IMSA Center for Teaching and Learning

10/25/2023

Please join IMSA Center for Teaching and Learning colleagues, Lindsey Herlehy and Cassandra Armstrong at the Bright Start Early Childhood Conference, online or in-person!

https://conferencebrightstartfoundation.org/
Bright Start International Conference

10/10/2023

Please join IMSA Center for Teaching and Learning at the Illinois Association for Gifted Children Conference, where our colleagues, Lindsey Herlehy and Cassandra Armstrong will be presenting: Imagination to Innovation: Design Thinking for Your Learners. This conference takes place on October 18th and 19th, 2023. Lindsey and Cassandra will be presenting on the 18th.
Please click the link below to register for the in-person or online conference:
https://www.iagcgifted.org/2023ConferenceHome

09/29/2023

ISTA Conference September 29, 2023 - PRESENTER SPOTLIGHT
Cassandra Armstrong & Lindsey Herlehy
Little Big Minds: STEAM For Our Youngest Learners
Intended Audience: Grade Level Pre-K - 2
STEAM-integrated activities are for all learners, including those in early childhood. Participate in a series of play-based activities that promote foundational science and mathematics skills that foster curiosity, creativity, and innovation. Measure, graph, sort, categorize, argue, and defend your ideas while previewing a series of STEAM-integrated concepts featuring simple machines.
Conference registration - https://ilscience.org/Conference

09/29/2023

Congratulations to Kaylee Hwang '25 who broke two IMSA Girl's Golf records, including the best 18-hole score and best 9-hole score at the Earlville Invitational earlier this week. Kaylee's score of 77 broke IMSA's previous record of 78, set by Elise Douglas in 2013, and was an astonishing 22 strokes lower than the second-place score. Kaylee also broke IMSA's 9-hole girl's record with a score of 37, including three birdies, surpassing Douglas's 38 from 2013.

Best of luck to Kaylee and the rest of the girls on the golf team as they compete at the IHSA Girls Golf Regional at Sycamore Golf Course tomorrow!

09/29/2023

If you are heading to the Illinois Science Teaching Association Conference today in Wheaton, Illinois, please check out IMSA’s very own Lindsey Herlehy and Cassandra Armstrong as they present Pre-k-2 STEAM activities from our exemplary Little STEAMers curricula! Below are the abstracts to their presentations. They will also have a vendor table if you would like to stop by and learn more about our programs.

Little Big Minds: STEAM for Our Youngest Learners: STEAM-integrated activities are for all learners, including those in early childhood. Participate in a series of play-based activities that promote foundational science and mathematics skills that foster curiosity, creativity, and innovation. Measure, graph, sort, categorize, argue, and defend your ideas while previewing a series of STEAM-integrated concepts featuring simple machines. Presenters: Cassandra Armstrong, Lindsey Herlehy, Room 163, 10:00-10:50 AM

Playing With Math and Science in Early Childhood: Young students have the curiosity and creativity to be successful scientists and mathematicians. Through open-ended explorations, students can engage in subitizing, sorting, drawing, pattern recognition, and loose parts. Participants will take part in several activities addressing these skills, discuss how they promote mathematical and scientific thinking, and share classroom resources. Presenters: Lindsey Herlehy, Cassandra Armstrong, Room 239, 11:00-11:50 AM

09/26/2023

The Aurora Regional Fire Museum will be presenting the community with Community Hero Day on Saturday, October 7, between 10 am and 2 pm at the Aurora Regional Fire Museum!

There will be free fire truck rides, free entrance into the museum, food trucks, and of course our very own David Hernandez, who will provide incredibly engaging (and safe) fire-related STEM activities from IMSA Center for Teaching and Learning!

Please join us for this wonderful event!

05/13/2023

Please join us this summer for our professional development series. We provide 3 hour and 6 hour training options throughout the summer. including both live (in person) and online (asynchronous) offerings.

Browse the options at: bit.ly/44Echj4

05/09/2023

The IMSA Statewide Educator Innovation team thanks you for all you do. Our gratitude to your dedication and expertise extends not through this week alone, but throughout the entire year.

05/01/2023

May is here! Summer break is around the corner 🌞 Are you in need of activities to get you through the end of the school year? Check out our teaching resources page which includes a variety of activities and resources to choose from. Our favorites are the STEAM a la Carte lesson plans which include the option to purchase materials kits for easy planning.

A variety of short lesson plans written to be easily incorporated into your teaching ranging from pre-k to grade 12. Each lesson plan includes a list of the NGSS standards covered in the lesson and various worksheets needed to complete the activity. Unique materials can also be purchased as a separa...

04/24/2023

An easy and inspiring read to start the week 📖

Brian Nord, an MLK Visiting Scholar in the MIT Laboratory for Nuclear Science, trains machines to explore the cosmos and fights for equity in research.

04/18/2023

Our youngest STEAM learners are creative 🤩 and curious 🤔 and they require support and foundational skills in mathematics and science to enhance that natural desire to learn. This free download, Young Mathematicians: STEM Skills for Success written by Lindsey Herlehy, contains a series of integrated activities that explore subitizing, sorting, drawing, patterns, and data analysis, and leave with new ideas of how to build these STEAM skills in your classroom 🏫

Our youngest STEAM learners are creative and curious, but require support and foundational skills in mathematics and science. Join us for a series of integrated activities that explore subitizing, sorting, drawing, patterns, and data analysis, and leave with new ideas of how to build these STEAM ski...