Re-Thinking Statistics; Proposing Curriculum Changes To Our Statistics Curriculum At Imsa,
2025
Illinois Math and Science Academy
Re-Thinking Statistics; Proposing Curriculum Changes To Our Statistics Curriculum At Imsa, Dr. Brian Trainor, Paul Rummelhoff
Professional Learning Day
We’re currently thinking of overhauling the statistics curriculum to move away from the traditional 2-semester AP-style course and move towards a 1-semester college course for dual credit. In addition we are thinking of offering more statistics courses post-intro stats and we could use some thought partners to discuss these changes.
Use Your Words: Positive Interims & Engagement,
2025
Illinois Math and Science Academy
Use Your Words: Positive Interims & Engagement, Tracy Townsend
Professional Learning Day
This year in particular, Faculty have been encouraged to establish connections with their students, which lead to my experiment with using regular interim comments for every student as a tool for improving my connection to them and their families. Along the way, I learned something about how to reach my most isolated students and how to pay attention to my classroom in new ways.
The Core Of Computing,
2025
Illinois Math and Science Academy
The Core Of Computing, Dan Campbell
Professional Learning Day
Computer science can be divided into three foundational paradigms: theory, design, and abstraction. I will share an effort to bring these paradigms to IMSA through two new courses, Elements of Computing Systems 1 and 2, and an independent study, Theory of Computation. The goal is to build a rigorous, engaging foundation for deeper study in computer science. In this talk, I’ll reflect on what’s working, what’s challenging, and early classroom experiences.
Ai At Work: A Panel,
2025
Illinois Math and Science Academy
Ai At Work: A Panel, Rich Busby, Lindsey Herlehy, Ashley Ott, Andrew Reif
Professional Learning Day
Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming how we work, teach, and collaborate. In this panel discussion, four IMSA staff members from different departments will share how they’re using AI in their daily roles—from streamlining workflows and enhancing communication to supporting teaching, learning, and operations. Join us to explore practical examples, lessons learned, and emerging ideas for how AI can help us work smarter and more creatively across the academy.
The American Dream As Told By Marginalized Voices,
2025
Illinois Math and Science Academy
The American Dream As Told By Marginalized Voices, Erin Micklo
Professional Learning Day
History is often told by the victors, but in moments of trauma or marginalization, history can be taught through literature. This session will look at how poetry emerged from the Angel Island detainment camps, Japanese internment camps, and Native American short fiction. We will discuss how and why these lessons are rarely taught in schools, and how learning about history through literature can help students understand current events and the world around them.
Powerschool For Staff,
2025
Illinois Math and Science Academy
Powerschool For Staff, Dr.Paul Gaszack
Professional Learning Day
PowerSchool, our student information system, has lots of information that can be helpful for staff across the academy, such as student and family contact info, faculty schedules, room lists, and more. In this session, we will explore some basic functions of PowerSchool that may be helpful in your role and/or departmen
Spam, Spam, Spam! To Click Or Not To Click.,
2025
Illinois Math and Science Academy
Spam, Spam, Spam! To Click Or Not To Click., Steve Dutcher, Its Department
Professional Learning Day
October is Cyber Security Awareness Month—join ITS for a fun and eye-opening session on spotting and stopping cyber threats. From suspicious emails and hacked accounts to unattended devices, we’ll uncover the tricks attackers use and share practical tips to protect yourself and IMSA. This 30 minute session blends real examples, humor, and hands-on awareness so you’ll leave ready to say: Not today, spam!
Ai And Neuroscience: Hope, Humbug, Or Hype,
2025
Illinois Math and Science Academy
Ai And Neuroscience: Hope, Humbug, Or Hype, Dr.Ashwin Mohan
Professional Learning Day
This session explores the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence and neuroscience. Through case studies, interactive discussion, and hands-on exploration, participants will gain an understanding of AI as a Co-Scientist, as well as how insights from neuroscience have and continue to inspire design of AI approaches. Attendees will explore practical applications where AI and neuroscience already meet (such as brain–computer interfaces, mental health technologies, and cognitive modeling); consider ethical, societal, and educational implications of merging these two powerful domains and aim to distinguish between genuine advances, exaggerated claims, and common misconceptions.
