Over the summer, two Rockhurst High School student teams were recognized by the Merrill Watt Education & Mentoring Endowment (MWEME), which awarded three area teams awards for categories including entrepreneurship and innovation. Both of these student teams developed their award winning submissions in courses that developed out the Rockhurst STEAM initiative.
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I truly enjoyed the course. This really modeled what a student-centered instructional environment should look like. The discussion was beneficial and robust. It gave an opportunity to dig deeper into problems, and to identify potential pitfalls with students. All problems provided opportunities for scaffolding and for extending student learning. This was a very rich experience and I am a better teacher for having been a part of this conversation. Thank You.
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There is nothing that can prepare you for seeing Mr. Nendick throw a piece of bread onto a direct flame because your directions on how to make a grilled cheese sandwich were not clear enough. - Rockhurst Senior
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This summer I had the opportunity to teach 40 incoming freshmen in a completely online version of our Intro to Computer Science course. As the start of class approached, my anxiety levels ticked upward. This was the largest class I ever had to manage, and the completely online format was fraught with uncertainty. I actually had a nightmore the evening before class… a scenario where I was overwhelmed, helpless, surrounded by unhappy and confused students with too many questions to handle all at once. Needless to say, I had a rough night’s sleep the day before class started, but I had a plan and I was prepared and to my surprise it all went very smoothly.
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Congratulations! On behalf of the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA), we are pleased to recognize Rockhurst High School as an ITEEA STEM School of Excellence. Recipients of the ITEEA STEM School of Excellence Recognition provide outstanding and robust Integrative STEM education programs.
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Incorporating capstone projects to punctuate a course contribute an added benefit of flexibility and agility for teachers and students. When Rockhurst High School went to an online learning model due to the worldwide pandemic, Mr. Paul Winkeler’s Astronomy students were able to stay engaged and continue their learning journey. While everyone was figuring out their new normal for the spring semester, Mr. Winkeler, Chair of the Science Department, also talked about how the course’s final project helped maintain high expectations and high standards for both him as the instructor and the students in the class.
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As an educator, how do we know if a student learned? What areas were learned best and what evidence of that learning are we able to capture? In the Entrepreneurship for Others class, the Entrepreneurial Mindset Self-Assessment serves as one tool to track student learning. A lot was learned this semester, similar to the semester of the 2018-2019 school year.The self-assessment is given to students on the first day of class and the last day of class. For the Spring of 2020, the self-assessment was also given on the first day of online-learning once the worldwide pandemic led to shelter-in-place orders from the city mayor. This self-assessment provides some useful quantitative data.
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Congrats to our competitive programmers for taking 5th and 9th place at the Northwest Missouri State high school programming contest. The Clojures team comprised of David King ‘20 and Sal Nigro ‘20 placed 9th (seen left below). The Prototypes team of Justus Burdick ‘21 and Ben Keefe ‘20 placed 5th (seen right below).
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What would you put in the box? Watson would put normal items that can be bought at stores like Walmart. Watch the video below to learn why.
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On May 10th, 2019, junior David King launched a weather balloon that took a picture of the curvature of the earth at 103,000ft!
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Rockhurst High School celebrated Computer Science Eduction week in a collaboration with the KC Tech Council. Check out the student videos from the week!
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Seeing Zoe that happy when we presented her with the carriage was a great feeling.
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I had no knowledge at all on green screening before the demo. Now, I could create a green screen video easily from memory. - Rockhurst High School sophomore, Liam O'Keefe
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This best/next practice also increases student engagement because students can think about mathematics through the lens of their peer learners.
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“This setup eliminates all temptations [to cheat]. In fact, it helps me prepare and study better beforehand,” said one student.
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Now that we know we can attract monarchs, we are going to up the ante and get our garden certified through KU's Monarch Way Station. We need to add a few types of plants first to continue to attract monarchs. Very exciting!!!!!
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Now 4 years running, the Exeter Mathematics Institute continues to provide high-impact professional development for area math teachers (and some not from the area!)
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In this course, students will select an authentic topic/question, design a feasible research project, and conduct it on campus at Rockhurst High School.
