Ep. 280 | Don't Start a Drone Club Until You Hear This w/ Frankie Baker

The EdTech Bites Podcast

Hear that? That's the sound of STEM careers taking off. Meet CoDrone EDU from Robolink — the drone made for classrooms and competitions and the sponsor for this episode. It's safe, durable, and fixable — with no FAA license or assembly required to fly and help every student feel more confident in a tech-driven world. Students fly CoDrone EDU three ways: manually, coded with Blockly, or coded with Python. See how over 7 thousand schools have proven you CAN have drones in classrooms, buzz and all, at www.robolink.com

Ever wondered how to get a drone club off the ground—without crashing it on day one? In this episode, we're joined by Frankie Baker, former classroom teacher turned Community Manager at Robolink, to break down the big wins (and mistakes) teachers make when bringing drones into their schools.

From fixable, flyable classroom drones to career-ready skills and whale snot (yes, really), we're covering everything you didn't know you needed to know about drones in education. Whether you're drone-curious or halfway to competition day, this episode will give you the real talk, the how-tos, and a few good laughs.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:

• The real reason most teachers fail at starting a drone club
• Why drones aren't just toys—and how they build real-world skills
• A $250 drone that doesn't need an FAA license? Yep.
• Free curriculum + PD that makes drone clubs teacher-friendly
• Student-led learning in action: from Earth Day bees to conference presenters
• Why Frankie's Twitter handle is "BaconEdTech"
• A food segment featuring sourdough gone wrong and pan de muerto done right
• Gabriel's Sourdough Pan De Muerto Recipe

Connect With Gabriel Carrillo

• EdTech Bites Website: https://edtechbites.com
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• EdTech Bites Instagram: https://instagram.com/edtechbites
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About Frankie Baker

A self-proclaimed "hype girl of all the things," Frankie is committed to empowering teachers to confidently integrate technology and foster student voice, choice, and agency in every classroom. With a strong focus on AI in education, robotics, and coding, she helps bridge the gap between tech and curriculum—making it approachable and meaningful for all learners. Frankie thrives on learning through collaboration and loves growing her network through communities, tools, and events that push the boundaries of what's possible in education.

Connect With Frankie

• Frankie On X: https://x.com/baconedtech
• Frankie On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/baconedtech/
• Frankie On LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frankie-baker-9001636a/
• Robolink Website: https://www.robolink.com
• Robolink On Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/robolinkinc/
• Robolink On YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@robolinkinc