Teacher Education and Professional Development Commons^™

What Stick Figures Tell Us About Irish Politics: Creating A Critical And Collaborative Learning Space, Sharon Feeney, John Hogan, Paul Donnelly

Articles

This paper focuses upon the interpretation of freehand drawings produced by a small sample of 220 first-year students taking an Irish politics introductory module in response to the question, ‘What is Irish Politics?’ By sidestepping cognitive verbal processing routes, through employing freehand drawing, we aim to create a critical and collaborative learning environment, where students develop their capacity for interpretation and critical self-reflection. This is because the freehand drawing technique, as part of a critical pedagogy, can generate a more critical and inclusive perspective, as visual representations permit us to comprehend the world differently, and understand how others also see …

Resonating Frequencies Of A Virtual Learning Community: An Ethnographic Case Study Of Online Faculty Development At Columbia College Chicago, David S. Noffs

Dissertations

Despite opportunities for artist educators to locate their practice in online learning environments, many remain reluctant to embrace virtual classrooms. As schools are being forced to create an increasing array of online courses, administrators are reluctant or unable to provide additional resources for equipping faculty with the skills needed to support online course development. Specific guidelines to train faculty how to teach online are often fragmented or local. Programs that demonstrate the ability to grow vibrant and connected online cultures may help guide future faculty development.

The Virtual Learning Community (VLC) Fellowship program at Columbia College Chicago supports informal, faculty …

Equitable Education Of English Learners In The Common Core Age: Implications For Principal Leadership, David Whitenack

Faculty Publications

This paper highlights the importance of school principals in English Learners’ academic achievement in the age of the Common Core State Standards. Revising the curriculum of administrator preparation programs to include a greater emphasis on curriculum and instruction is one approach to enhancing principal leadership for English Leaners. Another approach is to reculture site-level instructional leadership through professional development to address the academic learning needs of English Learners.

Plunging Beneath The Surface: Uncovering Internal Dispositions, Lori Piowlski, Karen Colum

Elementary and Literacy Education Department Publications

Teacher preparation programs face the challenge of measuring candidates’ competencies that can be considered internal dispositions; which impact the quality of their instruction. This study delves into candidate edTPA scores in correlation with their IDI mindsets to support program development.

Session E-7: Is There An App For That?, Ed Caster

Professional Learning Day

This presentation will show a variety of different apps for tablets, smart phones, etc. that have educational uses. A number will be presented and demonstrated. Teachers who attend will also be asked to share apps that they use have found valuable, or simply ones that they like.

Session E-6: Aerodynamic Wing Design, Carmela Minaya, Aziza Darwish, Heather Richardson

Professional Learning Day

Teachers will walk away with an activity for their students that will utilize materials readily available for students to experiment with various aspects of aerodynamic wing design.

Session E-4: Developing Middle School Science Activities, Ron Hurlbut

Professional Learning Day

This “hands on” session will equip Middle School Teachers to develop activities for their students which will produce high quality data that will be used to reveal Newton’s laws of motion by using inexpensive materials and equipment such as stop watches and a meter stick.

Session E-3: Constructivist Science Vocabulary, Brian Grublesky

Professional Learning Day

Instructors often grapple with the teaching of vocabulary. Well, in this dynamic session, participants will learn the constructivist approach to teaching science vocabulary. Session participants will walk away with new teaching strategies along with deeper appreciation for constructivist learning.

Session C-2: Dbq Writing In Your World History Curriculum, George Haldaman

Professional Learning Day

This session will present the historical pedagogy behind DBQ's and explain its importance to common core. Then we will examine examples of DBQ's and places for educators to find them. Finally, we delve into the writing process on constructing the DBQ essay.