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This past July, Computer Science and Engineering Department Chair, Andy Wilcox presented at the NSTA (National Science Teaching Association) STEM Expo in San Francisco, California. The topic of his presentation was “How to Create and Maintain a Successful Robotics Program.”
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I now understand that an entrepreneurial mindset is something that can be learned by all people and can be developed more as time goes on. It is what people use when they see a problem that needs to be solved and a way that people who want to help others look at life. People with an Entrepreneurial mindset believe that they can change the world with their ideas.
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I having been thinking about our idea, and there is no other product like the one we would try and create. Why not us!?
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Science
Engineering
Mathematics
What is the impact of the partnerhsip with AdvancED and Rockhurst High School?
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There is a reason why the Jesuits Push reflection. It works for us.
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Science
Engineering
Mathematics
What did we learn at the 2019 STEM Summit?
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Seven students travelled to Jefferson City, MO to celebrate STEM Day at the Capitol.
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On Wednesday, December 12th, 2018. In front of a panel of judges and over 100 guests including parents, faculty and alumni, the 24 students in the Entrepreneurship for Others class showcased business canvas, their prototypes and market research developed over the course of the semester.
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Students who score high on the end of course exam in POE as well as score high on specific AP courses are awarded an AP+PLTW student recognition.
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Rockhurst High School celebrated Computer Science Eduction week in a collaboration with the KC Tech Council. Check out the student videos from the week!
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Students from the Entrepreneurship for Othesr class shared the status of their busines canvas at the Young Entrepreneurs Showcase, which was part of the program for Global Entrepreneurship Week.
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Written by
Ann Lehane
| 12 November 2018
Arts
This semester the photography classes had the opportunity to visit the Kansas City Zoo to work on their skills in nature photography. This was a chance for the students to experience a Kansas City treasure and learn about many of God’s creatures, some that were familiar and some that were new. They could also practice using different styles of lenses. Below are a few of their images and reflections of the experience.
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Mathematics
School for Others
Mr. Greg Owsley discusses school innovation and data science with the Rockhurst University's Dean of the Helzberg School of Management, Cherl McConnell.
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Moses lives with cerebral palsy. When he was adopted by his parents, he carried a Captain America doll around with him wherever he went. As a result, the students decided to turn his wheelchair into a Captain America Avengers costume for Halloween!
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It was a very rewarding experience and showed me that while research can be a long and arduous process, it is not out of reach. All things considered, the process went rather smoothly when considering the complexity of the science we performed. It has been, and will continue to be, one of the coolest and most memorable things I have done at Rockhurst.
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Written by
Nicole Smith
| 3 October 2018
Arts
My creative mind now uses filmmaking as a way to crave its hunger. I focused on a lot of close up shots to show emotion of my protagonist and antagonist. In stop motion, the number one lesson I learned was patience.
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Science
Student Perspectives
During the presentation, he spoke about how both faith and reason work together. He is fascinated by God’s Creation and he absolutely loves understanding how this universe was created and the science behind it.
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One of the most inspirational parts of the challenge was the mentors that were provided to us. They provided useful insight that helped our group succeed, and they have the experience that we lack.
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Since every single freshmen at Rockhurst High School takes this course, our goal is to appeal to the broadest audience possible and to provide a more interesting feedback experience. If you ask our students what they want to learn, you will find the majority point to virtual reality and game design.
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In the summer of 2018, Mr. Andy Wilcox presented at the National Science Teachers' Association STEM EXPO in Philadelphia, PA.
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The family of senior Grady Schmitz had some electrical problems with their fishing boat. Sounds like a great project for the Robotics & Engineering 2 class!
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The knowledge I was taught in high school was used extensively during this internship. I have learned many things that I was not taught in high school and have met multiple people that inspire me at such a young age. I am blessed to have the teachers at Rockhurst that pushed me to become the motivated individual I am today and to be involved in every aspect of my life. AMDG
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In the 2017-2018 school year, about 5,000 people each year opened the STEAM E-Newsletter. This electronic vehicle allowed Rockhurst to celebrate the successes of STEAM-Related Rockhurst achievements.
