Ilana Horn

@ilanahorn

I study teacher learning in math classrooms by working in partnership with teachers• Vanderbilt University • she/her #EduSky #MathSky #iteachmath

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Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· 23d

Small but good things spotted in the world: This morning, there was a line outside of Ann Patchett's Nashville bookshop right before opening. I was there to get Elizabeth Strout's latest, but they had sold out yesterday after President Obama published his summer reading list.

black text on orange background reading: "2026 Barack Obama's summer reading list. KIN Tayari Jones; THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY Elizabeth Strout A WORLD APPEARS Michael Polan WHISTLER Ann Patchett THIS LAND IS YOUR LAND Beverly Gage VIGIL George Saunders ONE SUN ONLY Camille Bordas SEEK IMMEDIATE SHELTER Vincent Yu DATA EMPIRE Roopika Risam TRANSCRIPTION Ben Lerner COOL MACHINE Colson Whitehead

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Jul 13

Still getting interesting responses to our editorial about AI use in research

"The introduction of AI into the production and review of research has challenged existing quality control protocols, and we seek to articulate how scholars who use these tools in their work can do so in ways that uphold the standards for high quality and ethical research."

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Jul 1

my college kid was applying for food service jobs this summer. before they could even submit the application to one place, they had to do this 20 minute AI "personality assessment" that showed them a series of pictures with the choices, "me" or "not me."

an photo of two people in what seems to be either a car accident or one of them parked the other in. the caption says, "make them pay", with the options "me" or "not me" as buttons under the image.

image of two people playing ping pong with what appear to be tupperware lids in what looks like a kitchen using a row of toilet paper rolls as a net. the caption says, "outside the box"

a woman holding a very AI generated looking film camera pointing out of the frame. she appears to be focusing the lens as she squints to take a picture. the caption says, "try a new look"

a man in a blue shirt is looking at an abstract painting in a gallery. he is scratching the back of his head. the caption says, "don't understand paintings."

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· May 21

Speaking of Reconstruction amendments, I saw this breathtaking work of art about the Thirteenth Amendment at @moma.bsky.social yesterday

a curator's sign that says, "Kenturah Davis, American, born 1984. Contending with Contingency, 2021, Carbon pencil, pencil, and blind debossing on nine sheets of paper. Gift of Pamela and David Hornik, 2021. In 1865, The Thirteenth Amendment abolished slavery and involuntary servitude except as punishment for a crime. More than 150 years later, artist Kenturah Davis revisited the historical congressional debates over the amendment in order to make this monumental work on paper. By impressing text from teh transcribed debates into the paper without using ink, Davis created a textured surface. She then rubbed carbon pencil across the paper to produce and image of a figure. "The structures that shape our experience in the world extend from the ways we use language." Davis has said. "The implications of this language are activated through our bodies."

an image of a Black person with one hand shielding her face and another extended, palm out, as if to fend off the messages that are coming through the text

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· May 5

POP QUIZ! This emailed response to a customer service request means: 1️⃣ the robots ("Hugo") don't know how to do their jobs 2️⃣ companies are not even faking customer service anymore 3️⃣ we live in hell

an email saying, "Dear Ilana Horn, Thank you for contacting Technical Support; your case number is 09475427. This email is in reference to your issue with <INSERT ISSUE HERE>

<INSERT RESOLUTION HERE>

If you have any further questions regarding this matter, please reply directly to this email... etc."

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Apr 22

To check in on one of my grown kids, I sometimes look at the sketches she posts online. Looks like she's okay.

A picture of a dog person in a gallery with checkered flooring. The dog person is grabbing something off of a plate on a table. A thought bubble at the top of the image reads, "I only came to your art show to eat the FREE CHEESE"

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Apr 13

continued (2/2)

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Apr 13

Sharing some screenshots texted from a friend who worked with Martha Lampland, a sociologist who studies socialist/postsocialist Hungary. Lampland is in Hungary observing the transition of power and has insights that might be of use to the US. (1/2)

Historic! I rarely post on Facebook, but last night I watched TV in Budapest to see how the election was faring. Within two hours of the polls closing, Victor Orban called his opponent Peter Magyar to congratulate hi on Tisza's victory. We were fairly confident that Magyar would win the election, but th strenght of his victory -- how many of the people running on the Tisza ticket would be elected to Parliament -- was unknown. Orban gerrymandered the election roles early in his return to power in 2010, making it virtually impossible for his opponents to run against him successfully. With this strong base, he succeeded in tearing down or compromising key government instiuttions, such as the judiciary, and crucial intellectual bastions like the Academy of Sciences. Magyar has now achieved what was thought impossible: a super-majority in Parliament. This will make it possible for him to actually tackle the task of restructuring government institutions. Orban built up an extraordinarily corrupt political system, in which cronyism held sway, forcing competent bureaucrats and members of the judiciary to resign or be kicked out. Orban, his family and his cronies comandeered much of hte crucial money the EU had been sending Hungary, by consistently rewarding lucrative contracts to those in the inner circle who often proceeded to build shoddy services. They took over businesses and drained them of any value, leaving an unproductive shell behind. Orban had soccer stadiums built all over the country, often seating far more people than actually lived in the town, all the while neglecting hospitals and schools. His childhood friend was elevated over the course of several years from the status of an unemployed pipe fitter into a billionaire. The economy stagnated, and

