Curriculum and Instruction Commons^™

Visualization Tools And Analogies To Model Strong Vs. Weak Acids, Angela Ahrendt, Laura Kopff

Professional Learning Day

We will present two different ways to introduce the difference between a strong acid and a weak acid. The first one uses a Phet simulation where the students can change different parameters in an inquiry based approach. The second one is a hands-on activity using a guided packet and manipulatives to model the differences between strong and weak acids. Attendees must bring a computer.

Functional Design + Steam, David Hernandez

Professional Learning Day

Electronic kiosks are everywhere...ordering your food at a restaurant, checking your luggage at the airport, or getting the perfect paint for your living room. Do you know how they work? During this session students will explore the Functional Design Specification (FDS) and encourage students to think abstractly, create, engineer, test, redesign, and create a marketing campaign for a new product. STEAM to the next level.

Saving Skee-Ball: Applying Engineering & Science With A Fun Storyline, Christine L. Moskalik

Professional Learning Day

How do engineering and science apply to a simple game of skee-ball? In this session, participants will be introduced to various STEM concepts that can be incorporated into a simple, inexpensive, and fun activity that is coupled with a fun storyline (saving the game of Skee-ball). Educators will work as teams to modify, design aspects of, and play the game. Along the way, they will discover ways to do this with their own students.

I'M Tired Of Punnett Squares, But Genetics Is Still My Jam, Sarah O'Leary-Driscoll

Professional Learning Day

As STEM educators, it can be hard to keep up with what’s happening in our fields outside of the classroom because we have to prioritize the content and skills we share with the students in front of us. But we teach what we do, hopefully, because we love it, and part of our professional development should be to keep that love alive. In this session, we will share ideas for how to stay current, excited and engaged in your own field and in STEM as a whole, when your classroom content only covers the basics that repeat every year. Bring …

The Bisection Method: A Single Technique Yielding Simple Proofs Of The Four "Hard" Theorems Of Calculus, Anderson Trimm

Professional Learning Day

The Intermediate Value Theorem, Boundedness Theorem, Extreme Value Theorem, and Integrability Theorem are all vital theorems of Calculus, yet are almost never proved in calculus textbooks. I will give simple proofs of these theorems using the Bisection Method, explain how I incorporated these into inquiry-style lessons at IMSA, and discuss the benefits to students. As a connection to Computer Science, the Bisection Method can be viewed as a Binary Search Algorithm.

The Art Of Currency!, David Hernandez, Joyce Symoniak

Professional Learning Day

While some artists dream about making tons of money, other artists dream about designing money. STEM plus art (STEAM) is the perfect mix for the creation and innovation of currency. First, the students will explore the paper making process to find out the best currency paper. Then, students will create their own currency in an engaging, hands-on, and 3-dimensional learning activity. Join us to take STEAM to the next level and let’s create money!

Snowflakes And Chaos, Patrick Young

Professional Learning Day

One day, you may find yourself with a class that can think of nothing but the approaching snowfall. What will you do? Learn an activity about the formation of snowflakes that addresses the idea that no two snowflakes are identical. This fun activity may be engaged with on several levels, from crystal growth to mathematical probability to the science of chaos theory. Keep it handy for the right teachable moment.

Stem Strategies That Engage And Excite Curious Students, Christine L. Moskalik, Elaine Wu

Professional Learning Day

STEM League programs are designed around a hot topic in STEM and are for self-motivated, independent middle and high-school students. Come learn how we foster a deeper understanding of and appreciation for STEM and simultaneously address relevant ethical considerations. STEM Leagues are different from the typical, competitive science extracurriculars because we focus on the collaborative and constructivist side of STEM. Leave inspired to try some of our strategies to engage and inspire your own students!

Terminal Velocity Project: Parachute, Brooke Schmidt, Anastasia Perry

Professional Learning Day

This project is meant for a high school physics course where the students have studied Newton's Universal Law of Gravitation, Newton's Second law, and free fall motion. The students construct their own parachute, record a video in LoggerPro of the parachute in motion, and analyze the data to calculate the drag coefficient of their parachute.

