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Kudzu Bricks, Tiny Homes, and Glow-in-the-Dark Horseshoes: Innovation in Rural Kentucky Schools

In rural Kentucky, teachers and students are awarded innovation grants to solve a challenge facing their community or classroom.




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Teachers Share Resources for Teaching Online During Coronavirus School Closures

To help ease the transition to remote instruction, educators have launched virtual professional learning communities to share resources, ask questions, and give advice.




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It's Notoriously Hard to Evaluate PD. A New System Aims to Change That

A new process for judging the quality of professional development has made its debut, with the aim of answering a difficult question: Which PD is high-quality and which isn't?




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How to Bring 'Surprise and Delight' to Virtual Teacher Training During COVID-19

A Kansas teacher of the year explains her approach to offering super engaging professional development in a virtual setting.




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Briefly Stated: Stories You May Have Missed

A collection of stories from the week that you may have missed.




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In Historic Win, Nationally Recognized Teacher Jahana Hayes Elected to U.S. House

The 2016 National Teacher of the Year will represent Connecticut’s 5th district, becoming the first African-American woman from the state to serve in Congress.




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Principal Running for Congress to Challenge Incumbent in Democratic Primary

While the number of principals running for office has been dwarfed by teachers, school leaders are hoping to change policies in statehouses and in Washington that they say impact their students and families.




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How Teacher Strikes Could Factor in 2020 Elections

The recent Chicago Teachers Union strike drew attention from Democratic presidential candidates in Illinois, a state won by Democrats in the last White House contest. For 2020, it's possible we could see a twist on that story: big-city teacher strikes in states with less predictable outcomes.




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Elementary Teacher Defeats West Virginia's State Senate President in Primary

After a couple years of clashes with teachers in the state, West Virginia Senate President Mitch Carmichael was ousted in Tuesday's Republican primary election by a teacher.




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Kamala Harris Has a Chance to Make School Desegregation a Key Issue

The vice presidential candidate was bused to school as child. Her experience could inform national education policy, writes Jonathan E. Collins.




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Idaho Seeks to Block Electronic-Signature Gathering for Education Ballot Measure

Idaho officials asked a U.S. Supreme Court justice to block an injunction that allows a group backing an education ballot initiative to collect electronic signatures because of COVID-19.




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Carol Dweck on Nurturing Students' Growth Mindsets Through Protest and Pandemic

Growth mindsets are an important tool for battling racial bias in the classroom and helping students through difficulties posed by the pandemic.




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Co-Op Stories: Kacey Harper's journey is one of growth and community impact

Kacey Harper, a third-year corporate communication major at Penn State Schuylkill, discovered her passion for the field after initially considering marketing. She honed her skills through various leadership roles on campus and a hands-on internship with Schuylkill United Way. Harper is eager to pursue a career that allows her to make meaningful contributions, and she encourages others to gain as much professional experience as possible through Schuylkill’s Co-Op program.




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Co-Op Stories: Student shaping her future through experiences, strong community

Emily Weider, a third-year student at Penn State Schuylkill, has always been drawn to business, growing up involved in her family's trucking company. Her Co-Op experience at Northeast Pennsylvania Manufacturers and Employers Association provided valuable hands-on learning, from managing databases to enhancing marketing efforts with Canva. The welcoming environment and the skills she gained have solidified her confidence in pursuing a future in business.




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Co-Op Stories: Alysa Carestia gains hands-on experience through Co-Op program

Alysa Carestia, a second-year psychology major at Penn State Schuylkill, gained hands-on experience in therapy services through the campus’ Co-Op program. During her internship at Gym-Jam Therapeutics, she assisted therapists and was introduced to applied behavior analysis, which influenced her career goals.




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A 'beautiful experience' in software engineering program and internship

As a graduate student in software engineering, Chandan Shivalingaiah said he values the wealth of opportunities he has at Penn State, including research, an internship and teaching underserved high school students. 




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Software engineering student overcomes odds to code for Amazon in internship

Daniel Kumankumah, a Penn State Great Valley software engineering student, was thrilled to land a competitive summer internship with Amazon. When he faced obstacles, he sought help from his team and succeeded in solving coding problems while gaining valuable experience, he said.




