Seema Imam, Ed.D
| Associate Professor | | Elementary and Middle Level Teacher Education | | Lisle Campus | | Office Phone: 630-874-4522 | | Email: simam@nl.edu | Education and Educational Certifications: EDUCATIONAL HISTORY Doctorate of Education Curriculum & Social Inquiry National Louis University Evanston, Illinois December 2001 Master of Arts Degree: Educational Administration August 1987 Master of Arts Degree: Reading Specialist April 1983 Bachelor of Arts Degree: Elementary Education & Learning Disabilities August 1975
CERTIFICATION: ILLINOIS Type 21 School Superintendent Type 75 School Administrative certification Type 09 Reading Specialist, K-12 Type 03 Elementary Education Type 09 Learning Disability, K-12 Professional Statement As a lifetime educator I have had over three decades of opportunities to consider education in many settings. It is most important to me that we, as educators meet the needs of all children, which includes but is not limited to children of all backgrounds, of diverse learning styles, language, religion, and culture which means providing them with the skills necessary to live in a global society. While I believe that schools play a role I am aware of the popular culture and the extent to which we become who we are based on the public curriculum or that of mass media. Like all learning it can be either negative or positive. I believe that we are embarking on a very different style of education, that of the digital and electronic world. The students of tomorrow if not sooner have very different needs than those of days past. The effect of these changes on education and communication in the new global society are numerous. Teachers of today face a great challenge as they interact with their students in this new environment. Courses I have taught or currently teach at National-Louis University | Graduate: | | ELE 580/ 500 | Elementary Education Practicum I Seminar | | ELE 581/ 501 | Elementary Education Practicum II Seminar | | ELE 590 | Elementary Education Student Teaching Seminar | | ELE 585F | Workshop: Starting the School Year Successfully | | ELE 585E | Workshop: Meeting Needs of Multicultural Students in the Classroom | | ELE 585K | Workshop: Teaching About Religion (Created this workshop) | | RLR500 | Reading Methods | | RLL480 A | Language Arts Methods | | ELE 540 | Methods Across the Curriculum | | Undergraduate: | | ELE 315 | History and Philosophy of American Education | Recent Publications Imam, Ibrahim and Seema (2007). I am Listening, An I am Good Book published by Lucent Interpretations. Al-Jumuah Magazine. 2007. Islamic Schooling in America: The Way Ahead (p.24- 34) January/February. Newsletter of the Forum on Religion, Spirituality and Aging. 2005. An Islamic Perspective on Lifelong Learning. (p.5-6) Summer. Recent Presentations | Teaching with Diversity in Mind; Affirming Students in the Classroom. Invited speaker Seminar for Educators, Combating Islamophobia, August, 2007 University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. The Research Agenda 07-09 Leaderhip Conference 06 Co-sponsored by Islamic Schools League of America and National Louis University. Lisle, IL. November 2006 The Bills of Rights, the First Amendment, and Teaching about the Freedom of Religion, Invited to represent the NLU faculty at it’s second annual National-Louis University Constitutional Law Day on September 21, 2006. Chicago campus. Muslims in the Midwest in the Midst of the Negative Public Curriculum, Georgetown University Islamic Education Conference. April 2006 | | Principal and Teachers Voices in Research ISNA Education Forum, April 2006 | | Knowing More About Islam and Muslims, Association for Education of Young Children annual conference. Jan. 26, 2006, Chicago, IL. Professional Development Day: Al-Ihsan School of Excellence, February 23, 2006 “Dynamic Teaching Strategies”. Professional Development Day: Bureau of Islamic and Arabic Education and Brighter Horizons Schools. September 30, 2005 “Seeking Knowledge from the Cradle to the Grave” | | Week-long course for school start up in professional development series at Hayah International Academy, August, 2005 in Cairo, Egypt. (Consulting in Middle School and High School establishment) (Integrating Curriculum, Assessment, Dynamic Teaching Strategies, Parent and School Team Connection through Communication) | | Week-long course for professional development at Islamic Association of Northern Texas, Integrating Curriculum in Islamic Schools. Richardson, Texas. July, 2005. | | Presentation: Enhancing our Teaching Through Multicultural Literature with an Emphasis on Literature from Islamic Cultures. Annual Reading Recovery Conference, Chicago, IL, January 14, 2005. | | Presentation/ Instructor for Two Day Pre-conference workshop American Educational Research Association, Montreal, Canada: April 2005 Multicultural Teacher Education