Session F-2: Is It All Just Random?, Nicole Ross

Professional Learning Day

Students in middle school often learn basic genetics and gain experience using a Punnett Square analysis to determine probable genotype and phenotype outcomes for a family. What students may not learn is how these probabilities relate to the overall population. Probability is an integral part of genetics and heredity. Understanding what is meant by “probability” and how it applies to genetics is an important focus in the CCSS. One way to teach these concepts is to tap into popular literature. In this session, we will explore the genetics and probability behind the character, Auggie, in the book, Wonder, by R.J. …

Session D-7: Exploration Of Factors That Motivate Students To Engage In Stem, Adrienne Coleman

Professional Learning Day

Join in on the discussion of an exploration into factors that motivate gifted and talented Black and Latino students and programs being created to engage those populations in STEM fields.

Session D-6: Strong Structure By Design, Carmela Minaya, Aziza Darwish, Heather Richardson

Professional Learning Day

Strengthen your pedagogy by learning how the monolithic dome, inspired by the shape of an egg, is one of the strongest existing architectural structures. They will go back to their schools with an inexpensive activity challenging student to make a 3D structure from a 2D picture, then combining several 3D structures to create a monolithic dome.

Session D-5: You Are My Density, Brian Grublesky, Elizabeth Martinez

Professional Learning Day

Teachers will explore the topic of density through a student-centered, constructivist approach that can be tailored to multiple grade levels. Discussion will include how to take a science activity and change it for different grade levels and abilities. Finally, we will discuss how to look at this through an interdisciplinary perspective.

Session D-4: Particle Physics, Peter Dong

Professional Learning Day

Particle physics is generally seen as far too difficult, too abstract and mathematical, to teach at the high school level — which is a pity, since particle physics is most likely to get students interested in the subject (witness the response to the discovery of the Higgs boson). However, the day-to-day work of experimental particle physicists is remarkably understandable, even for high school students willing to do a little work. We will examine assignments given at IMSA in this vein, including a class-wide analysis that simulated the search for a super symmetric Higgs boson, and discuss how they worked. Attendees …

Session D-1: Building Stonehenge, Patrick Young

Professional Learning Day

Building Stonehenge is a series of problem centered activities in which students use simple machines to construct a scale replica of a Stonehenge Trilithon. Using only materials available to Neolithic engineers and a scaled quantity of force, students must devise a way to lift heavy stones into the proper position without ever touching them with their hands. Problem-centered activities are a great way to integrate multiple STEM concepts and practices into an enjoyable learning experience.

Session F-4: Quadratic Functions: As Simple As A, B, C, Lindsey Herlehy, Karen Togliatti

Professional Learning Day

Participants will engage in several hands-on, minds-on activities that demystify applications of quadratic functions. By exploring simple, yet interactive exercises, student will understand that this function is more than just a formula of a, b, and c. Participants will walk away with several lessons that can be easily adapted to any classroom. This session is appropriate for Grades 8-10.

Session B-1: Pipelines And Oil Spills!, Patrick Young

Professional Learning Day

Don’t miss this hands-on approach to middle school math. Participants will construct an actual pipeline from inexpensive materials and record evidence of leakage. They will then conduct an experiment and create a model relating liquid volume and spill area. They will apply their model to determine how much liquid leaked from their pipeline.

Session B-7: 3d Printing For The Next Generation Learners, Britta Mckenna, Lawrence Bergie

Professional Learning Day

Are you thinking about creating a Maker Space or purchasing a 3D printer for your school or classroom? Or are you just interested in seeing new technology up close and personal with the ability to ask questions to a maker space rookie and her sidekick the techno geek? Check out this lively session where we'll 3D scan something (or somebody) and print it out on our 3D printer, doodle with our 3D pens and ask all the practical questions (like how much does all this cost?) We'll share examples of how we are introducing new technology to our students, faculty …

Session B-6: The Power Of Water, Dhruti Patel

Professional Learning Day

Get energized and quench your knowledge in this dynamic session which will include the basic introduction to hydro power generation! Participants will become knowledgeable about the concept of basic fluid dynamics and the potential energy stored in water, which converts to kinetic energy to mechanical energy to electrical energy.

Session B-5: Mentor Matching Engine, Jackie Naughton, Carl Heine

Professional Learning Day

Participants will tour the Mentor Matching Engine (MME), a robust platform available to Illinois high school students for conducting research with assistance from online mentors. IMSA, in partnership with the Illinois Science and Technology Coalition and Northwestern University, administer MME as part of the state's R&D Learning Exchange. In addition, participants will discover powerful models of personalized learning and the outstanding results.