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This year’s group of 88 educators averaged just over 100 students when asked how many students the teachers teach in a given year. This means that the two weeks of workshops impacts nearly 90,000 students!
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Earnest McCoy, CEO of AltSpec UAS and RHS graduate of 2006 hosted an exciting hands on drone camp for Rockhurst students. They learned aspects of safety, FAA rules, drone components, flight and control theory, and experiences flying a drone with their own two hands!
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Rockhurst High School was excited to partner with STEAM Stars this summer
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This past year, 61 Rockhurst students experienced the new Principles of Engineering course. Future Rockhurst students will be eligible to earn the AP + PLTW student recognition.
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Back in May, the 13th to be exact, I took a group of four Rockhurst High School students from AP Computer Science Principles class to compete in a JavaScript programming competition hosted on the CodeHS platform.
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Mr. McEniry’s talk was very interesting to me because he was able to show how hyperbolic parabolas worked in person instead of on a screen. Because I got to see how the parabolas formed it was easy to understand. It was cool that he made the slides and the model himself because it showed how interested he was with his project. At first I didn’t understand what he was going to do with the old projector and the string setup, but he did it pretty well. The way he used light with the string setup was pretty creative.
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Written by
Nicole Smith
| 1 May 2018
Arts
On Thursday, April 26 the Communication Arts Department hosted the 5th annual Digital Media Festival- The Roscars.
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First, we considered making our own liquid nitrogen and realized that it can be dangerous. I would like to thank Rochurst for helping me conduct my science experiment, I couldn’t have done it without them.
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Written by
Nick Vaughn
| 25 April 2018
Science
April 25th is known and annually celebrated as "DNA Day".
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By the end of the evening, what I realized is that what was important wasn't what I brought with me, but rather the time I spent with the people from Christ Lutheran School. Regardless of what your passion is in life, one of the most important aspects of what you do is to be an ambassador to others, talk to them about it.
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Project management skills are life skills that any young man will need throughout his life.
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I always used to lose my notes...
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So teacher please be careful with these students that you teach...for if they fail to learn to live, their hearts you've failed to reach.
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Below are a few of the resources from various presentations at the conference.
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The acronym! All five words: Math, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math all decreased in use. This is a big deal. Successful STEM Education is not about what happens in isolation with those specific content area. Successful STEM Education, especially defined by the eleven AdvancED STEM Indicators includes all content areas.
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When I honestly pray and reflect on where the STEAM initiative fits into Rockhurst’s Catholic identity, I feel the Good Spirit at work. Through the lens of STEAM, the school’s Catholic Identity is crystal clear.
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Rockhurst showed that they truly were academic leaders in the Region championing excellence in learning in a Jesuit institution. It was tremendous!
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As Rockhurst began its STEAM initiative, naturally some of the discussion lent itself to our physical spaces. Active Learning areas were necessary to further the initiative, and what better place to promote active learning than the library? Using the model of an academic learning commons found most often in institutions of higher learning and tailoring it to fit the special needs of Rockhurst High School, we were able to create a large, flexible space that supports learning in many different forms.
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I honestly didn't realize how into science my five year old daughter was until we attended STEAM night!
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Active Learning
Faculty Impact
I believe that the greatest gift you can give your family and the world is a healthy you.
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In March of 2017, Rockhurst High School earned an AdvancED STEM Certification. This achievement puts Rockhurst on the national map.
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The main goal was to learn from an interactive and hands-on experience. The experience gave me more confidence in presenting directions and answering questions in French.
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Arts
Student Perspectives
It’s not the equipment that tells the story; it's you who tells the story.
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Science
Student Perspectives
The generosity and scientific innovation displayed at the event was stunning and a beacon of hope for progress and future generations.
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Science
Student Perspectives
I am glad to be alive at this particular time in human history.
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Science is meant to be shared, not kept. In hopes of sharing the joy of science, our microscopes will be donated to Our Lady of Hope Grade School.