Identifying And Strengthening Existing Support For Students On A Research To Publication Pathway, Connie James-Jenkin, Sowmya Anjur, Jean Bigger, Amberly Carter, Raven Mckelvin '24

Professional Learning Day

Participants will 1) learn how IMSA is generating and disseminating scholarship and incorporating students on a Research to Publication pathway, 2) discover classroom activities that support and promote an understanding of scientific inquiry and the nature of research, 3) discuss student work in IMSA’s repository and student portfolios, 4) hear how we are engaging and supporting our CLED students, like Raven McKelvin ’24, who will share her experience as an Intern and student liaison.

Steam Al Estilo Latino, David Hernandez

Professional Learning Day

Celebrate Hispanic heritage through STEAM! This presentation was designed specifically for students to explore and embrace the Hispanic/LatinX culture. This curriculum will guide the students to experience a combination of STEAM and traditions focusing on the Hispanic influence on America culture. Students will learn and create “Alebrijes” the STEAM way.

The Mathematics Of City Planning And Crisis Management, Patrick Young

Professional Learning Day

What if you managed a small city that was beset by severe weather and an influx of climate refugees? What types of math would your team need to employ to adapt your city to deal with these crises? Try some sample activities and gain access to an entire curriculum developed to integrate career awareness with middle school math standards.

Teaching The Engineering Cycle Through A Series Of Projects, Eric Hawker, Mark Carlson

Professional Learning Day

The goal of this session is to show how a series of similar engineering projects can help students not only understand the engineering cycle but also other aspects of engineering such as communication, inclusion, goal setting, and planning and organization. Attendees may choose to bring their own safety eyewear.

99 Problems? Pbl Can Help: An Intro To Problem Based Learning, Nicole Ross, Allison Albert

Professional Learning Day

Classroom engagement got you down? Perhaps Problem Based Learning (PBL) can help. PBL is an instructional technique that engages students in content-based problem solving of a real-world issue. In this session, participants are immersed in a short PBL experience, learn the fundamentals of PBL implementation and begin the design process by exploring how to identify a real-world problem that can be solved by the students in their classroom.

Mastery Based Grading For Secondary Mathematics, Anderson Trimm

Professional Learning Day

Dr. Trimm will discuss in detail his design and implementation of a mastery grading system in calculus at IMSA and how it offers many benefits over traditional grading. Dr. Trimm will also explain how it makes creating assessments and grading easier and less work for the teacher, while being more accurate.

A Look Into Leadership, Emma Wilson

Professional Learning Day

IMSA’s Leadership Education & Development program (LEAD) is a student-facilitated course for sophomore students. We believe that leadership can be learned so we take an intricate look at various definitions, theories, models, and conceptualizations of leadership. Students are challenged to think critically about leadership during peer-to peer facilitated class discussions, hands-on exercises, and group work. Join us to dive into this course while participating in hands-on, leadership-based activities that are great for the classroom!

Earth & Environmental Storylines For A More Sustainable & Resilient Illinois, Cheryl Manning, Nicole Ladue

Professional Learning Day

Illinois critical zone scientists and engineers are studying how human behaviors and
environmental changes affect Earth’s thin layer from solid bedrock to the tops of trees.
Inspired by critical zone science, Illinois teachers collaborated to create seven NGSS style storylines addressing regional sustainability and resilience issues including soils, invasive species, flooding, erosion, water scarcity and quality, subsidence, and Illinois’ connection to the Gulf of Mexico dead-zone. Learn about these storylines and how to create your own. Attendees must bring a computer.

Computational Thinking In Physics Class - Without Programming!, Peter Dong

Professional Learning Day

Computational thinking and the use of computers to solve problems is rapidly becoming an indispensable skill, and physics class is one natural place to develop it. However, the perceived necessity of learning a programming language can deter both teachers and students from approaching this crucial topic. We will show how a simple spreadsheet can be used to solve remarkably complex physics problems, some of them analytically unsolvable, in just a few minutes. Attendees must bring a computer.

