Hello! My name is Tessa Kilcourse I am a first-year International Educational Development Program (IEDP) student at Penn GSE. In conjunction with our “a day in the life” as an IEDP’er I will be blogging about what I tend to do as a graduate student at UPenn during the COVID-19 era. As many have said before me online graduate school during COVID has been a … Continue reading Tessa Kilcourse: Day in the Life as an IEDPer
Hi everyone! Spring is usually a hectic semester for IEDPers and I am not the exception. This semester has been super busy due to the fact that I am taking four courses (one of which is our capstone class) and I am working/volunteering around twenty hours a week. These commitments have limited the time I have to write my own blog posts, but I am happy … Continue reading Living in University City
Hi! My name is Rachel Phipps and I am a first-year International Educational Development Program (IEDP) student here at Penn GSE. Today I’ll be blogging about “a day in the life” as an IEDP’er. I wouldn’t trade my experience as an IEDP student for anything. I’m learning so much and my world is largely expanding in ways it wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. First, … Continue reading Rachel Phipps: Day in the Life as an IEDPer
Hi everyone! It’s been a while since the last post. At the end of last year, I decided to stick with my plan to move to Philly for the spring semester even though classes are still virtual, so…I am writing this post from my new studio apartment, located less than a mile from the Penn campus! So far, I love Philly, even though it is … Continue reading New semester, new city
Hi all. I cannot believe September has come to an end, which means I have completed my first month in the IEDP! As we say in Spanish: ¡Guau! I decided to only take 3 courses this semester (two core* classes and a quantitative elective) due to two reasons. First, I wanted to learn about the different focus areas within the educational development field through the … Continue reading Reflecting on the first month of classes…
This past week has been an extravaganza of food, friends, and more food. While many from the cohort took off over thanksgiving break, some of us stayed back and made the most of things happening on campus, and beyond. 7:30AM: Walked to the Thanksgiving Parade with Brandon and Kelsey The streets, usually bustling with people walking briskly to class and work, are eerily empty. Kelsey, … Continue reading Day in the Life of an IEDPer, Literally 2.4: All Things Wonderful
Brandon Darr 7:00AM: Since I used to be a teacher, I usually wake up pretty early. I don’t normally grab breakfast at home, but writing this blog post helps me to get into this old habit of yogurt and granola. As I start my day, I re-assess what I have to do for the day, read over emails and Slack notifications, and review assignments. 8:15AM: … Continue reading Day in the Life of an IEDPer, Literally 2.3: Classes, Food, and Extracurriculars
Kelsey is a first-year student in the IEDP, originally from Miami, Florida. After her BA in International Relations at Ohio Wesleyan University, Kelsey led service-learning programs for a non-profit in Haiti. Most recently, Kelsey worked in Washington, DC, as a student advisor for the U.S. Department of State’s Fulbright Program, and a program manager for the U.S. Department of State’s Gilman Scholarship Program. Kelsey is … Continue reading A Day in the Life of an IEDPer, Literally 2.2: Tuesdays with T-Pickles, Dr. Thapa, and Talks
Shazmeneh is a first-year student in the IEDP. She was born and raised in Karachi, Pakistan and first came to the US for her Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies at NYU. She has returned to the US after two years managing public schools; creating curricula for out-of-school children; training teachers; and conducting research on the performance of public-private partnership … Continue reading A Cohort to Lean On
By Maryann Dreas-Shaikha Maryann is a first-year student in the IEDP. She has returned to the U.S. after teaching English, literature and Model United Nations, and training teachers in pedagogy and formative assessment, in Pakistan and the Republic of Georgia. She misses her students and teachers, but hopes this academic hiatus will equip her with the skills to achieve meaningful change for more people than … Continue reading A Day in the Life of an IEDPer 2.1: Once Upon a Wednesday
The International Educational Development Program 