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At any given time during the day, you can walk through and see students taking advantage of their self-directed time.
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Written by
Marvin Grilliot
and
J.W. Clark
| 8 September 2017
Given a set of parameters and some basic rules to follow, every student is capable of producing a computational artifact. Check out what the Hurtado Scholars can code. We can't wait to see what they'll come up with next year.
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Science
Student Perspectives
It opened my eye to a lot of the innovation that is happening in the education technology field and get a preview of what the “Classroom of the Future” might look like.
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For many of us, the experience was glowing with science, was a spiritual moment, and was deeply moving.
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Where has the STEAM initiative put Rockhurst on the national map?
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The big demo day is April 13, 2017 at Think Big Partners in downtown KC. I look forward to seeing how students assemble the various pieces of this challenge into final projects.
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As an Ignatian school, we already fulfill the requirements of a STEM school.
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Written by
Bert Roney
| 9 March 2017
Arts
Technology
...when I was watching a lecture being given by one of my favorite modern physicists, Dr. Michio Kaku.
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Science
Student Perspectives
...allowing students to really enter the workplace and see what the future of engineering and science has to offer in a fast paced world.
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Engineering
Science
Student Perspectives
...when I was watching a lecture being given by one of my favorite modern physicists, Dr. Michio Kaku.
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If you haven’t heard, the Science department reached an inflection point and is positively accelerating.
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Learning can occur during self-directed time too. Isn't that what happens in the real world?
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Science
Student Perspectives
...allowing students to really enter the workplace and see what the future of engineering and science has to offer in a fast paced world.
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Together, we worked to explore how to bridge the perceived gap between religion and science.
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Rockhurst is as much an institution to build bonds as it is to educate.
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“This is the type of REAL WORLD experience you simply can't teach in a classroom"
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The tank will draw people in to our unique science program
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Students will be given ample autonomy to take ownership over their own, authentic research and will be sharing their learnings to a public audience.
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When a student graduates from Rockhurst, there are fundamental skills he should have attained while matriculating. A Rockhurst graduate should be able to write in a proficient manner, Experimentation is the foundation of science. Discover a problem, postulate a hypothesis, and then determine an experiment that can test that hypothesis…this is the format that we reinforce with our students. The foundation of the experiment is the content delivered in class; the content allows the students to problem solve and determine the best experiment.
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How do talented teachers make an impact beyond their classroom walls?
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Written by
Miles Wood
| 1 November 2016
Student Perspectives
I have had an incredible experience
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Together, we created a business in 3 hours
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3D Printers are making their way into the Rockhurst High School curriculum
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Student engagement in school plummets as they get to higher grades
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What if I'm not a computer guy?
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questions of 'why' were as valuable as any sample
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Students will be 3D printing an autonomous car
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Written by
Harrison Oest
| 20 August 2016
Student Perspectives
Everything started with a trip out to the Garmin Corporate Campus to see the big reveal.
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Studying the universe is an act of Worship
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It is helping me remember the difficulty students have when initially given a problem.
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I'd like to take an opportunity before things start getting too hectic to officially announce what's planned for Computer Science at Rockhurst High School for the 2016-17 school year.
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The SensED Internet of Things workshop was beneficial to my upcoming academic year and armed me with a collection of materials that I will likely use to support my instruction of the AP Computer Science Principles curriculum framework.
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July 1, 2016 marks the completion of my first ever high school credit course, Intro to Computer Science. It was nice to be able to focus on just one course as well as rehearse the curriculum planned for release this school year as a required technical credit for graduation.
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Written by
Joe LeRoy
| 16 May 2016
Student Impact
In the 2014-2015 school year, the Rockhurst math department chose to double the enrollment in our AP Calculus 1 course. This decision was based on the idea that our students deserved every opportunity, and we were confident that this number of students could be successful in an AP course. We have continued with this enrollment plan in the 2015-2016 school year.
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The two inflight pictures are from about 3,000 feet and 100,000 feet. Notice on the picture from the highest point of the flight how you can see the blue of the atmosphere below the balloon as well as the darkness of space.
