Bachelors of Elementary Education

Program Overview

The Elementary Education program at Franklin College focuses on developing highly skilled and compassionate educators. It emphasizes a strong foundation in child development, effective teaching methods, and understanding the dynamics of a school community. The program is tightly structured, requiring close collaboration between students and their advisors to ensure timely completion of all requirements for Indiana K-6 Elementary Generalist teaching licensure. 

Curriculum: The curriculum for the BA in Elementary Education is comprehensive and hands-on, starting with field experiences from the very first term. Professional Education Requirements include courses such as "Critical Skills for Educators," "Educational Philosophy, Law, & Ethics," "Child Development and Educational Psychology," "Standards-Based Planning & Digital Learning," and "Survey of Exceptional Children." A significant focus is placed on literacy through "Science of Reading I, II, and III," aligned with research-based instructional models. Students also take methods courses for teaching specific subjects like "Teaching Science-Elementary," "Teaching Social Studies-Elementary," "Teaching Math-Elementary," and "Teaching Health & Wellness-Elementary." The program integrates technology, with a required course aligned with International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) standards, ensuring students can effectively use digital tools in the classroom. Students also choose a concentration area of a minimum of 9 hours in another major, such as Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Physical Education, Health Education, or Fine Arts.

Research Focus: Franklin College's Elementary Education program incorporates a practical and applied research focus, aiming to prepare educators who are "competent, caring decision makers." Students engage with "research-based lesson plan designs and assessment tools." The curriculum's strong emphasis on the "Science of Reading," which is a "research-based instructional model," directly integrates educational research into teaching practice. While formal academic research papers might be more prominent in graduate-level education programs, Franklin's undergraduate program focuses on applying research findings to effective classroom instruction and understanding "how children learn" through empirical observation and pedagogical studies. Faculty, many of whom have extensive P-12 experience, bring this practical, research-informed perspective to their teaching.

Industry Engagement: Franklin College places an extremely high priority on industry engagement for its Elementary Education students, evident in its "extensive practical experience." Students complete over 1,000 hours of clinical field experiences prior to graduation, starting from their very first term. These field placements occur in diverse school environments, allowing students to observe teaching methods, provide assistance, and build professional networks. Each methods course is tied to a co-requisite field experience, ensuring immediate application of learned theories. The culminating experience is a full-time student teaching placement in the final term, where students work alongside an experienced cooperating teacher. The department also leverages its large alumni network of over 1,000 active P-12 teachers and administrators to support current students, contributing to the program's reported 100% job placement rate. The collaboration with schools like KIPP Indy Unite Elementary School for literacy field experiences further exemplifies this strong industry connection.

Global Perspective: While the primary focus of Franklin College's Elementary Education program is on preparing teachers for Indiana elementary schools, the liberal arts foundation and broader college initiatives can foster a global perspective. The "Human Diversity in the Classroom" course (EDU 315) is a required component, addressing "the complex contexts in which students learn in U.S. schools" and likely touching upon diverse cultural backgrounds of students. While direct international teaching internships are not explicitly detailed as a core part of this specific program, Franklin College strongly encourages and provides opportunities for students to "travel internationally via study away, international internships or Immersive Term study away courses." Such experiences can expose future educators to different educational systems, pedagogical approaches, and cultural contexts, enriching their understanding of diverse learners and preparing them to engage with an increasingly globalized student population, even within local classrooms.