Animated Puppets: Coding And Creating With The Humanities, Devon Madon, Jeff Sweeton

Professional Learning Day

CodeCreate coaches students in basic circuitry, media and performing arts, robotics and computer programming, illustration and 3D design. We will facilitate a hands on experiences with animated puppetry and engage the audience in meaningful considerations of intersections of art, technology and other forms of diversity. We will also be previewing and discussing free and low-cost tools and methods and their role in common curriculum. Attendees must bring a computer

Responsiveness Of Higher Education Programs To Policy And Recommendations In The Biopharmaceutical Sector, Maeve Scott

Other resources

This essay will review the business and government policies relevant to the biopharmaceutical sector which influence higher education programs. The mechanisms which enable higher education to adapt to policy will be summarised and the pace of the response estimated.

Higher education (HE) programs need to respond in a timely manner to dynamic industries to maximise opportunities for graduates and support the Irish economy. The author manages internships and teaches on pharmaceutical science programs and aims to ensure the program is current to maximise student success. This review intends to identify the most relevant policy sources that can inform the Pharmaceutical …

Teachers’ Perceptions Of Policies And Practices Of Lgbtq-Inclusive Curriculum In Rural Appalachian High School English Language Arts Classes, Dawn J. Viles

Ed.D. Dissertations

Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer students were a vulnerable population in rural Appalachian high schools. Minority high school students, specifically those who identified as Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, who saw themselves reflected in practices and curriculum increased their academic performance, felt safe, and developed stronger empathy for others. Traditionally, English Language Arts teachers had power to select literary works and supplemental materials they deemed important for their students; however, local, district, and state stakeholders and policymakers influenced curricular choices in English Language Arts classrooms more directly than had occurred in the past. Further marginalizing Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer …

From Dropout To Doctorate: A Phenomenology Of The Self-Determination Of Individuals Who Persisted To Completion, Nancy Catherine Hamilton

Doctoral Dissertations and Projects

The purpose of this transcendental phenomenological study was to describe the lived experiences of former high school dropouts in the Continental United States who self-determined to persist to doctoral degree attainment. The theory that guided this study was the self-determination theory with support from the self-efficacy theory and adult learning theory. These three theories framed this study, which sought to discover the motivating factors, life influences, and perseverance required of former high school dropouts who determined to re-enter academia and pursue an education to the doctoral level. The problem this study sought to address was the need to discover the …

Moving From Theory To Practice: Examining Teaching Mathematics For Social Justice In An Elementary School Classroom, Krystal Giles

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Teaching mathematics for social justice is a distinctive approach to mathematics education that seeks to have students use mathematics to navigate their identities, understand their lived experiences, examine inequities, and become agents of change. Current research provides a rich explanation of what teaching mathematics for social justice entails. Still, there is a need for research that studies how to move from theory to practice. The purpose of this research study is to examine the experience of teaching mathematics for social justice within my fifth-grade mathematics classroom for myself and my students, analyze the extent to which students’ ethnic and academic …

Students' Perceptions Of Teaching Methods For First-Year Dental Students During Covid-19, Ellen Lee Dds, Jungwon Roh, Aspen Wang, Aaron Bai Dds, Huan-Yu Chen Dds

The New York State Dental Journal

The purpose of this study is to determine the student perceptions on teaching methods for first year dental students using zoom to teach didactics and preclinical hand skills. Because of COVID- 19 other means of teaching had to be implemented and classes were held remotely. Our aim is to determine student perceptions on retention, understanding and learning of didactic and preclinical hands on lectures. Students felt that didactic lectures through zoom increased their retention and understanding in learning the material. They felt that pre-clinical hands on lectures through zoom decreased their retention and understanding in learning.