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What’s the moral of this story?
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“More people pay attention. I hardly ever see anyone playing games, or messing around with their iPad. It's just so much easier to pay attention and participate..."
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The Rockhurst Outdoors Club represents STEAM by presenting students with the opportunity to experience flight at iFLY.
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Faculty Impact
Student Impact
STEM is a culture, not a curriculum.
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Any team that is in its first year of competition is going to learn some lessons the hard way and take their fair share of lumps. Our rookie FIRST Robotics Team is no different as we have had a challenging journey to get where we are today. What started out as a challenge has grown into a process that has developed the minds of our young engineers.
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I had a brilliant conversation with a colleague. She shared with me - and shared correctly - that teachers are the ones who make the greatest impact on student success. For this reason, teachers still need to be experts in their content area.
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Sometimes, we get strange looks buying things in stores. Like the one asking why we’re buying five yards of hot red spandex using a tax-exempt form. Then there are the looks of helpless pity from homeowners just trying to fix their sink as these two people stumble through the hardware store aisles clutching an irresponsible number of 8-foot lengths of electrical conduit, knocking paint brushes from their display hooks. There are the strange looks from students as we spend five hours, attempting to assemble what appeared to passerby as a gigantic hamster wheel, only for it to snap apart over and over, vaulting PVC fittings into the air in the Barry commons.
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Service Learning
Technology
Since 1972, Rockhurst High School’s senior class has been spending the beginning two and a half weeks of January spreading out for their senior service projects. This year we invested some of our effort in a service learning educational approach to one of the projects. Moreover, since this is the year we kicked off our school’s STEAM initiative, we wanted to take on a project that brings technical experience to our students (coding specifically).
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Recently I was invited my Luke McLellan and his boys in the Outdoor Club to join them for a spelunking trip to share some geology knowledge during the trek. I was excited for the invitation and grateful for the opportunity. What could be more “STEAM” than combining adventure and science???
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Back in September I was notified that the Jet Propulsion Laboratory was accepting applications for their Solar System Ambassador Program. I have always been fascinated with the science and engineering that has come out of JPL. JPL is the lab that is administrated by NASA at Cal Tech that has designed, developed, and managed such programs as the three Mars rovers (Spirit, Opportunity, and Curiosity), the Dawn mission at Ceres, the Cassini mission at Saturn, the Juno mission heading to Jupiter, and the Spitzer Space Telescope. Knowing this, I knew I wanted to apply to such a tremendous program.
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I was very fortunate to travel recently to Tucson, Arizona to attend a workshop through the Vatican Observatory Foundation. The workshop was titled "Faith and Astronomy" where the objective was to discuss the relationship between the Church and science through the eyes of astronomy. As a staunch supporter of astronomy, it was an honor to attend such a workshop as it was administered by Jesuit Brother Guy Consolmagno, the director of the Vatican Observatory. Brother Guy is one of the celebrities of astronomy and someone who has brought a better understanding of how the Catholic Church views advancements in science. To spend time with him over the week was a once in a career opportunity.
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Last November, I had the opportunity to participate in the NCSSS (National Consortium of Secondary STEM Schools) conference in New York City. An acronym that contains an acronym? How meta! Rockhurst High School can learn a lot about the successes and challenges experienced by other STEM schools. Ultimately, how can Rockhurst integrate some of these innovative ideas with the non-negotiable Jesuit identity that is paramount in forming men for others?
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After school on Dec. 14, the top teams competed in the finals in the Barry Commons, surrounded by fellow classmates and teachers.
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The algebra, geometry, trigonometry, and calculus skills taught in the Math Department are the tools that programmers, scientists, and engineers use to describe the wondrous world our God has created. As an instructor steeped in the Jesuit tradition, I constantly remind our young sons of Ignatius to see God’s presence in all things, “God don’t make no junk.”
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Recently I attended a conference in Philadelphia by the National Science Teachers Association that focused primarily on engineering. During my time at the conference I was quickly reminded that no one has “solved” STEAM, that its concept, in each individual academic community, is developed through the creativity of the teachers and designed for the needs of the student body. There is not, and there likely never will be, a national answer for STEAM that reaches the needs of all schools.
