REGISTRATION FOR THE ILLINOIS COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES FALL CONFERENCE IS NOW OPEN
Join your colleagues on Friday, October 13, 2023 at Harper College in Palatine for the Illinois Council for the Social Studies Fall Conference. Registration is two easy steps away:
ICSS is also pleased to announce the Second Call for Session Proposals and Keynote Panel Participants The Illinois Council for the Social Studies invites session proposals and keynote panelists for the ICSS Fall 2023 Conference, being held on the campus of Harper College, Palatine, Illinois on Friday, October 13, 2023. In addition to the “traditional” call for session proposals, ICSS is working to integrate a wider diversity of voices into the ICSS Conference. We are thus inviting applicants from all levels of social studies to apply to be a panel member for our keynote presentation. Information regarding this new opportunity follows information for the Call for Session Proposals. Participant and vendor registration will open in early August.
Call for Session Proposals The New Social Studies: Expanding Narratives and Technologies The nation is consumed with culture wars and technology. Culture wars often emphasize narratives, specifically which ones are featured, included, or disregarded entirely. As some states, schools, and community groups work to ban (or burn) books, Illinois has resisted reactionary censorship. Social studies educators are at the forefront. AI and other technologies promise possibilities with little regulation and teacher control. ChatGPT, for instance, might prove more impactful than Google in a short time. Social studies teachers, again, are at the forefront. This conference provides opportunities to contribute to the professional dialogue by presenting, to grow from others’ presentations, and to network with colleagues from across Illinois and beyond. ICSS invites presentations from all areas of social studies, particularly sessions that explore one or more of these areas of immediate interest.
The ICSS Fall Conference engages practicing PK-12 social studies teachers, preservice teachers, university faculty, social studies researchers, and concerned citizens. Participants will explore in a variety of topics and sessions that are pertinent to social studies students and teachers in the field across grade levels and social studies content areas.
We encourage proposals connecting to this year’s conference theme: “The New Social Studies: Expanding Narratives and Technologies”. With focus on providing practical experiences for classroom teachers, presenters are invited to bring to the conference innovative teaching methods, successful lesson plans, useful resources, or other sessions that will be of interest to the social studies community. ICSS particularly welcomes sessions that challenge teachers to explore new pedagogies or lines of thinking and sessions that highlight historically marginalized voices or perspectives. ICSS encourages proposals that include co-presenters or group presenters. Sessions are scheduled for 50 minutes. Proposals from first-time session presenters are encouraged. Please limit session proposals to not-for-profit individuals or groups.
Shown here are past session topics that have been successful in the past. You are welcome to address the following topics but you may certainly propose a topic beyond what is listed: Standards-based grading in Social Studies Primary source analysis techniques Creating and maintaining culturally responsive classrooms Deep questioning techniques Building positive relationships with colleagues and parents in an era of politically charged curriculum Building equitable classroom libraries Engaging in difficult conversations Exploration of Illinois Social Studies Standards Technology integration in the Social Studies Classroom “What I learned in my first years of teaching”
When preparing a proposal, please consider the following: *Multiple proposal submissions are allowed and will require multiple survey submissions (one fully completed survey per proposal). *Sessions are approximately 50 minutes in length. *Technology and Wi-Fi are available in each room.
Session proposals should contain the following information: Presenter(s): Affiliation(s): Primary Contact Email: Secondary Contact Email: Presenter(s) biographies (30 words max): Session title (12 words max) Session abstract (40 words max): Intended audience: PreK-12 (general audience) Early Childhood Elementary Middle Level Secondary/High School Special Education Objective(s) of Session: Description of Session: (400 words max) How the session might connect to the conference theme: Social Studies at the Forefront of Public Discourse” (100 words max)
Presenters will be notified of the acceptance status of their proposals by September 4, 2023. Presenters are expected to register for the conference.
**Proposal submission deadline is Sunday, August 27, 2023, 11:59pm** If you need more time to complete a submission or have questions regarding the conference, please contact Ben Wellenreiter at brwelle@ilstu.edu
Please click on the following link to submit your proposal.
The Illinois Council for the Social Studies invites social studies educators across grade levels and disciplines to apply for the 2023 ICSS Fall Conference Keynote discussion panel. The 45-minute discussion panel will take place as our keynote experience during the lunch session. The topic of the keynote is: “Artificial Intelligence, Emerging Technologies, and the Social Studies Experience”. With the explosive introduction of chatbots such as ChatGPT, social studies educators are considering the possibilities, challenges, ethics, and practicalities of emerging technologies. From student assessment to lesson plan writing, AI generators will alter the landscape of social studies education. Invited participants in this session will discuss their thoughts, experiences, hopes, and concerns regarding AI and other emerging technologies. ICSS aspires to have representation that spans grade level, teaching experience, course focus, and geographic representation. Invited panelists will receive complimentary conference registration and ICSS membership. To assist in preparation, panelists will receive discussion questions 2 weeks prior to the conference. A question/answer session will conclude the keynote panel discussion. Please know that because this is an emerging topic, deep experience with AI is not a requirement. We invite panelists who are willing to discuss their thoughts, questions, and experiences with AI, regardless of practical experience with it.
Panelists will be selected to best diversify the following: Grade level taught Courses/focus of course (history, civics, geography, economics, etc) Years of experience in the classroom or the Social Studies Field Brief explanation as to how your voice on the panel will inform and challenge session attendees Geographic representation
To apply, please click the link below. Applications will be accepted until Sunday, August 27, 2023. Applicants will be notified of the acceptance status of their proposals by September 4, 2023. You are invited to ask questions regarding this opportunity. Please email Ben Wellenreiter, Executive Director, at brwelle@ilstu.edu
