ESP Biography



ISABEL ANDERSON, Climber, nerd, etc.




Major: MEd in curriculum and instructio

College/Employer: University of Rochester alum/UVM grad student

Year of Graduation: G

Picture of Isabel Anderson

Brief Biographical Sketch:

I am a graduate student at UVM getting my MEd in curriculum and instruction. I am generally a big nerd (I have a lot of academic interests), but I also love climbing, fiber arts, creative writing, and acroyoga. Currently listening to too many show tunes.



Past Classes

  (Clicking a class title will bring you to the course's section of the corresponding course catalog)

X15733: How to tie a tie in Splash 2023 (Nov. 18 - 19, 2023)
In this class, we will briefly talk about how ties are supposed to fit/be worn, and then we will go into the more interactive portion of the class, where we will practice tying ties! We’ll go over the basic knots and do a couple novelty ones if we have time. I will bring some extras just in case, but this class is intended to be BYOT (bring your own tie). All are welcome regardless of gender; ties are for everyone!


M15734: Introduction to Fractals in Splash 2023 (Nov. 18 - 19, 2023)
Ever wondered where fractals come from? In this class we will talk about how fractals are formed, specifically the Mandelbrot and Julia sets, and how the two are connected. If there is time, we will also look at fractal dimensions. While it is helpful to know what complex numbers are for this class, it is not required, and I will try to remember to send information about complex numbers prior to class. Note that if you attended this class last year, I will mostly be covering the same material.


H15735: Tanakh Crash Course in Splash 2023 (Nov. 18 - 19, 2023)
This class will cover the structure and some history of the Tanakh (also known as the Hebrew Bible) through an academic lens as well as an overview of what the other major texts of Judaism are. You do not need to know anything about Judaism (or any religion) to take this class; the goal is to explain what the different terms that are thrown around mean as well as give some historical context for the linguistic and narrative elements of the Tanakh.


H15736: Writing workshop in Splash 2023 (Nov. 18 - 19, 2023)
In the middle of NaNoWriMo? Looking for somewhere to get help with a short story, poem, or fanfiction? English essay deadline staring you down? I'll send out a survey prior to class to get an idea of what sort of writing advice/strategies people want to talk about, and then we'll have time for people to write, share/workshop what they're writing, or bounce ideas off each other depending on interest. If you want to work on writing on a computer, we can provide one.


X15155: How to tie a tie in Splash 2022 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2022)
In this class, we will briefly talk about how ties are supposed to fit/be worn, and then we will go into the more interactive portion of the class, where we will practice tying ties! We’ll go over the basic knots and do a couple novelty ones if we have time. I will bring some extras just in case, but this class is intended to be BYOT (bring your own tie). All are welcome regardless of gender; ties are for everyone!


H15156: What makes a good adaptation? in Splash 2022 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2022)
Are you tired of seeing books get horribly butchered by the people turning them into movies? Have you been excited to see a classic story be adapted into something for the modern day, only to find that the characterizations are all wrong? In this seminar-style class, we will be discussing types of adaptations, the considerations that go into them, and what makes an adaptation good. While I will give a brief lecture at the beginning, this is not meant to be a lecture-style class! Please bring your opinions (and be prepared to talk about them)!


M15203: Introduction to Fractals in Splash 2022 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2022)
Ever wondered where fractals come from? In this class we will talk about how fractals are formed, specifically the Mandelbrot and Julia sets, and how the two are connected. If there is time, we will also look at fractal dimensions. While it is helpful to know what complex numbers are for this class, it is not required, and I will try to remember to send information about complex numbers prior to class.


H15204: Tanakh Crash Course in Splash 2022 (Nov. 19 - 20, 2022)
This class will cover the structure and some history of the Tanakh (also known as the Hebrew Bible) through an academic lens as well as an overview of what the other major texts of Judaism are. You do not need to know anything about Judaism (or any religion) to take this class; the goal is to explain what the different terms that are thrown around mean as well as give some historical context for the linguistic and narrative elements of the Tanakh.


X14751: How to tie a tie (and wear a suit)! in Splash 2021 (Nov. 20 - 21, 2021)
Do you not know how to tie a tie? Do you want to wear a suit, but don't know how everything is supposed to fit? In this class, we will go over the three main ways of tying a tie and talk about how to wear suits and similar formalwear. If there is time, we will also go over how to do some novelty tie knots. This class is for anyone of any gender who wants to wear suits and/or ties, but it is BYOT (bring your own tie).


X14434: How to tie a tie in Spark 2021 (Mar. 13 - 27, 2021)
If you'd like to learn how to tie a tie, or you only know one way and want to learn more, this class is for you! We will cover the three main ways of tying a tie, as well as some fancier knots if there is time. Wearing ties is for everyone, so the only requirement is an interest in learning! However, it is BYOT (bring your own tie).


M14209: SET Theory in Splash 2020 (Nov. 14 - 15, 2020)
Have you ever wondered about how math relates to board games? This class will go over introductory combinatorics, modular arithmetic, and affine geometry and how they relate to the game SET. If you have never played SET before, that is fine. However, you will get more out of the class if you familiarize yourself with the game by reading the rules and trying one of the online versions of SET beforehand.


M14210: Introduction to Fractals in Splash 2020 (Nov. 14 - 15, 2020)
Fractals look cool, but have you ever wondered how they're constructed? In this class, we will be going over the definition of a fractal, the basics of complex numbers, and how the Mandelbrot and Julia sets are constructed. If there is time, we will also discuss what dimension fractals exist in.


M14216: So you want to be a math major in Splash 2020 (Nov. 14 - 15, 2020)
Do you want to study math in college? Learn about what being a math major entails, what sorts of classes you'll take, different types of degrees you can get, and what employment options look like for math majors. At the end of class, we will answer any questions that people have.