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Penn State Great Valley to host Nov. 12 talk on Oneida tribe and Valley Forge

Oneida historian Heather Bruegl will discuss her Indigenous tribe's connection to the Continental Army's encampment at Valley Forge during a free community event at 7 p.m. on Nov. 12 in Penn State Great Valley's conference center. The event is part of Valley Forge Park Alliance's Speaker Series. 




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Grad student works with research team to strengthen nonprofits’ cybersecurity

Anivesh Sinha is one of the graduate research assistants working with a team of faculty and students from five Commonwealth Campuses, with funding from a University Presidential Public Impact Research Award, to help Pennsylvania nonprofit organizations improve their cybersecurity practices.




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How the Russians Hacked Our Math Curriculum

An overemphasis on calculus in high school may be harming students, writes Dickinson College professor Jeffrey Forrester.




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Students Build Tiny Houses to Bring Geometry Lessons to Life

At Battle High School in Columbia, Mo., students in geometry class have swapped their compasses and protractors for hammers and hard hats. And they're doing it for a good cause.




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A Few Parents Have Sued Over Special Education During COVID-19. Will More Follow?

Districts could face a rising tide of special education-related lawsuits and complaints when schools resume, experts say, if they still cannot offer the services that students with disabilities missed out on for months.




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News24 Business | Why pre-authorisation doesn't mean your medical scheme will pay your bills

Many medical scheme members mistakenly believe obtaining pre-authorisation for a procedure or treatment means their claims will be paid in full.




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News24 Business | Medical schemes: What you need to know about pre-authorisation

Pre-authorisation does not guarantee payment of your claim but it does help prevent claims that are denied or short-paid.




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News24 Business | Business brief | Mondi shutters fire-hit Bulgarian mill; Mercedes' profits plunge

An overview of the biggest business developments in SA and beyond.




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News24 Business | OPINION | Matriculants' other big test - how they'll manage their money

Ensuring and tracking your financial progress, no matter what path your life takes, is easier than navigating careers or relationships. But good habits have to be set up early, says Laura du Preez.




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News24 Business | Money questions? Answered | Don't fall for this car financing sales trick

Gone are the days when a cash offer got you a better price, writes Maya Fisher-French.




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Bulgarians attend TeenStreet Europe

A group of Bulgarian teenagers and leaders took part in this year’s TeenStreet Europe for the first time and experienced God in new ways.




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Bulgarian outreach impacts young lives

This year at the sports and English camp in Bulgaria, the team noticed the fruit of building on relationships over time.




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Research team aims to better understand traumatic brain injuries

When the brain experiences an injury, it can be difficult to definitively diagnose a concussion as the trauma is often limited to inside the skull and cannot be accurately assessed, according Reuben Kraft, a professor of mechanical engineering at Penn State. Kraft's research team is using computational methods and tools — such as custom mouthguard sensors — to model and predict injury in the human brain. 




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Stefano Terlizzi joins nuclear engineering department at Penn State

Stefano Terlizzi joined the Ken and Mary Alice Lindquist Department of Nuclear Engineering as the John and Jean M. Brennan Clean Energy Early Career Professor on July 22. In this Q&A, Terlizzi talks about his research background and interests, why he chose Penn State and more.




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Brick by brick, LEGOneering team builds interest in STEM careers

To build the interest of students in pre-K through grade 12 in STEM fields, a team of aerospace engineering undergraduates built a fleet of LEGO models of vertical flight vehicles and demonstrate them at outreach events.




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Electrical engineering major named fall 2024 ROTC student marshal

Richard Wilson has been named the fall 2024 student marshal for the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) at Penn State. He will receive a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering from the Penn State College of Engineering with a minor in military studies.




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Teacher-Performance Scores Primed for Release in Virginia

A state court ruled that Virginia must turn over growth data by school and classroom teacher, without redacting the teachers' names.




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One Way Recessions Actually Help Districts: Great Teachers Seeking Jobs

The hiring pool improved for schools when the recession squeezed teachers, study finds.




