FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Dec. 5, 2008

Contact: Gordon Ovenshine  

724.738.2199

 karl.schwab@sru.edu

Education graduate earns cyber teacher of the month honors

SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Lauren Branchetti, a 2006 Slippery Rock University graduate, has been named PA Cyber Teacher of the Month for her leadership at the Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School.
            Branchetti oversees the education of 55 students in kindergarten through 12th grade and teaches three, fifth-grade math classes with 60 students enrolled in her classes.
           Administration at PA Cyber named her Teacher of the Month for November. KDKA News Radio 1020 aired her story and an e-mail was distributed to all teachers and administrators involved with the school.
            “It’s really an honor, because I always joke around that sometimes I feel like my efforts get lost in cyberspace,” she said. “Occasionally, I will get an appreciative e-mail from my students and their parents.”
           The Pennsylvania Cyber Charter School is an online K-12 educational provider for students in Pennsylvania. PA Cyber is a public charter school with more than 8,000 students. Branchetti teaches math live using an Internet conferencing program from the school’s Midland office. Students interact in the virtual classroom using home computers.
           “I always say, ‘we can do everything a regular class can,’” she said.
            The elementary education graduate credited SRU with her success.
            “I really loved my experience at Slippery Rock University,” she said. “I made some wonderful friends who are teachers throughout the U.S. I credit SRU with a lot for where I am now. Many of the things that come second-nature to me, such as classroom management and teaching techniques, are all things I acquired through my four years in SRU’s College of Education.”

Slippery Rock University is Pennsylvania’s premier public residential university. Slippery Rock University provides students with a comprehensive learning experience that intentionally combines academic instruction with enhanced educational and learning opportunities that make a positive difference in their lives.