Academics
Library and Technology
Integrated Learning and Information Science (ILIS) hosts collaborative projects that allow students to engage in experiences that encourage creativity, collaboration and adaptability. We’re passionate about building and facilitating these projects to help students and teachers build connections among departments, grade levels and the community.
Empowering Makers to Create Connections
Parker students learn to think, create, adapt and invent. Our Integrated Learning and Information Sciences Department (ILIS) curriculum is uniquely structured to enable students to follow interests and pursue passions while making connections from concepts to the classroom to the community. Through project-based learning, the foundation of our program, students engage in research and develop agility in accessing, discerning and applying information. Technology and media are thoughtfully integrated to ignite social awareness and launch their imaginations.
A focus on design thinking and maker empowerment encourages students to recognize designs and systems in the world around them and to tinker, remake and create. Our staff consists of librarians/media specialists and educational technology experts who work to empower students to not only use print and digital research materials, but also create new knowledge. The ILIS staff works in the Kovler Family Library, the ILIS Collaboration Lab space and the classroom.
Our in-house design studio, the TIDES (Technology, Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship for Society) Garage, provides students access to 3D printers, laser cutters, sewing machines and a variety of technological tools for learning, challenge and expression.
Working collaboratively with others across grade levels, building mastery year after year, students develop the skills and mindset to impact their school and the world as thinkers, doers and makers.
A focus on design thinking and maker empowerment encourages students to recognize designs and systems in the world around them and to tinker, remake and create. Our staff consists of librarians/media specialists and educational technology experts who work to empower students to not only use print and digital research materials, but also create new knowledge. The ILIS staff works in the Kovler Family Library, the ILIS Collaboration Lab space and the classroom.
Our in-house design studio, the TIDES (Technology, Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship for Society) Garage, provides students access to 3D printers, laser cutters, sewing machines and a variety of technological tools for learning, challenge and expression.
Working collaboratively with others across grade levels, building mastery year after year, students develop the skills and mindset to impact their school and the world as thinkers, doers and makers.
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First Graders Become Superhero Family Helpers
Read MoreFirst graders have created their own superhero identities! -
SK Uses ScratchJr Coding to become Game Designers
This spring, Senior Kindergarteners designed and coded their own video games using the ScratchJr coding appRead More -
Third Grade Cardboard Arcade Spotlights Chicago
Throughout the school year, 3rd graders have been making connections with their study of Chicago in ILIS class. The final project of the year connected Chicago history, innovation, cardboard and a lot of funRead More -
Fabrication and Microcontrollers Students Complete Their Final
Upper School Engineering students completed a final assessment requiring them to employ a wide range of skills they learned throughout the fall semesterRead More -
Project Invent Combines Engineering and Entrepreneurship to Help Others
Students who participated in Project Invent this year and last year presented their purpose, process and final products at Morning Ex last week. Project Invent is a first-semester class that pairs students with a community partner for whom the students must use their design thinking and engineering skills to create a product that would help improve the community partner’s lifeRead More -
Seniors Design Device to Improve Mental Health
Seniors Thewfic Anwar and Riya Jain are refining a device they created as the dynamic duo powering Parker’s Project Invent team this yearRead More -
Students Become Web Developers
Recently, students in Upper School Computer Science teacher Brianna Ifft’s class took part in the final project, CP2: Web Dev, and highlighted all they have learned this semesteRead More -
Students Illustrate Original Storybooks with AI
Students in the Writers Studio senior elective class completed an assignment to create original children’s storybooks and illustrate them using AIRead More -
Balloons Over Parker!
Junior Kindergarteners learned about the amazing balloons and the tradition of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day ParadeRead More -
Calm Lamps and Calm Feelings
During their Integrated Learning and Information Science Department class time, SKers have been learning about different emotions—talking about what it means to be calm and the difference between that feeling and feeling energizedRead More -
Coding Virtual Reality in 5th Grade
Fifth graders created their own virtual reality (VR) games using Cospaces, a Web-based program that allows students to build their own 3D creations, animate them with code and explore them in virtual or augmented reality. Creating with CoSpaces helps students develop digital literacy, collaboration and coding skills and empowers them to become creatorsRead More -
Creative Connections With 3D Printing and Thinglink in ILIS
Second grade students recently studied various biomes in their classrooms and used this opportunity to learn about different animals, landforms, weather patterns and moreRead More -
Digital Health in the Intermediate School
Intermediate School students have been learning about digital communication, digital citizenship and navigation of technologyRead More -
First Grade Robot Exploration
Read MoreFirst graders spent several weeks exploring different robots, bringing coding to life in the Kovler Family Library. Students worked in small groups to code two kinds of robots: Dash robots and Sphero robots. -
First Grade Superheroes
For the past several weeks, 1st graders have explored superheroes and even transformed into Parker superheroes themselvesRead More -
Godzilla was Loose in the Library and Second Graders were Ready for Him!
During Integrated Learning and Information Science, 2nd graders put their design, building and collaboration skills to the test to prepare for a visit from the mythical monster Godzilla.Read More -
ILIS Member Featured on Podcast
Read MoreMiddle and Upper School Librarian Annette Lesak was featured in the latest episode of the Project Invent Podcast to share stories about working with students to “Make Failure OK.” -
Learning About Chicago Architecture
Third graders spent several months learning about Chicago architectureRead More -
Marker’s Makers Bring France to Parker
With the expertise and support of Middle and Upper School Librarian Annette Lesak and the Integrated Learning and Information Sciences team, French I students completed their annual Francophone-themed Makers’ ProjectRead More -
Messages, Choices and Impacts: Native American Social Justice Movements
In Integrated Learning and Information Science (ILIS), 4th graders examined Native American social justice movements, using thinking routines from JusticexDesign to examine their messages, choices and impactsRead More
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Kovler Family Library
The Kovler Family Library is the heart of the school. The library is a gathering space for students, a collaborative workspace, a research center, a classroom and a place where students can explore interests and develop a love of reading. The ILIS team seeks to create a curriculum that helps students develop research, communication and collaboration skills to be successful both in and out of the school environment.
The Kovler Family Library provides a balanced collection of print and digital resources. The collection aims to meet curricular needs as well encourage reading for pleasure. Helping students become lifelong readers is an essential goal of the library. The library provides materials that encourage a love of reading and a selection of popular reading materials. Students and the Parker community have access to digital resources to help them navigate the collection and find information. Resources include online encyclopedias, ebooks for research and pleasure reading and a web-based catalog with a downloadable app.
The Library is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. Students, parents, faculty and staff are welcome to come to the library to check out books, learn about resources, receive help with research needs or hang out in our comfortable and welcoming space.
Francis W. Parker School educates students to think and act with empathy, courage and clarity as responsible citizens and leaders in a diverse democratic society and global community.