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We are in the midst of an ambitious education initiative and at the very core is the important question…what is best for our students’ academic future? While acquisition of knowledge is important, what does it allow our students to do? What does it allow them to become? Does lecturing basic facts lead to skill acquisition?
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Written by
Joe LeRoy
| 28 November 2015
School for Others
The math department hosted 19 middle school math teachers, on November 13th. The day was an opportunity to meet them and to collaborate and exchange ideas. Our invitations were met with a lot of excitement, and that made the day easy to put together.
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Eleven young men from The Rock ventured out to Kansas State University to compete in their annual high school programming contest.
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At the very core of our STEAM Initiative is the inclusiveness of all its aspects. It is our objective to impact each student in each of his classes, allowing him to experience an holistic academic culture. Throughout my research, travels, and conversations I have discovered that the cornerstone of our initiative, without debate, are the people within the Rockhurst community. Our creativity, our desires to improve, our professionalism, our care for our students, our openness to new ideas…these are paramount to meeting our objectives. No purchasing of materials or building new structure can meet what we can do as teachers. We are STEAM.
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Come gather 'round people wherever you roam and admit that the waters around you have grown and accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone if your time to you is worth savin' then you better start swimmin' or you'll sink like a stone for the times they are a-changin'. - Bob Dylan
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Greetings from the land of curricular and co-curricular robotics.
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Written by
Ann Lehane
| 13 October 2015
Arts
Science
September 27, 2015. The supermoon and a total eclipse of the moon, all in one night. What could be more fun or fascinating?
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Written by
Larry Ruby
| 6 October 2015
Active Learning
Engineering
Faculty Impact
A recent visit to the Rockhurst High School STEAM program at the invitation of its enthusiastic and exuberant director, Mr. Greg Owsley, proved to be exciting and exhilarating. As the years pass since my retirement in 2010, the fond memories of the ROCK rest ever gentle on my mind. The soul of Rockhurst has always been dedicated and enthusiastic teachers instructing students focused on learning and formation in the Jesuit tradition. Well, those things have not changed. But Jesuit education and the Rockhurst tradition have always asked “what’s next?” And so it is with the STEAM program, an integration of science, technology, engineering, arts, and math. A number of co-curricular clubs and activities make this a total approach to learning and solving problems. In my own experience as a teacher and administrator, I always believed in the maxim, “it’s not the answers one seeks, but the questions one asks” that provides the foundation for learning and thinking.
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Written by
Nicole Smith
| 30 September 2015
Arts
Quite a bit of the talk around the STEAM initiative has revolved around the first and last letters; S- for Science and M- for Math. The other letters are not being ignored at Rockhurst. The Communication Arts department was created to add more opportunities in the arts. Introduction to Movie Making, Advanced Film Making, Introduction to Broadcasting, Introduction to Photography, Public Speaking, Newspaper and Yearbook are a few of the classes in the CA department that provide students with an opportunity to “communicate artistically”. As the Communication Arts department continues to grow, a few clubs have been started to introduce students to the existing courses available and to possible courses.
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One of the more empowering aspects of Jesuit education is that we have a pretty clear vision of the people our students are becoming when they cross the graduation threshold. In fact, the characteristics are laid out specifically in the Profile of the Graduate at Graduation. As such, new programs are filtered through the Grad at Grad lens.
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Written by
Chris Bosco
| 22 September 2015
Active Learning
Recently I came across an article about Boyan Slat, a young man who three years ago gave a TEDx talk about his innovative, “radical” plan to remove plastics from oceans. The talk went viral likely as a result of several factors: his plan was simple in that it’d be powered by the oceans themselves; it would rely on a 62-mile-wide floating wall anchored to the ocean floor; it would in theory remove millions of tons of plastic in the oceans; and the idea’s creator, Slat, was then 18-years old. Today and $2 million raised later, this young dreamer’s idea is being acted upon.
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Active Learning
Student Impact
After administering the Active Learning Classroom survey designed by Steelcase Education, 253 students responded.
