Rio Rico, AZ - Rio Rico High School Agriscience teacher Richard McPherson has been invited to present at several national iCEV Career and Technical Education (CTE) conventions for education and industry leaders about drone education. iCEV is an online resource for CTE educators to help prepare students of all ages for industry certifications in several CTE programs.
Mr. McPherson teaches a class at Rio Rico High School on flying drones. In addition to teaching students, he has written lesson plans, papers, and journal articles on the subject, presented at workshops and contributed to iCEV’s published curriculum. To date, he has instructed and certified 30 pilots in 15 states for their FAA Part 137 operations.
In 2022, Clayton Franklin, Chief Product Officer, iCEV contacted McPherson to present at several conferences across the U.S. His most recent presentation was in November and December for the National Association of Agricultural Educators and the Association of Career Technical Educators, both of which were held in Las Vegas, Nevada.
McPherson presented to teachers and administrators of CTE-Agriscience, Law Enforcement and Fire & Safety, Mining, TV & Film, Photography, Engineering, and Business programs on how to incorporate iCEV’s new curriculum into their CTE programs.
“I want to help prepare today’s students for careers that utilize drones. It is important for students to learn the basics of drones, how to fly drones, and prepare for commercial certification. iCEV is excited about the brand-new drone curriculum which includes drone theory, design, flight skills, and remote pilot preparation.”
Mr. McPherson is scheduled to present in Arizona, California, and Missouri in 2023.
Full list of presentation dates
Wednesday, July 27, 2022, for the Agriculture Teachers Association of Texas, Corpus Christi, TX.
Saturday, July 16, 2022, for the Arizona Agriculture Teachers Association, Tucson, AZ.
Thursday, January 26, 2023, for the ACTEAz/ ACOVA Midwinter Conference, Prescott, AZ
Monday, February 27, 2023, for the Educating for Careers Conference, Sacramento, CA
Monday, July 17, 2023, for the Arizona Agriculture Teachers Association, Tucson, AZ.
Tuesday, June 13, 2023, for the ACTE Region III conference, Springfield, MO
Wednesday- Friday, June 14-16, 2023 for the Missouri Department of Elementary & Secondary Education
PHOTO: Contributed
With the help of a drone, the 4 men were checking the cotton on the Berrey Farm in Marana after defoliant application.
Left to Right:
Pilot- Mike Campbell, Chief Pilot Farm-i-tude
Richard McPherson, Agriscience Teacher RRHS
Kelley Berry, Owner/ Producer Berrey Farms in Marana, Arizona
Ed Franklin PhD, UA Professor, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Agricultural Education, Technology, and Innovation
Background: Santa Cruz Valley Unified School District No. 35 is a growing, dynamic school district covering approximately 267 square miles. The district operates five schools. Approximately 3,500 students are enrolled for the 2022-2023 school year.
http://www.scv35.org