10.20
Primary Education
Penn Alexander celebrates achievement award from Dept. of Education
Penn Alexander celebrates achievement award from Dept. of Education
At an outdoor gathering at Penn Alexander on Sept. 21, the school community and guests celebrated its National Blue Ribbon Award.
Three things parents need for kindergarten prep
Three things parents need for kindergarten prep
For parents with children getting ready to start kindergarten, focus on three things: reading, playing, and encouraging.
A post-pandemic wave of teachers leaving the workforce, and other trends
Penn GSE’s Richard Ingersoll has published a new report looking at who is at work in America’s classrooms, and finds that many trends he has tracked since publishing his first study continue to hold true, and in some ways have deepened.
Five tips for talking to young children about COVID-19 today
Five tips for talking to young children about COVID-19 today
Many vaccinated adults have started going maskless, but most children still cannot. Some states are now fully open. Psychologist Caroline Watts offers parents language they can use to talk openly as a family about this newest phase of the pandemic.
How project-based learning can prepare students for the 21st century
How project-based learning can prepare students for the 21st century
Penn GSE dean Pam Grossman and peers argue in a new book that project-based learning, a method of instruction that identifies a project or problem that students work on, should be at the center of American public education.
How to get even better at supporting your LGBTQ+ students
How to get even better at supporting your LGBTQ+ students
Teachers, school counselors, and administrators owe it to their LGBTQ+ students, along with the rest of the student body, to provide an inclusive environment where everyone feels comfortable.
Maritza Moulite reminds us that the present is past
Maritza Moulite reminds us that the present is past
Penn GSE doctoral student Moulite’s second Young Adult novel “One of the Good Ones” has published to rave reviews.
Children persist less when parents take over
Children persist less when parents take over
According to research from Penn psychologists, kids ages 4 to 7 persevere longer when allowed to struggle through a challenging activity than if a grown-up steps in.
How teachers can talk about violence at the Capitol
How teachers can talk about violence at the Capitol
Sigal Ben-Porath outlines a strategy for discussing the historic events with students according to grade and knowledge levels, focusing on the facts of what happened and why it matters.
Penn pledges $100 million to the School District of Philadelphia
Penn pledges $100 million to the School District of Philadelphia
The contribution represents an unprecedented commitment to the City and its public schoolchildren, and is the largest private contribution to the School District in its history.
In the News
The Washington Post
A school district opted out of a free meals program, saying students could ‘become spoiled’
Ioana Marinescu of the School of Social Policy & Practice says that moving to a universal meal program provides important advantages for students and their families.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Pivoting to middle school teacher from bank teller to stay ahead of disruption
Dean Pam Grossman of the Graduate School of Education said technology has yet to significantly disrupt education or replace the need for teachers. “Teaching and learning are fundamentally relational processes, and without the relationship, it’s hard to engage learners, particularly those that aren’t motivated,” she said.
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Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Study: Teaching force grew at more than double the enrollment rate
Richard Ingersoll of the Graduate School of Education and School of Arts & Sciences spoke about how schools and school boards are working to meet demands from parents and lawmakers. “All these demands by parents are very understandable, such as lower class size,” said Ingersoll. “Who wouldn’t want their child to be in a class of 18? And, yes, let’s teach Mandarin and, yes, let’s bring back Latin. There are so many demands but very little recognition of the costs.”
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Education Week
Want to improve learning outcomes? Give students more time
Pam Grossman, dean of the Graduate School of Education, wrote an op-ed that proposing rethinking schooling to give students more time to learn. “Let’s use the pandemic to rethink how we expand and enrich learning time for children, especially those most impacted by COVID-19-related disruption,” she wrote.
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NBC News
Schools face a substitute teacher crisis. These districts are getting creative to fix it
Richard Ingersoll of the Graduate School of Education and the School of Arts & Sciences commented on how some states and school districts have lessened requirements for substitute teachers in order to meet demand. "When there's difficulty filling classrooms, often the reaction is let's lower the bar, let's widen the gate," he said. "That's disastrous to do that. Basically, you're sacrificing qualifications because you think it's an emergency."
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WHYY (Philadelphia)
Early data shows hopeful signs for pandemic learning in Philly, but huge questions remain
Michael Gottfried of the Graduate School of Education said it’s difficult to quantify how school is going for students amid the pandemic. “We’re sort of building the plane as we fly it,” he said. “Everything’s up in the air now. Everything’s been disrupted just from the measurement side.”
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