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As professional educators it is our obligation to our craft to continue to develop our toolbox of skills as the world our audience lives in changes. By meeting our students where they are at…in their world…we are required as teachers to reflect on creative strategies that allow our students to grow academically during their formation at Rockhurst. Professional Development is a key aspect of our careers as teachers and is also an crucial component of STEAM.
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When I notice the many changes that have occurred during the transition to the new classroom, I am most impressed with the way in which the students seem to be more engaged in daily activities. This has been achieved with new furniture/technology and with the introduction of the personal whiteboards to the students. The whiteboards serve many functions in the new classroom, including privacy and visibility.
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In January of 2015, my friend Mr. Bill Palin, a lawyer in Boston calls my cell. “Hey Greg, I just finished helping teach this course at MIT. The level of sophistication is really not that great, you should run this class at your school.”
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Active Learning
Faculty Impact
I entered the new active learning classrooms with excitement as well as apprehension of the unknown. Being in an active learning classroom has given me the permission to think outside the box, and relinquish control of my classroom to my students.
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I have been teaching high school aged men and women problem solving skills since January of 1974. The technology of the day—the sliderule. At Grain Valley High School, I started my first programming (coding) class in 1978 using four TRS 80 computers from Radio Shack with 4K Memory. We saved our programs on cassette tapes. Wow…technology has changed in the last 41 years, but developing problem solving skills in young minds …well… that hasn’t changed that much.
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Underneath the Science Department’s umbrella of “STEAM Co-Curriculars”, there are 7 clubs: Science Club, Ecology Club, Robotics Club, Astronomy Club, Zoology Club, Engineering Club, and Rocket Club. Co-Curricular Clubs offer students an opportunity that is an extension of the classroom, enhancing their formation and allowing them experiences they may not be able to have within the current academic curriculum.
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Active Learning
Faculty Impact
After 11 days, here are some reflections from the teachers in the Active Learning Classrooms:
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As I mentioned in my previous post, the Exeter Math Problem sets and the way students and teachers approach the mathematics inspired me. I implemented their Math4 problem set into my AP Calculus BC course. After eleven days of class, here are two quotes from students:
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Recently I was in St. Louis and visited my wife’s cousin who is a DJ for a well known rock’n’roll radio station. We met up at the radio station, so I was able to see the workings of the station behind the scenes. I quickly realized that what went on behind the microphones was not what I had previously thought. The entire station is run by computers… no CD’s, no records, no answering phones, just music previously programmed, delivered by computers. When I asked my wife’s cousin about the innovative methods his station uses, he said, “Times have changed, we need to use the technology that we have to deliver what our listeners want. We are here because of them.”
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Despite more than ten years of experience teaching mathematics at Rockhurst, I had a wonderfully humbling experience at the Exeter Mathematics Institute problem-based learning workshop this past week. Math teacher Patrick Curran, Math Department Chair Joe LeRoy and I spent four 8+ hour days working through mathematics problems written by the faculty at the Phillips Exeter Academy.
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Engineering
Science
Technology
I had the opportunity to tour the new Robotics maker space this afternoon, and I tell you - it’s as if this room was predestined for this very purpose. There’s even a 4-pillar support colloseum around the robot battleground in the center of the classroom! You’ve really got to see it up close to feel the excitement of this room’s potential. Moreover, there’s plenty of space for the heavy fabrication machinery at the back of the room, and the variety of equipment as you can see in the image below has just enough space to fill the room entirely. Not to mention Andy has good taste in music which sets the work atmosphere just right.
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I just finished reading Heroic Leadership by Chris Lowney. This should be required reading for any leader, especially one who is involved in Jesuit education (every teacher is also a leader).
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Reflecting upon my Rockhurst High School experience, a few highlights come to my mind:
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The first 3D print to arrive at Rockhurst High School. When I heard about it, I had to grab a few photos and share. It’s blue. It has eight arms. We call it “Rocktopus.”
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The electronic equipment for the new rooms arrived yesterday!
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Let’s start here
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