Inspiring: A center for innovation, discovery, and collaborative learning
By Dr. Adam Ehrmantraut, BSM President I am walking through the new Atrium at Benilde-St. Margaret's, and I am inspired by the vibrant sense of community that greets visitors as they enter our school. The open spaces, natural light, flexible seating areas, and amphitheater-style performance and collaboration space foster connection and creativity. This physical transformation of our school is possible because of the generosity of our community, and for this, I am extremely grateful. As we embark on the next phase of our Imagine. Innovate. Inspire. capital campaign, we are focused on the first pillar of
our Strategic Plan: Academic Excellence. As a Catholic collegepreparatory school with a rigorous and holistic approach, BSM is developing future leaders in a rapidly changing world. Society will demand much of our graduates. They will grow into adulthood during a period of profound opportunity and change characterized by rapid technological advances, global connections, economic transitions, and evolving social patterns. The future certainly demands a mastery of knowledge, but it also requires skills that will endure over time. Every BSM graduate should leave as a passionate life-long learner, confident that they truly understand how to learn. After all, learning will be an absolute in their lives. They will need to filter and process an unprecedented amount of information, identify what truly matters, and then innovate and adapt, all with a moral compass. They will need to think critically, create, collaborate, and master different modes of communication. They need to engage in authentic learning experiences toward that end. The rows of desks facing an instructor in a classroom might be familiar to BSM parents and grandparents, but they only tell part of the story in how we guide students to be future leaders. I imagine a space that will inspire innovation, discovery, and collaboration. We are working to create an environment that promotes critical thinking and creativity, where students and teachers with different disciplines and perspectives come together to analyze complex issues. A space where students have access to technologies that will inspire their
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thinking and allow them to connect with others around the world. Deep learning demands an environment that inspires inquiry and intellectual curiosity. Imagine a small group of students committed to designing a new energy source. They sit in front of a large screen, sharing ideas, and move to a whiteboard so they can map out those ideas, see connections, and document their creative thinking. They are video conferencing with one of the world's foremost authorities on power and energy. After 50-minutes, there is no bell; they are halfway through an agile planning meeting and free to lean into creative problem solving without the usual classroom constraints. The energy in the room is contagious because collaboration, the human connection, has tapped an intrinsic motivation that exceeds any external reward. In this space, teachers are critical guides shaping student curiosity and inspiration. Students build upon their knowledge in English, science, math, investigation, and collaboration. They have voice and choice about how they work, who they work with, and when they work. They learn to communicate ideas so others will listen and care. In the end, thought-leadership, applied through a moral Catholic lens, will be the domain of our students. I imagine a space where leaders from a local medical device company work collaboratively with engineering and biomedical science students on the design of an implantable medical device. A conference with students from across the Twin Cities examining Catholicism in today’s world. A wall filled with mathematical evidence
which solves a complex problem and requires contributions from a range of Red Knight minds. I imagine our students revealing a marketing campaign to a local nonprofit that helps save lives. This is a space that stirs curiosity, ignites passions, and fosters creativity. Most parents and alumni remember their high school experience decades ago. We realize that school prepared us to be consumers of knowledge, to comply with rules, study for tests, and know the right answer. It prepared us to work in highly structured environments, and our schools were built to reflect that structure. Today, the physical landscape in almost every enterprise has shifted. Cross-functional collaborative teams are at work in every sector. Computers and mobile devices are productivity and collaboration tools that are transforming learning and connecting peers and experts around the world. When we explore patterns, impacts, and systems, we have the freedom to think abstractly and more deeply understand the complexities we face. Dr. Steve Pohlen reminded me, "We are no longer vessels of content knowledge; that is at our fingertips through Google. Humanity needs to bring creative thinking, empathy, ethical reflection, and risk-taking. Today, learning has to be iterative, not measured by how fast you can answer a definitive question." Tomorrow’s leaders will need advanced skills in seeing future implications, creating new connections, applying ethical frameworks, and thinking differently about the possibilities ahead. We must rethink our educational spaces to inspire that kind of innovation. Imagine the impact our students will make. Fall 2019 |
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