Education Commons^™

Personal Reflections / 11.18.16, José M. Torres

Personal Reflections

It’s been an eventful time since the Cubs won the World Series! It was amazing to see 5 million people celebrate the Cub’s victory. Hopefully we won’t have to wait another 108 years to relive the experience. Last week we had a historic election and now, our country will transition power from President Obama to President-elect Trump.

Heightened discourse followed this historic election and rising tensions and fears are being experienced, especially by minorities, immigrants, refugees and others groups. IMSA will remain the safe and welcoming place that it’s always been for 30 years. Our counselors are available for our …

Report Of The President / November 16, 2016, José M. Torres

President's Report

IMSA Leadership Profile To provide Trustees with a report of activities and efforts of note, I continue to organize the Report of the President around the Leadership Profile Components used by the Trustees to evaluate the President’s performance: (1) Institutional Planning (and Executing); (2) Financial/Business Model; (3) Innovations in Teaching and Learning and in STEM Talent Development; (4) Institutional Research and Scholarship on Program Effectiveness and RoI; (5) Thought Leadership in STEM Education Policy; and (6) Stakeholder’s Positive Action(s) on Behalf of IMSA. For additional information and updates on IMSA, please see my Personal Reflections that provide general observations shared …

Personal Reflections / 10.11.16, José M. Torres

Personal Reflections

Last week, while standing outside my office, which is next to the Information Resource Center and overlooks the Senior U-bench, I realized how grateful I am to those who came before me, those who had the courage and vision to Act.Bold! Trustees, faculty, staff and students-thanks to them, IMSA has stayed opened and thrives as an educational center of excellence and innovation.

These IMSA Titans who came before us lived the motto that we've adopted this year for our IMSA30 celebration, "Think.Different. Act.Bold." Bold actions and different ways of thinking are in IMSA's DNA. We are, after all, IMSA Titans!

1. Types Of Alignment: Presentations & Demos Assignment, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll

Sequence Alignments

Pairwise Alignment: DNA

Pairwise Alignment: Protein

Multiple Sequence Alignment: DNA

Multiple Sequence Alignment: Protein

The Extent Of Implicit Bias In Gifted Students: Utilization Of The Iat To Inform Diversity Education, Adrienne Coleman, Kyle Thomas '15

Publications & Research

The National Association for Gifted Children position statement on “Identifying and Serving Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CLD) Gifted Students” suggests that educators need to change their view of CLD students from a “deficit to a strength perspective”. In addition, it states that “schools should create support programs to help gifted students from diverse backgrounds develop strong academic identities, learn coping strategies for dealing with negative peer pressure and discriminatory practices, and gain resiliency for responding to challenging life circumstances”. One approach to support and retain CLD students that can be utilized by both educators and gifted students is understanding one’s …

Learning Opportunities 2016/2017, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

Course Catalogs

The graduation requirements of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy are in concert with those maintained by the State of Illinois with additional requirements as established by the IMSA Board of Trustees. Each semester students must take a minimum of 5 academic courses (2.5 credits) for a grade (not Pass/Fail). Fine Arts, Wellness, and Independent Study courses, or any course taken on a Pass/Fail basis do not count towards the 5 course (2.5 credits) minimum. Most students will take between 5 (2.5 credits) and 7 (3.5 credits) academic courses per semester. Only courses taken for a letter grade will count …

Report Of The President / September 21, 2016, José M. Torres

President's Report

IMSA Leadership Profile To provide Trustees with a report of activities and efforts of note, I continue to base the Report of the President on the Leadership Profile Components used by the Trustees to evaluate the President’s performance: (1) Institutional Planning (and Executing); (2) Financial/Business Model; (3) Innovations in Teaching and Learning and in STEM Talent Development; (4) Institutional Research and Scholarship on Program Effectiveness and RoI; (5) Thought Leadership in STEM Education Policy; and (6) Stakeholder’s Positive Action(s) on Behalf of IMSA. For additional information and updates on IMSA, please see my Personal Reflections that provide general observations shared …

Personal Reflections / 9.11.16, José M. Torres

Personal Reflections

It’s a pleasure to welcome you to IMSA’s 30th anniversary year!

Back on September 7, 1986, 211 Illinois students left their home schools to join an unknown and unproven, but promising venture: the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy. IMSA had no record of success and no guarantee of funding beyond that first year—but it had risk-takers, pioneers and visionaries who wisely navigated through those early challenges. Today we stand upon the shoulders of that founding community and continue to broaden and deepen IMSA’s impact on education across Illinois, the nation and the globe.

