Community Reads brings students, faculty, and staff together

The TMI community might be apart for the summer, but it’s coming together in a new way. The end of the school year and beginning of summer vacation marked the start of TMI’s new Upper School Community Reads program that is designed to build community through a set of shared experiences.

Lynn Lada reading the Jones Library copy of How Dare the Sun Rise outside Coates Hall.

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Electronic Engineering students bring their final projects to life

Just one week before graduation, TMI’s Electronic Engineering students had a chance to show off their final projects. Their imaginations were the limit as they developed and refined their ideas, using either the Arduino programmable microcontroller or Raspberry Pi to bring their creations to life. Some were even able to make use of the school’s 3D printer to design and create parts for their projects. By the end of the semester, students rose to the challenge and demonstrated their work, which included an acoustic levitator; alarm system; automatic pet feeder; a twin-authentication security system; robotic arm; quadricopter; and music-coordinated, light-show system.

John Michael Lopez ’18 shows off his music-coordinated light-show system.

Innovation and Design focuses on cross-curricular, applied learning this fall

In a first-of-its-kind, cross-curricular course, TMI math teachers Eric Drake and Travis Waddington are teaming up to teach a project-based, applied course incorporating math, science, art, and communication skills this fall. Students will use engineering and design to think outside the box and reinvent projects for real-world scenarios. While their technical writing and communication skills will be honed as they pitch projects to subject-matter experts, their problem-solving skills will be put to the test in an application environment. This new Innovation and Design class will give students an opportunity to expand their knowledge and surpass the limits of courses they’ve already mastered at TMI, while pursuing their own passions.

Mr. Travis Waddington (left) and LTC (Ret.) Eric Drake

#DitchSummit part of the new era of professional development

What do comfortable clothes, a computer, a long school break, and professional development have in common? Engaged teachers in the Digital Age. Over this past winter break, several TMI faculty members were able to participate in the annual Ditch That Textbook Digital Summit (Ditch Summit), a nine-day virtual event held every December that brings together some of the brightest minds in education. This year’s Ditch Summit was hosted by Matt Miller, an educator, author, and Google-Certified innovator. He is a leading voice in the field of educational technology and eLearning.

Hands-on projects teach more than just science

One might expect chemistry to be boring, but this sophomore science class is lab after lab of engaging, hands-on projects that have the students interacting, problem-solving, and even presenting their work to faculty members who are invited to judge and review their finished products. Read on to take a quick peek inside Mr. Jorge Serrato’s chemistry class for a behind-the-scenes look at their recent “hot rocks” project.