With all the hype surrounding STEM education, many teachers tend to want to use technologies like robotics and circuitry kits or 3D printers and maybe even virtual reality. There is another set of STEM tools, however, that is also great for engaging students and helping them build long-lasting, 21st century skill sets. We’re talking about drones and, although it seems like it might be too challenging or expensive to bring drones into education, the fact is that it’s no more difficult than it is to add more traditional STEM solutions. Aside from securing a regular place to fly them, the biggest challenge might just be deciding on a model or two. But, don’t worry—we’re here to highlight some of the best ones and tell you where it is you can get them.

As with most educational technologies, there are different drones that are appropriate for students of different ages. There’s no set minimum age for getting students involved with drone piloting, but even the most basic drones require some degree of skill. For that reason, we’d say that, by the time students are in fifth grade or so, they’d probably be ready to start flying a drone and learn more about what it means to be a drone pilot. There is a lot that goes into this, including registering the drone, knowing the rules of the sky, and, of course, being able to operate it safely.

The first drone we tend to think of for beginner-level fliers is the Micro Drone—a drone that, as its name implies, is very small in size. It can actually fit in the palms of students’ hands, but still offers them a high-flying STEM learning experience. This drone is available on our store both as a standalone item and as part of a small bundle. With either option, students can stream live, HD footage back to the ground using an iOS or Android phone without ever experiencing any lag. It has three speed settings, self-stabilizing technology, and can fly at speeds of up to 45 miles per hour.

Moving up a bit in terms of complexity, the Airblock drone from Makeblock is another reliable model with its own twist on flying. The Airblock is programmable, allowing students to create code using a block-based language that tells the drone what to do and where to go once it takes off. Plus, the Airblock can be assembled in a variety of different shapes, giving students the chance to expand on their engineering skills before the drone even takes to the skies. They’ll learn how to pilot the drone as well as improve their coding skills with graphical programming using this affordable aviator.

The Discover Drones kits are an excellent option for both students and teachers. Starting right off the bat, students are challenged with the task of putting the drones together as they again work on their engineering and problem-solving skills before taking flight. Perhaps its biggest value is for educators, however, as the Classroom Pack comes complete with a robust, open-source curriculum that’s designed to prepare students for a bunch of potential new careers. The kit can support up to five groups of students and allow kids to get comfortable when working with drones—even though these UAV’s can fly at up to 100 miles per hour!

Finally, we also offer a number of DJI drones our store, including the MAVIC 2 Zoom, MAVIC Air, Phantom 4 Pro V2.0, SPARK, MAVIC Pro, and Tello EDU! We also have DJI’s virtual reality goggles, which allow students to experience the view from their drone back on the ground and in VR! DJI is one of the most innovative names in both educational and commercial drones and these highly sophisticated yet affordable models show why they are so popular. Plus, the DroneBlocks professional learning content helps educators learn all about teaching with the Tello EDU.

These are just some of the drone options we have on our store. As more are released in the coming weeks and months, we’ll be sure to make those available to educators as well. Once again, you can find all the drones we have to offer on our store. Finally, we would like to wish a very happy and safe Thanksgiving to all of our customers, partners, and supporters! Enjoy it!