Session B-3: Mathematical Games, Puzzles, And Diversions, Steven M. Condie

Professional Learning Day

Delve into the exciting world of math through games, puzzles and other sources! Participants shall try their luck and test their skill at these diversions. Participants will leave this session with a wealth of mathematical activities appropriate for students of all ages.

Session B-4: Foods Of The Future, Carmela Minaya, Aziza Darwish, Heather Richardson

Professional Learning Day

Teachers will learn the simple science behind the most recent culinary rage, Molecular Gastronomy. They will have a cost effective example to bring back into their classroom with students.

Session B-2: The “Roll” Of Statistics In Modeling - It All Adds Up, Richard Stalmack, Janice Krouse

Professional Learning Day

The common core practice standards ask us to teach students to propose mathematical models and test their viability. Participants will do an experiment, collect data and use technological tools to combine modeling, analysis and basic statistics. Participants should bring a laptop, if possible; otherwise, bring a graphing calculator.

Session B-3: Modern Germany: Social Responsibility & Environmental Sustainability, Rachel Sykora

Professional Learning Day

This session will present the political, social, and economic philosophies that have allowed modern Germany to emerge as a global leader in environmental sustainability. This subject raises numerous ethical questions with real-world applications that are of high interest to students in history, global studies, and human geography classrooms. Topics of discussion include the Deutsche Bank model of corporate responsibility, “green growth” economic initiatives, and the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP). Participants will leave with practical classroom activities utilizing thought-based inquiry, primary source documents, and case study examples that help inspire classroom conversations beyond the traditional context of the Holocaust and World …

Session B-2: Much Ado About Trousers: Exploring Intercultural Contact Through Artifacts, Kitty Lam

Professional Learning Day

Material objects are fascinating sources for investigating intercultural contact in the ancient world. This session demonstrates how to use a pair of ornamental trousers excavated from Xinjiang, China to generate student discussion on the nature of cross-cultural contact in the ancient Silk Road era.

Session B-1: Teaching Russian Political History: From Czars To General Secretaries To Oligarchs, Diane Haleas Hines

Professional Learning Day

Participants in this session will be offered ways to teach Russian history that makes connections between historical experience and political culture (values, attitudes, beliefs, and expectations that citizens hold about their political system). This political culture has directly impacted current politics in Russia since the collapse of the Soviet Union and helps to explain current developments in Russian politics, both domestic and international. The session will incorporate background information as well as lesson activities for the classroom.

Session A-6: Alternative Energy, Mark Carlson, Peter Clancy

Professional Learning Day

We will describe how our newly-revised, month-long alternative energy unit in Engineering addresses the 4 NGSS standards. We will map the activities in our IMSA schedule to a traditional high school bell schedule. These activities address not only performance goals and the underlying scientific principles of power generation but also process skills relating to surveying technology, prioritizing criteria, and assessing societal impact. We will reflect on our first round of offering this unit and suggest modifications for future implementations.

Session A-4: “Ain’T No Thing, Chicken Wing”, Carmela Minaya, Aziza Darwish, Heather Richardson

Professional Learning Day

Participating teachers will simulate a deep cut on a chicken wing and suture it using similar techniques used in emergency situations. The chicken wing anatomy will be compared to the anatomy of a human arm. The session will provide teachers with the opportunity to introduce a low cost dissection activity into the classroom in a dynamic fashion.

Session A-3: Energy Conservation, Brooke Schmidt, Eric Hawker

Professional Learning Day

This session will focus on the content and different activities that you can do with your students to meet the Next Generation Physical Science Standard 3: Energy. The focus will be on definitions of energy, conservation of energy, and the relationship between energy and forces. The content is appropriate for both middle and high school science students.

Session A-2: From Polynomial To Rational Functions: Flip!, Ruth Dover

Professional Learning Day

Ah HA! Making the connection between polynomial functions, rational functions and using reciprocals! Join us to flip, not flop, with trig for your classroom.