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Learning From the Nursing Profession in the New Teacher Strike Era

As teacher strikes sweep the nation, Marc Tucker compares the trajectory of teaching to that of the nursing profession, one of high standards of entry and rigorous preparation.




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Multimedia Curriculum Teaches About 9/11

Multimedia lessons for teaching about the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks are unveiled.




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Public Libraries Add Multimedia Learning to Digital Mission

Public libraries are moving deeper into digital learning, often in partnership with schools and other institutions, to help prepare students for the skills they'll need for college and careers.




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School Districts' Reopening Plans: A Snapshot

Download the data from Education Week showing how over 900 school districts provided instruction on their first day of the school year.




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Inspiring STEM speaker to address digital divide at public forum

A former computer engineer turned motivational speaker will share his dynamic insights on “Bridging the Digital Divide: Unlocking Access and Opportunity in Education” during a Nov. 6 presentation of the Technology & Society Colloquia Series at Pennsylvania College of Technology.




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Penn College graduate helps design thrills

As a kid, Eli R. Rush fell in love with roller coasters. As an adult, he’s turned that passion into a livelihood. The Pennsylvania College of Technology alumnus is a designer for a renowned manufacturer and builder of coasters.




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Bacterial protein discovered, engineered to better separate rare earth metals

A newly discovered protein naturally houses an unusual binding site that can differentiate between rare earth elements, and researchers at Penn State have made it even better. Rare earth elements are key components used in everything from modern tech to gasoline production. The protein, called LanD, enriches neodymium and praseodymium over other similar rare earth elements and has the potential to revolutionize industrial mining, researchers said.




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Testing thousands of RNA enzymes helps find first ‘twister ribozyme’ in mammals

A new method, developed by Penn State researchers, can test the activity of thousands of RNA enzymes, called ribozymes, in a single experiment.




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Toxic protein may contribute to ALS development

A team of researchers from Penn State College of Medicine found that misfolded versions of a protein exhibit tissue-specific toxicity linked to cell degeneration that may be linked to the development of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study is a step forward in understanding the physiological processes that may contribute to ALS development and progression and identifies a potential therapeutic target, the researchers said.




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Climate Consortium awards projects to drive climate solutions across key sectors

The Penn State Climate Consortium has awarded funding to four research projects that look to put promising climate solutions into action through interdisciplinary partnerships. 




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Community invited to Trick-or-Treat at Penn State Hazleton on Oct. 24 

Penn State Hazleton's trick-or-treating is scheduled for Thursday, Oct. 24, from 5 to 6:30 p.m. on the Sports and Recreation Field at the campus. Children attending the event must be accompanied by a parent or guardian. 




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Hazleton engineering professor's solar solution cuts costs for energy provider

Penn State Hazleton Associate Professor Joseph Ranalli developed a method to identify mislabeled equipment in solar plants by analyzing cloud motion, significantly reducing labor and costs for a large energy provider and enriching the educational experience for his engineering students by demonstrating real-world applications of data analysis. His collaboration with Principal Research Engineer Will Hobbs from Southern Co. has resulted in the publication of two articles and open-source software. 




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Distinguished professor in plant nutrition retires after long, impactful career

Jonathan Lynch, distinguished professor of plant nutrition, retired this fall after an innovative and impactful 33-year career in Penn State’s College of Agricultural Sciences, focused on conducting research to alleviate world hunger and enhance crop production by subsistence farmers in developing countries.




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New scholarships reflect Blue Band alumni’s own experience in the band

Michael Barasch and Dr. Ravi Shah were part of different sections during their time in the Blue Band, but today they are giving back in the same way, by establishing scholarships for Blue Band instrumentalists. They have pledged funds to establish five scholarships each to be awarded annually over the next five years.




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Viral country singer Sam Barber brings his ‘Restless Mind’ to Penn State Nov. 7

Viral country singer-songwriter and former reality-star contestant Sam Barber will bring his “Restless Mind” tour to Happy Valley at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 7, in Eisenhower Auditorium.