CTE Spotlight: When the drones lift off, so does student learning at HMS

The airspace in Houston Middle School’s STEM classroom came alive last month as drones took flight under the guidance of eighth grade students. In Sabrina Martin’s class, these weren’t just remote-controlled gadgets. They were solely flying on paths carefully coded and tested by students who were learning the art of problem-solving through trial and error.

“We’re using drones called For the Win Robotics,” explained Martin. “Students can fly them with a controller, but they can also write code for flight, and the drones follow the code they’ve created.”

For many middle schoolers, this means experimenting with lines of code until the drone moves exactly as planned. Sometimes that requires persistence.

“When you’re trying to write the code, you must be very detailed,” said Martin. “You can’t skip any little piece, or the drone won’t fly. It’s that whole rinse-and-repeat process of going back, asking why it didn’t work, and finding a solution.”

That trial-and-error learning connects directly to the engineering design process and prepares students for challenges beyond the classroom. Whether their drone succeeds or crashes midair, the lesson is the same: problem-solving, critical thinking, and collaboration are essential skills.

Martin first discovered the coding drones at a national STEM conference last year. “We had been using drones only with controllers, and after a while, we thought what else can we do? When I saw these coding drones, I knew this could give students a chance to experience computer science in a fun, hands-on way.”

The project ties into GMSD’s Strategic Plan 2030, which emphasizes equipping students with skills such as communication, critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, and digital competency. 

Martin sees the excitement daily. “Our classes always fill up fast. When other students see drones flying, they want to join in, too. It’s something they really look forward to.”

And though the lessons may look like play, the learning runs deep. As Martin put it, “STEM teaches students how to problem solve and work together. Sometimes the end result looks different than you expected, but that’s exactly what makes it meaningful.”

Take a look art our students flying a drone!