2016 Convocation, Madison Dong '17, José M. Torres, Marie Dillon Dahleh, Yuanxia Ding

Convocation

• Welcome: Robert Hernandez, Ph.D., Treasurer, Executive Director of Student Affairs
  
• Pledge of Allegiance: Madison Dong, Student Council President
• Opening Remarks: José M. Torres, Ph.D., President
• Opening Remarks: Marie Dillon Dahleh, Ph.D., Principal
• Featured Musical Selection Cello: Emily Camras, Class of 2013
  
• Keynote Address: Yuanxia Ding, Class of 2000, Senior Policy Advisor to the Under Secretary of Education at the U.S. Department of Education
  
• Closing Remarks: Marie Dillon Dahleh, Ph.D., Principal

Convocation 2016: Opening Remarks, José M. Torres

Keynotes, Speeches, and Lectures

"Greetings! I’d like to welcome our distinguished guests: member of our Board of Trustees, Leslie Juby; President of the IMSA Fund Board of Directors, Ross Hemphill; our elected officials, State Representative Stephanie Kifowit, Mayor Tom Weisner and representing State Representative Linda Chapa LaVia, Lillian Perry; our distinguished Ambassadors and Emeriti; Founding President and President Emerita, Stephanie Pace Marshall, who in June of this year was installed as the (first female) Chancellor of the Lincoln Academy of Illinois; our distinguished faculty, new and returning; our staff, including Residential Life, Professional Field Services and everyone else; and the Class of 2019, the …

Community Learning Day 2016, José M. Torres

Keynotes, Speeches, and Lectures

On August 25, 1986 the charter faculty and staff met for the first time at IMSA. Imagine the scene: No students. No specific curriculum, nor SSL's. No history. Never had a Community Learning Day! No nothing! Only a promise that we would be better than the alternative.

Let’s take a moment right now to share with 2/3 persons sitting near you about what might have been going through your mind and heart if you had been here on that first Community Learning Day in 1986—a little time travel!

Today, we are gathered for our 30th Community Learning Day! Welcome to …

Innovation And Entrepreneurship Boot Camp, Britta W. Mckenna

Workshops

“IN2” is a highly conceptual name that plays upon the idea of both innovation and inquiry – bridging businesses and the educational focus at IMSA. It also extends the current name assets at IMSA, metaphorically extending the mission.

It is short, memorable and easy to say. It leaves room for curiosity and play without having to explain too much.

The three lines composing the “2” represent the different journeys of students through time and the paths that come together at IMSA through innovative practices, inquisitive learning, and problem-solving processes.

Report Of The President / July 20, 2016, José M. Torres

President's Report

To provide Trustees with a report of activities and efforts of note, I continue to base the Report of the President on the Leadership Profile Components used by the Trustees to evaluate the President’s performance: (1) Institutional Planning (and Executing); (2) Financial/Business Model; (3) Innovations in Teaching and Learning and in STEM Talent Development; (4) Institutional Research and Scholarship on Program Effectiveness and RoI; (5) Thought Leadership in STEM Education Policy; and (6) Stakeholder’s Positive Action(s) on Behalf of IMSA. For additional information and updates on IMSA, please see my Personal Reflections progress being made on our overall budget goal.

Personal Reflections / 7.14.16, José M. Torres

Personal Reflections

Over the past few weeks, IMSA’s summer camps and outreach programs have been in full swing. Last week, we hosted over 300 students and educators on campus for Summer@IMSA day camps, PROMISE SEAMS classes, the Student Inquiry and Research (SIR) program, Golden Apple and Fusion POP. The excitement and engagement from these students and educators is palpable and spreads across our entire Academy in Aurora. Outside of the Academy, our programs with partner schools in Chicago and Belleville are in full swing. We’re excited to maintain and spread the momentum for quality Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) programs throughout …

Creating The Next Generation Of Innovators, Britta W. Mckenna, Lawrence Bergie

Publications & Research

Our educational system has been designed to test for knowledge and to teach to tests that measure said knowledge. We train our students for tests, but they crave applied learning opportunities to connect their knowledge to the real world. Employers are looking for talent that can problem-solve, work well in teams, ask good questions, communicate and apply knowledge and skills.

Commencement Of The Class Of 2016, Heidi Dong, Akshay Verma, Sheila Mb Griffin, Neil Shubin, Marie Dillon Dahleh, José M. Torres

Ceremony

"It’s amazing how fast three years passes. And in the end, IMSA is so much more than just a building. Others may never truly understand what it means to be a part of this community, but we will know. Years from now, we’ll remember the thrill of Clash or the nostalgic warmth of Carnival. We’ll remember late nights spent laughing with best friends, and we’ll remember what it felt like to belong here. It’s true, IMSA gave us the building blocks for academic and professional success. But it also gave us each other. And as we stand here as a …

2016 Annual Report Of The Work In Imsa’S Archives, Marti Guarin, Christian D. Nokkentved

Archives' Annual Report

This year the focus of the Archives has been on further developing several collections and making them available on Digital Commons [DC], work that has been made possible by the expertise and creativity of Jean Bigger and her work on DC. In addition work has continued to strengthen collections in general, to build new collections, and to make the Archives more accessible to administration, students, faculty, staff, students, and alumni, as well as to others in Illinois, USA and the world. To that end the volunteer staff set four sets of goals for the year, which are set out below …

Certificate Of School Participation In The 12th International Student Science Fair, Lee Bee Yann

ISSF Documents - Other Years

No abstract provided.