Pedagogy Project. | | Chair for Poster Session: MTEPP (Multicultural Teacher Education Pedagogy Project), Research Project Strand. Anthropology and Education of American Anthropological Association, San Francisco, CA. November 19, 2004. | | Transcending Boundaries of Muslim Youth Identity in the Post 9-11 Classroom, Anthropology and Education Council of American Anthropological Association, San Francisco, CA November 18, 2004. | | Islam: The Role of Women in the Tradition, Franklin College, Indianapolis, Indiana Indiana University Professors Professional Development Seminar, October 23, 2004. | | Alternative Assessment: Portfolios and Creating a Rubric at Aldeen Foundation, Los Angeles, California, The Fourteenth Annual Teacher Development Workshop, October 2004. | | “Focus on Education, Inquiry and Mutual Communication Among all Believers” Symposium on the Abrahamic Faiths Sponsored by Loyola, Spertus and East West Universities at East West University in Chicago, IL October 2004. | | “Understanding Islam” National Peace Corp Assoc. Annual Conference August 2004, Chgo, IL. | | Differentiation in the Classroom” Professional Development at Averroes Academy Northbrook, IL August 2004. “Shaping the Muslim Identity in the American Pluralistic Landscape,” Fund Raising Dinner, Chicago Downtown Islamic Center, June 2004. “Dynamic Teaching Methodologies for Islamic Studies Teachers,” Bureau of Arabic and Islamic Education Annual Conference, San Francisco, CA, May, 2004. | | Presentation on “Islam” for Hickory Hills Senior Citizens Club, April, 2004. Presentation on “Islam in our Community” for Alderman of Hickory Hills City Council, June, 2003. | | “Teaching About Religion,” at National Social Studies Council Annual Conf. November, 2003, Chicago, IL. “Islam in Public School Classrooms,” National Social Studies Council Annual Conf. November, 2003, Chicago, IL. | | “Teaching and Multicultural Classrooms,” American Anthropological Assoc.’s Annual Conf. November 2003, Chicago, IL. Rockford Annual ‘Woman to Woman’ Conference, March 2003. | | Rockford Health Care Diversity Training, “Islam 101” June 2003. Closing Benediction at Leadership Council Annual Meeting Chicago Hilton, Chicago, June, ’02. St. Thomas Fourth Grade Wheaton, IL “Introduction to Islam” 4-‘02 | | DePaul University, "Evening of Solidarity for Peace" Feb. ’02. Conference on Managing Diversity Arlington, IL “Profiling and Muslims” Mar.’ 02 Illinois Humanities Council, "Grounds for Understanding”: Starved Rock, IL Mar. ’02. | | School District # 117 Administrative Meeting Hickory Hills, IL “Introduction to Islam” Dec. ’01. Steinmetz High School Anthropology and Political Science classes, Chicago, IL “Islam and Culture” Nov. ’01. Bergamo Conference of Curriculum Theorizing: Round table October 1999 Ohio. | | American Educational Research Association Poster presentation April 2000 New Orleans. Muslim Students in Public Education, National Association of Multicultural Education Annual Conference; San Diego, California, November 1999. Illinois Reading Conference : March 1998 Springfield, Illinois. International Accreditation: October 1997, May 1998, November 1998 Hawalli, Kuwait. Alternative School Planning: May 1996 Boston, Massachusetts. | Work in Schools and Community -----Consulting | Universal Islamic School of Pittsburgh, PA New Generation Schools; Cairo, Egypt | | Al-Ahsan School; Cleveland, Ohio | | Bureau of Islamic and Arabic Education of Los Angeles, CA | | New Horizons Schools of California; Los Angeles, Pasedena and Irvine | | Hayah International Academy, Cairo, Egypt | | Averroes Academy; Northbrook, Illinois | | Avicenna Academy of Northwest Indiana | | Islamic Association of Northern Texas | | Institute of Private Education Hawalii, Kuwait | Current and on-going Research My research interests began in 1998. I first worked on researching the phenomenon of living in the Midwest as a Muslim in the midst of the negative images of the public curriculum or mass media. This had many implications for both private and public school education of Muslims. Currently I have continued to work on research related to students in both the public and private school sector. I received the Gidwitz Mini Grant for community development in 2006-2007. As a board member of the Islamic Schools League of America I will be doing a national study that relates to how the Muslim schools in America are doing, their challenges and successes. International Experience My international experience has been ongoing since 1996 to the present. I have enjoyed working with new schools in both Kuwait and Egypt. I have participated in textbook selection, accreditation, professional development and more. Personal Interests My personal interests revolve around family, grandchildren, community development, traveling, reading, writing, and technology.
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