The Chemistry In Art,
2025
Illinois Math and Science Academy
The Chemistry In Art, Joyce Symoniak
Professional Learning Day
Chemistry plays an important role in the arts, especially when working with solids and liquids that form the basis of art. Solid pigments help to give paints their vibrant colors. The interaction between these states of matter determines the texture, durability, and finish of the artwork. Understanding the chemistry behind art allows artists to push the boundaries of artistic expression. We will explore the difference between solid and liquids while creating a piece of art.
How Ai Really Works,
2025
Illinois Math and Science Academy
How Ai Really Works, Dr. Peter Dong
Professional Learning Day
This session will discuss, in as simple a way as possible, how generative artificial intelligence works, using simple demonstrations to show the basic principles of large language models. The hope is that this will help dispel the tendency to view AI as some sort of black magic and allow people to consider carefully how it can be useful as a tool—and when it can’t.
Imsa’S Residential Life Experience,
2025
Illinois Math and Science Academy
Imsa’S Residential Life Experience, Stephanie Broy, Cameron Doxey, Taylor Jones, Emily Cheng, Vivian Thurmond
Professional Learning Day
This presentation will offer faculty and staff an inside look at the Residential Life experience, highlighting how our programs support student development, well-being, and community building. Through real examples and student stories, we’ll showcase the impact of intentional programming, peer leadership, and collaboration across campus. The goal is strengthening partnerships and exploring ways faculty and staff can further engage with and support the residential student experience.
Are You Following Me?: Using Social Media To Engage Students,
2025
Illinois m
Are You Following Me?: Using Social Media To Engage Students, Dr. Emily Gauld
Professional Learning Day
In this session, we will explore how social media can be used to complement curriculum, encourage student learning, and build a stronger community of learners both inside and outside the classroom. We will look at social media examples of subject-area (and even class-specific) accounts from IMSA and beyond to discuss how we can create content designed for students and—by intentional use of algorithmic AI—shape what content is being pushed to their feeds on a regular basis.
Ctrl-Alt-Delete: Shifting Mindsets & Building Momentum,
2025
Illinois Math and Science Academy
Ctrl-Alt-Delete: Shifting Mindsets & Building Momentum, Courtney Caruthers, Steve Zant
Professional Learning Day
Using the Ctrl-Alt-Delete framework, this interactive session will draw on coaching, mentorship, and progressive conversations to inspire growth. Together, we’ll explore what to control, what alternatives to try, and what barriers to release. Participants will leave with practical tools, renewed clarity, and a sense of momentum; because sometimes we all need a reset.
Weaving Steam Into Tradition: The Science And Art Behind The Mexican Zarape,
2025
Illinois Math and Science Academy
Weaving Steam Into Tradition: The Science And Art Behind The Mexican Zarape, David Hernandez
Professional Learning Day
This presentation explores the deep interconnection between traditional Mexican textile practices and modern STEAM education through the lens of the zarape. The zarape is more than a cultural artifact—it embodies centuries of scientific, technological, artistic, and mathematical knowledge. From the physics of hand-spun cotton and wool to the chemistry of natural dyes and the mathematical patterns in weaving, the process of creating a zarape offers powerful ancestral knowledge of STEAM in action.
Quantum Science And Engineering: An Emerging Field Where Imsa Can Have An Impact,
2025
Illinois Math and Science Academy
Quantum Science And Engineering: An Emerging Field Where Imsa Can Have An Impact, Dr.Evan Glazer,, Anastasia Perry, Kishor Kapale,
Professional Learning Day
Illinois’ $500 million investment in the future development of Quantum Computing and Microelectronics Park is a great opportunity for IMSA to get connected in this emerging field. This workshop will explore what is quantum, classroom examples, why it is important to IMSA, how we are engaged right now, and how we might create future opportunities for IMSA students and IMSA outreach.