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Apr 10

I got to see infinity #AERA2026

a picture of me smiling as i gaze up at the lights in the infinity room at the broad museum in los angeles. there are tiny lightbulbs suspended which are reflected all around me by walls of mirrors. it was magical

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Apr 7

... and here is a discount code for those inclined to purchase...

A flyer featuring the cover of the book entitled, "Teacher Learning of Ambitious and Equitable Mathematics Teaching: A Sociocultural Approach." There is a discount code for 20% off at the top in red: 26AFLY2, followed by a description of the book and some nice blurbs by colleagues.

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Mar 19

This is part of the reason I am obsessed with the tiny anterooms in Swedish elementary schools. What if teachers had a space to enable kids to cool off/self-regulate while still having access to learning opportunities? Game changer.

a photo of a woman standing next to a small room that adjoins the main classroom in a Swedish elementary school. The room has glass windows, an open door, two tables with chairs, and a whiteboard.

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Mar 11

More tidbits... 🇸🇪 The University of Umeå's slogan is "Everything is going to be okay" (see swag below) (More of these vibes, academia.)

a canvas tote bag with the insignia of Umeå University, along with the Swedish slogan, "Allt kommer bli bra"

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Mar 11

There seemed to be a lot of intentional design to support students' self-regulation. Each desk was equipped with noise blockers that some children put on during independent seatwork.

a picture of two student desks with noise blockers on hooks

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Mar 11

The teacher had a calm manner, which my host tells me is common in Swedish elementary schools. Children were able to be wiggly, and she made no attempt to correct them (because why do we even do that to kids?). The boy pictured below spent about 10 min of the lesson in this position.

A group of children working together. The child on the right front is kneeling on her chair, with one foot hooked over the top of the chair.

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Mar 11

But there were some differences in the built environment that stood out. For instance, there was a sink in the room with a dishrack filled with cups. Each cup had a child's name on it. There was also a side room attached to the main classroom. Aides went there to work with some children.

a metal sink with a green tile backsplash. there is a small wire dishrack with blue, green, gray, and white cups labeled with children's names and a small bottle of dish soap.

a small side room with two tables and some stools that is attached to the main classroom

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Mar 11

In many ways, the classroom was familiar. There were cubbies and coat hooks with children's names. There was the carpet at the front of the room, also labeled with their names on masking tape.

Green cubbies with coat hooks labeled with children's names. They are filled with coats, backpacks, mittens, and bike helmets

a circular navy carpet with children's names written on masking tape

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Mar 11

We learned that it was one student's first day. She happened to be in the class we were in. There was a welcome sign for her on the door, and they had an adult sit next to her throughout class to help her follow along with the activities.

A sign posted on a glass door that says, "Today we say welcome to Mahira"

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Mar 11

First, when we entered, we all took off our outside shoes. Some of the adults carry slippers with them to put on, but many were in socks. The children were in socks or barefoot.

a photo of metal shelves filled with boots

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Mar 6

Girl, I wish I could

a web portal asking for my country location. Although I have entered "United States," I have a red error message asking me to "Please select a valid country."

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Mar 5

"This debate over budgets and deficits is about more than just numbers on a page; it’s about more than just cutting and spending. It’s about the kind of future that we want. It’s about the kind of country that we believe in." - @barackobama.bsky.social, April 2011

a screenshot from Leah McElrath that says, "Preliminary Pentagon cost estimate of the war in Iran is $1 BILLION a day. So far." She has screen shotted Nancy Youssef, whose X post states, "The preliminary Pentagon cost estimate of the warn in Iran is $1 billion a day, a congressional official told me."

A screenshot of a post from Portland Jobs with Justice. The caption says, "You want unemployment to go up? Keep cutting education funding," said Angela Bonilla, President of Portland Association of Teachers. "It's already difficult."

We join educators demanding lawmakers act aggressively to fund schools, for instance -- tap into the education reserve fund or use kicker $.

There is a link to a news story with the headline, "It's already difficult": Portland teachers lobby for education funding.

