Bachelor of Elementary Education in Elementary Education

The Elementary Education program at Penn State Harrisburg embodies the four tenets of our conceptual framework: constructivism, authenticity, reflectivity, and standards-based curriculum. Constructivism entails a student-centered approach in which teachers help learners build their own understandings. Authenticity refers to developing professional and pedagogical skills in authentic classroom settings; for example, in the junior and senior years prior to student teaching, the program offers extensive field experiences in a variety of settings enrolling students with diverse backgrounds and needs. Reflectivity relates to consciously analyzing course content and one's own learning for the purpose of deeper understanding and self-improvement. Standards-based curriculum means that our candidates are steeped in Pennsylvania Academic Standards as well as the standards of relevant professional organizations. Taken together, these tenets enable our candidates to become lifelong reflective professionals committed to the learning of all students.

This program is recognized by the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) and the Association for Childhood Education International (ACEI).