Personal Reflections / 4.27.16, José M. Torres

Personal Reflections

Thank you to the many of you who sent congratulations for our success in acquiring a stopgap budget through SB 2059. As I replied to many of you, this was a team effort and we are thankful to the Governor and the General Assembly for providing stopgap funding to address our immediate needs.

Personal Reflections / 4.25.16, José M. Torres

Personal Reflections

A large portion, almost 80%, of IMSA's budget is employee salaries, but what about the rest? Our remaining budget expenses include food services, maintenance, telecommunications, student transportation, utilities, supplies and resources (think IRC, science lab equipment and specimens, etc.). How are we paying for these important services? Well, the short answer is that we're not. Our vendors realize that IMSA, as a state agency, has not received a budget. For the most part, they continue to be patient with us and our lack of payment.

Personal Reflections / 4.22.16, José M. Torres

Personal Reflections

It’s “Good News Friday!”

SB 2059 has passed both the House and Senate this morning! It has been sent to Governor Rauner and reports indicate that he has signaled his commitment to signing this Bill. This stop gap funding bill for Higher Education appropriates $6 million for IMSA, which will enable us to pay salaries, address our most pressing bills and cover costs going forward.

06. Leadership In Social Movements, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

CORE

This module, connecting leadership and social movements, teaches students the importance and impact of social movements in different scenarios. Looking at different case studies and going through a simulation of a social movement fosters the students' understanding of how a social movement works and grows. This module also introduces social movements as a way to ignite change and inspires students to look differently at the world around them.

11. Gender And Leadership, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

CORE

The purpose of the Gender & Leadership module is for students to develop an understanding of the role gender plays in contemporary society and the relationship between gender and leadership. The objectives of this module are for students to be able to to define gender vernacular and differentiate between terms, dissect how gender roles were constructed, and identify the role of gender biases in leadership. To meet these objectives, case studies concerning the traditional feminine and masculine leadership roles are conducted to make students aware of their subconscious gender biases. Additionally, the terms sex, gender, gender expression, and gender fluidity …

12. Ethics And Leadership, Illinois Mathematics And Science Academy

CORE

In this module, students consider various ethical codes relevant in a position of leadership. By the end of the module, students will be able to differentiate between ethics and morals, examine how ethics and morals play a role in the decision making process, reframe their preconceptions of ethical decisions, and compare ethical and unethical paths to reach a certain goal. This module examines case studies of different ethical scenarios that challenge students to discuss different perspectives and develop their own opinions. Ethical and unethical leaders are also examined through historical and contemporary examples. Specifically, students look at the reasons behind …

Wellness Reflection, Walker Weyland '17

Examples of Student Work

I have actually become much more aware of my personal wellness in the past year, in the past year I have joined two sports, I have begun making it a priority to eat more healthily, and for the first time since I came to IMSA, I have made sure that I do something fun at least once a week.

Wellness Reflection, Grace Ryan '17

Examples of Student Work

Until this point to contribute to my wellness, I make an effort but sometimes not as much as I could. I generally go to sleep between 12 and 1, prioritizing my homework earlier in the day. This helps to ensure that I get enough sleep, but sometimes means I don’t get as much done as I had planned to.

Wellness Reflection, Hector Correa '17

Examples of Student Work

The first time that I really committed myself to getting in shape and working out was freshman year at Wheaton Warrenville South. Before then my weight was not the best nor my health. But spending about two hours every day after school for two months at the gym really got me to change. That was the first time I had ever committed myself to going to the gym consistently. I lost weight, I gained some muscle and was certainly in better shape than before. I can honestly say that it felt great.

Wellness Reflection, Anonymous

Examples of Student Work

For most of my life, I have done little to nothing to improve my level of holistic wellness. I did sports, but never very intensely. After freshman year, which is when I was at my heaviest weight, I became more focused on my health and how it was negatively affecting my self-confidence. That summer, I started going on bike rides. But cardio alone is in no way enough to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

Wellness Reflection, Denisse Avalos '17

Examples of Student Work

I didn’t do much physical activity during first semester junior year mainly out of laziness and lack of motivation. On a good week, I’d probably go to the gym twice therefore, I just kept gaining weight and not really burning off the calories. I started working out more when coming back from winter break. I started going to the fitness center almost every day.

There’S A Dragon In My Classroom, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll

Nature of Science

What makes science, science?

How do we help students make sense of the science they are learning and how it fits in with preconceived notions and misconceptions, social perspectives, and potential controversy?