About

Mr. Steenstra attended Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan from 1984 to 1987 were he studied electrical engineering. He transferred to the University of Michigan in 1987, and graduated in 1989 with a degrees in electrical engineering (BSEE) and liberal arts. He worked for Motorola from 1989 to 1995 designing communication system electronics for the government including the F-22 fighter jet. He has four children; the eldest girl was born in 1994, then two boys in 1996 and 1994, and finally another girl born in 2000. He loves children, and being a husband and a father. He worked for Brooktree/Rockwell/Conexant/Mindspeed as a Business/Marketing Manager from 1995 to 2001. The company name changed several times due to mergers and acquisitions, but Mr. Steenstra never left for another company during that entire period. Mr. Steenstra managed Internet access products, and his businesses boomed along with the growth of the Internet.

In 2001 Mr. Steenstra became a teacher in order to make a difference in the lives of young adults. His goal being to inspire and prepare his students for a life of service, especially in technology-related areas. He is a fully-credentialed teacher in the State of California. He has since taught courses in robotics, computer programming, website design, basic computer skills and several areas of math and science. He also served as the Director of Technology and Webmaster for Calvin Christian School in Escondido, California.

In the Spring of 2018, Mr. Steenstra fully retired from Calvin Christian School.

About Mr. Steenstra's Robotics Classes

Students in these courses use the LEGO® Mindstorms to create many different robots. The programs that control the robots are created using a computer running specialized robot programming software, and then downloaded to the robots. Student designed robots compete with each other in robot challenges. Math, science, and technology are applied to design problems throughout the course. Although students may not realize it because of all the fun they are having, this course focuses on work related competencies such as project and time management, resource allocation, information accessing, systems understanding, teamwork, and problem solving. It is a student-centered course; the teacher acts as a guide, facilitator advisor and evaluator as students work to solve problems and meet the goals defined by the teacher.