Creating Safe Spaces: Diverse Instructional Materials For World Language Learners, Lucian Rothe, Chiann Karen Tsui, Paul A. Garcia, Michael B. Mccloskey

Faculty and Staff Scholarship

Stereotypical notions and depictions of the German language, its speakers, and cultural practices are more persistent in instructional materials, language program advertisements, and people’s minds than one might presume (Bryant et al., 2019; Chavez, 2020a, 2020b; Rothe, 2022). Overcoming such misconceptions requires educators to reconsider curricula and promotional efforts so that they reflect the diverse lived experiences of German speakers and learners (Criser & Malakaj, 2020). To diversify German curricula in the United States, the American Association of Teachers of German (AATG) established a task force in 2020, Creating Safe Spaces (CSS). Its members have developed instructional materials focusing on …

Adapting Nuclear Security Education Programs In Arab Countries, Ahmed Ahmed M. Alqasimi Alanazi, Mostafa Kofi

International Journal of Nuclear Security

Recent times have witnessed considerable international efforts in developing and supporting nuclear security education. However, Arab countries continue to face certain obstacles in the development and implementation of nuclear security education programs. By providing an overview of the nuclear security program at Naif Arab University for Security Science, this study highlights the hurdles faced by Arab countries in implementing new academic programs and improving the quality of current programs in nuclear security. It also discusses the state of the art in nuclear security education and highlights important issues related to such education in the Arab world. However, the influence of …

Policy Analysis Of Girls’ Primary School Completion In Rural Sindh: Root Causes And Policy Recommendations Using Iiep Education Policy Toolbox, Sajid Ali, Aisha Naz Ansari, Mushtaq Ahmed, Zobia Israr Ahmed, Naveed Saleh Siddique, Naveed Ahmed Shaikh, Shazia Solangi, Mujeeb Rehman Khatri, Tauseef Lateef

Institute for Educational Development, Karachi

This report emerged from the policy analysis work produced as part of the course titled ‘Diagnostic tools for improving education policy planning’ by the IIEP-UNESCO with support from KIX. This course enabled us to explore diagnostic tools and their implications, specifically for developing countries, and helped the team unpack diagnostic tools and learn the history of their evolution. We further learned how the education management information system works and how data is essential for policy decisions. Finally, we engaged with real policy analysis using the IIEP Education Policy Toolbox. As a team, we chose to study the issue of girls’ …

"The Blackbird Girls": Designing A Four Week Novel Unit For Upper Elementary And Middle Grades, While Navigating Teaching In An Ever-Changing Digital World, Ashley Kallhoff

Honors Program: Senior Projects (Public)

As a future teacher in an increasing digital world, I wanted to create an online curriculum I could use in my future classroom, students all over the world could use, and other teachers could implement in their own classroom. Taking all of this into consideration, I have designed a digital four-week, 20-day, novel unit for upper elementary and middle grades with social studies and language arts dual focus. The novel I chose was a historical fiction young adult text titled The Blackbird Girls by Anne Blankman. This novel follows the story of two young girls, one that is Jewish and …

Chatgpt & The Impact Of Artificial Intelligence On Higher Education, Andrew Lang

Academy Resources

Dr. Andy Lang, Chair of the Department of Computing and Mathematics, discusses the history of artificial intelligence and places where language processing already exists in everyday living. He continues with a review of ChatGPT, BING chat, Elicit and Google’s BARD. The presentation then turns to AI in the classroom followed by an open discussion on the implications for teaching and learning at ORU.

Resource 1: Lang, A. (2023, May). The Impact of AI on Christian Higher Education: A Call to Lead. Department of Computing & Mathematics, Oral Roberts University.

Resource 2: Lang, A. (2023) "Editorial: The Impact of AI …

“To Discipline My Writing Process”: How Newcomers To Open Textbook Development Moderate Affective States And Sustain Momentum While Writing, Dawn Atkinson, Stacey Corbitt

Writing

Despite the burgeoning presence of open textbooks in higher education and their influences on courses, learners, and teachers, few studies have tracked their production as it unfolds, and none have addressed authors’ affective states and associated actions during open textbook construction. Open textbooks are freely available for use, and the length of the textbook genre and pressure to craft quality content may trigger emotional responses from authors during their creation, but without detailed accounts of open coursebook development from which to draw guidance, writers may resort to trial and error to sustain progress during their projects. To address the research …