, and booleans. These terms may be foreign, but Clinton breaks them down and translates them into layman’s terms. You will also learn other phrases used in Python such as functions, methods, casting, and be quizzed so they become second nature. Another lesson highlight is building a custom “choose your own adventure” game using “If, Then” statements through a True and False flow-chart. For the final lesson, Clinton leads you in creating a quiz app, where if the answers are correct, energy points are gained which if paired with your Drones will direct them to fly forward according to the number of correct questions answered. It’s truly fun, engaging, and entry-level! Once you feel comfortable with Python, you can take your skills over to the minimal environment DroneBlocks simulator to play around. 

As always, the course is led by Clinton through a video series and accompanied by a pdf of each lesson, which can also be used by teachers as worksheets for students learning Python. So go ahead, and embark on your Python learning journey today, and in the meantime, DroneBlocks will be cooking up a few new Python courses for when you’re finished. Clinton is now onto a lesson on incorporating Python to play with face recognition and computer vision. 

We’ll see you in 14 Days! Please direct any questions, suggestions, or discussion starters to the DroneBlocks community page, we can’t wait to hear from you!