4/2
Primary Education
Parents asked questions about living in lockdown. Penn GSE experts answered
Stay-at-home orders, closed schools, and pandemic-induced anxiety are taking their toll on families. Penn GSE’s Caroline Watts offers insights and resources for families requesting online resources.
The coronavirus may force American schools to teach online. Are they ready?
As COVID-19 cases continue to rise, Ryan Baker of Penn GSE offers suggestions for how K-12 schools can shift classes online for weeks or even months at a time.
Archive of pioneering author and artist comes to Penn Libraries
The collection of Ashley Bryan’s work includes thousands of pieces of art, correspondence, photos, manuscripts, and books. A small exhibition of his collection is now on display at the Libraries, and a major symposium and exhibition are expected in 2022.
How the city cultivates its youngest writers
Since 1986, The Philadelphia Writing Project has called Penn GSE home, which works with the city’s teachers and students to advance high-quality writing skills.
A ‘holiday office party’ podcast
In the latest episode of Penn Today's “Office Hours” podcast series, and the final installment of 2019, three returning guests join for a chat about the holiday season, the decade that’s been, and the year ahead.
Easing the transition from summer to school
Penn GSE’s Linda Leibowitz has a few suggestions for parents and caregivers who are keen to smooth their kids’ transition from summer back to school.
Children who nap midday are happier, excel academically, and have fewer behavioral problems
A Penn study of nearly 3,000 fourth, fifth, and sixth graders in China revealed strong connections between 30 to 60 minutes of shuteye at least three days a week and positive outcomes in a handful of areas.
From Play-Doh to Slinkies, an engaging introduction to the basics of the brain
The Kids Judge! Neuroscience Fair brought West Philadelphia fourth graders and Penn neuroscience students together for a morning of hands-on fun.
The best books of 2018 for young readers
Penn GSE’s Ebony Elizabeth Thomas and her team share their book choices for elementary and middle grade kids, showcasing authors whose work explores issues like race, gender, ethnicity, and class thoughtfully and empathetically.
Undergraduate leads NGO to change Chicago’s gun violence
Sophomore Eva Maria Lewis is tackling the root causes of Chicago’s gun violence crisis and working to create equitable communities.
In the News
Sandra Day O’Connor and the promise of civic education
Jonathan Zimmerman of the Graduate School of Education writes that teaching schoolchildren about the rights and responsibilities of citizenship might be the only way to heal our polarized society.
FULL STORY →
Schools in poorer neighborhoods struggle to keep teachers. How offering them more money and power might help
Richard Ingersoll of the Graduate School of Education says that giving educators more authority at their workplace makes them feel like respected professionals.
FULL STORY →
Lego, martial arts and dance classes: How one school tackled school absenteeism
A 2022 Penn study found a return of three dollars for every dollar invested in City Connects, a pilot project that links students with support for basic needs and enrichment activities.
FULL STORY →
How gross inequalities in institutional wealth distort the higher education ecosystem and shortchange the vast majority of middle- and lower-income undergraduates
Penn is noted for its pledge to contribute $100 million over 10 years to renovate decrepit Philadelphia schools, potentially assisting a more diverse student body.
FULL STORY →
New Mexico can turn the tide by increasing classroom time
A study co-authored by economists at Penn found that a longer school year showed an “extremely robust” association with higher student achievement.
FULL STORY →
Africana studies can save education—and the world
Ismael Jimenez of the Graduate School of Education writes that "Africana studies is an interdisciplinary field concerned with the study of Black people and history, but it also represents a foundational building block of a more just world."
FULL STORY →