Towards An Ecofeminist Pedagogy: The Environmental Ethics Of Ai,
2025
SUNY New Paltz
Towards An Ecofeminist Pedagogy: The Environmental Ethics Of Ai, Jessica K. Crowell
Feminist Pedagogy
Previous scholarship has outlined some of the ethical considerations regarding the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the classroom and beyond, such as the potentials for plagiarism, information bias, disinformation, or even violations of user privacy. Though research suggests that machine learning is a major and ever-increasing contributor to carbon emissions, there has been little discussion of how we teach about the ethics of AI from an environmental perspective. Therefore, this critical commentary first outlines how an ecofeminist pedagogy can help students consider the environmental and ecological effects of new technologies, including AI. At its core, an ecofeminist pedagogy argues …
Rethinking Civic Education. A Review Of Education For Liberal Democracy: Using Classroom Discussion To Build Knowledge And Voice,
2025
University of Cincinnati
Rethinking Civic Education. A Review Of Education For Liberal Democracy: Using Classroom Discussion To Build Knowledge And Voice, Jordan Garner, Colton Morton, Palak Shah
Democracy & Education
In his book Education for Liberal Democracy: Using Classroom Discussion to Build Knowledge and Voice, Walter Parker (2023) takes a centrist approach to redesigning civic education. Throughout the book, Parker provides valuable strategies teachers can implement into the K–12 social studies classroom to teach for democracy. While we believe Parker's instructional strategies lay the groundwork for reshaping civic education, we contend that the book does not adequately address issues of inequality and inequity. We would also challenge Parker to think about how teachers can educate for democracy outside of the social studies curriculum in the United States and globally. …
Democratic Education In The Literature Classroom: Integrating Political Literacy And Political Emotions Into Agonistic Literary Discussions. A Response To “Agonism In A Classroom Discussion On Strindberg’S Miss Julie”,
2025
University of Quebec at Trois-Rivières
Democratic Education In The Literature Classroom: Integrating Political Literacy And Political Emotions Into Agonistic Literary Discussions. A Response To “Agonism In A Classroom Discussion On Strindberg’S Miss Julie”, Baptiste Roucau
Democracy & Education
In an era of rising polarization and populism, how can we transform the literature classroom into a site of democratic education? Drawing on agonistic scholarship, Tysklind et al. (2024) offer the agonistic literary discussion, a novel pedagogical approach aiming to prepare students for the complexities of democracy by forming collective identities and navigating conflictual consensus. To build on the authors’ work, this response article proposes two additions—political literacy and political emotions—and cautions against the risk of antagonism. Agonistic literary discussions can integrate political literacy through teaching relevant knowledge and careful questioning, enabling students to situate characters’ experiences in political contexts …
Surprises From The Shadows: Confronting Intrusions From Bots & Generative Ai In Survey Research,
2025
Boston College
Surprises From The Shadows: Confronting Intrusions From Bots & Generative Ai In Survey Research, Vincent Cho, Sofia I. Duenas
Journal of Educational Research and Practice
Unbeknownst to many researchers, online surveys can be vulnerable to attacks from bots and generative artificial intelligence (AI), which can generate hundreds of fraudulent responses instantly. Confronting this challenge to data integrity, we employed an adaptive approach to test the effectiveness of various anti-fraud tactics (e.g., CAPTCHA; honeypot questions; question pairs; open-ended questions) and to distinguish between good-faith human respondents versus bots or fraudsters. Findings revealed that bots with generative AI capabilities bypassed some conventional defenses, including CAPTCHA, and effectively supplied human-like responses to open-ended questions. Other tactics, like removing response incentives and verifying IP addresses, showed promise but came …
Embedding Social And Emotional Learning Into Educator Preparation Programs: An Alternative Certification Perspective,
2025
Campbellsville University, Campbellsville, Kentucky, United States
Embedding Social And Emotional Learning Into Educator Preparation Programs: An Alternative Certification Perspective, Valerie Flanagan, Lisa Fulks, Wanetta Morrow
Journal of Educational Research and Practice
This study discusses the impact of integrating social and emotional learning (SEL) curriculum into alternative certification educator preparation programs (EPPs), in response to prior research indicating the lack of SEL strategies in schools. It offers a review of educator preparation students’ thoughts concerning SEL implementation, as well as their selection of and reflection upon embedding SEL skills into lessons. Participants serving as teachers of record during their coursework reported positive outcomes in the classroom resulting from lessons including SEL content. Given the increasing importance of SEL in addressing students’ diverse developmental, behavioral, and academic needs, preparation for educators must go …