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Jan 30

I am so sad to hear that we have lost one of our comedy greats, Catherine O'Hara. I love her for so many reasons, but the permission she gave the rest of us to embrace the truly outrageous parts of ourselves was a gift. Me, Halloween 2020, as Moira Rose

Me on Halloween 2020, when we all desperately needed some levity, dressed in all black with lace tights, a boa, and a blonde wig, holding a wine glass of rosé, a reference to Moira Rose's wine, Moira Rosé

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Jan 13

It makes me happy that two of my Bay Area friends asked me when I am moving 🥰

Vanderbilt University buys California College of the Arts campus in San Francisco for major expansion

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Dec 30

On this day of nada mucho, I decided to empirically demonstrate my frustration with Apple's severely limited capacity to transcribe the Yiddish words that densely populate my vocabulary. Exhibit A: On the left are the Yiddish words. On the right, the voice-to-text. #JewSky

a screen shot of a two-column table. the words on the left are:Mishigas
Mishpucha
Kvell
Tsuris
Vahrklempt
Balabusta
Chutzpah
Mensch
Oy vey
Tuches

the transcriptions on the right are:
Michago
Mesh puffer
Fell
Taurus
Vermont
Bala Busta
Hotspur
Match
Oy vey
Takis

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Dec 15

so weird coming from this guy... 🤔

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Dec 4

Are you a K12 teacher who works with immigrant students? Are you eager to tell the world about the many ways they make our schools and communities better? Apply for this paid 5-month fellowship from The Century Foundation’s National Newcomer Network. Deadline Jan. 4 bit.ly/EVENFellows2026 #EduSky

pink flyer with a lot of text, ending with the link to the program that is in the main post.

the text reads: apply to the elevating the voices of educators of newcomers (even) fellowship. with the federal government pushing an overtly harmful anti-immigrant agenda, much of the recent public discourse about immigrants has been negative -- and false. but teachers have the power to change the narrative.

about the EVEN fellowship: The national newcomer network is launching the Elevating Voices of Educators of Newcomers Fellowship, a new paid fellowship for teachers who work directly with newcomers, children of immigrants, and/or English learners -- and who want to tell the world about the many ways these children make our schools and communities better.

What EVEN Fellows will do:
Even fellows will join a community of teachers determined to improve public discourse about immigrant students. Together they will participate in a series of monthly trainings; write, edit, and publish a narrative highlighting their experiences working with immigrant communities; engage with journalists and reporters to uplift these critical narratives to broader audiences in local and national media.

Fellowship logistics:
Program dates: February 2 to June 26 2026
Expected commitment: Attend 1 monthly meeting with ongoing 1-on-1 support from NNN staff and experts
Stipend: $1500

Questions? [there is an email that i literally cannot read!]

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Nov 24

the cover photo of the book TEACHING AND ITS PREDICAMENTS by David Cohen. it is a vintage photograph (1950s?) of a teacher earnestly leaning toward a boy while she holds a pencil and he has a reader on his lap. His hands are behind his head, and he leans away from her, gazing away from her

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Nov 6

oh are doing eugenics and phrenology again? but now with robots??

an image of a phrenology model. it is a white human head divided into regions with labels like "Initiation, Ideality, Sublimity" and other characteristics you can supposedly tell from the bumps on people's heads.

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Nov 3

... but the abstract is great too. Worth a read.

In 1963, James Baldwin told teachers, “In this country today we are menaced—intolerably menaced—by a lack of vision.” Baldwin spoke of America’s inability to confront the realities of racism; to recognize Black children, and all people of color, as intelligent, complex, fully human beings; and to work for a more just, humane, and democratic future. In this paper, we build on the APA’s (2021) apology to people of color, to argue that many of the tools that are common in educational psychology today are rooted in historically racist systems and ideologies. We offer two broad strategies for research that are instead actively humanizing: radically re-envisioning the goals and aspirations of education research, and fundamentally rethinking the relationships that are necessary to conduct education research. We argue that research must defy deficit-oriented, essentialized views of children and families of color and must treat people of color as capable of charting their own futures and as central actors in identifying problems, questions, goals, and methods for generating knowledge (i.e., research). And researchers must recognize the social world as susceptible to transformation through collective liberatory struggle.

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Oct 6

this is the succinct definition of enshittification in the article. this process is why i am so deeply wary of much ed tech -- this process would be absolutely toxic in education, and there are no guardrails to ensure it wouldn't happen #EduSKy

a screenshot of the article with the text:

"Here's the quick version.

First, a platform is good to its users. That may look like Facebook connecting you to all of your friends, or Amazon providing a giant, reliable marketplace for goods. Then when enough people have joined a platform that there aren't any alternatives, the platforms start exploiting their own users to entice businesses. That may look like Facebook providing personal data about its customers to advertizers, or Google prioritizing paid ads over organic search. Then when those business customers are also stuck on one dominant platform, the platform puts the screws to them, too: Ad rates skyrocketing on Facebook amid reports of ad fraud, or Amazon sellers having to pay Amazon to be featured on Prime, just to appear high up in search results."

Ilana Horn@ilanahorn· Sep 17

We have lost significant ground in national math achievement, and racial/gender/class-based disparities are widening. The report identifies four policy trends at play. When I see this list, I think rectifying these trends will require political will to invest in the common good ($$).