Postbaccalaureate Credit Courses for Educators
Does your school district require you to pursue professional development or a graduate degree? Are you looking for Act 48 credits in your particular educational focus? Penn State University serves teachers and educators across the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania with diverse graduate course options ranging from workshops to online and in-class instruction.
Penn State is an approved provider for both credit and noncredit programs for educators. Our diverse offerings, locations, and delivery modes can help you meet Act 48 requirements.
Many of our graduate courses transfer into Penn State Harrisburg’s online Master of Education in Teaching and Curriculum program
Summer Session 2024
CI 492: Identities, Power and Perceptual Pedagogies in Teaching and Learning
July 1–July 20, 2024. Meeting dates/time: 7/3, 7/10, and 7/17 (6:00–7:00 p.m.)
Students will take part in inquiries into the intersections of identities, power, and perceptual pedagogies, particularly as these phenomena pertain to methods of teaching and learning in urban contexts. Learn the perceptual and conceptual frameworks that assist deep engagements with youth- and teacher-centered case studies. (3 credits)
EDUC 470W: Higher-Order Thinking for Educators
July 1–July 20, 2024. Meeting dates/time: 7/2, 7/9, and 7/16 (6:00–7:00 p.m.)
Presentation of strategies, techniques, and principles of higher-order thinking which are grounded in relevant research and practice will be presented. Develop critical- and creative-thinking, decision-making, problem-solving, and reflection skills. Become aware of ways to increase the higher-order thinking of children in the elementary classroom. Improve students’ ability to write critical thinking/reflection papers on educational problems and issues. (3 credits)
CI 400: Introduction to Research Literature
July 21–August 10, 2024. Meeting dates/time: 7/23, 7/30, and 8/6 (6:00–7:00 p.m.)
Introduction to research literature and methodology with an emphasis on interpretation, sources, and research reporting. (3 credits)
CI 497: Special Topics–Authentic Instruction in the Classroom & Facilitating Learning in the Classroom
July 21–August 10, 2024. Meeting dates/time: 7/24, 7/31, and 8/7 (6:00–7:00 p.m.)
This course will focus on the underlying principles rather than on teaching tips, so that any teaching strategy we define will be grounded in a strong pedagogical rationale and portable to various contexts, given the necessary adaptations. (3 credits)
ESL Specialist Certificate Courses (Summer 2024)
WELD 444: Language, Culture, and the Classroom
June 24–June 28, 2024. Meeting dates: 6/24, 6/25, 6/26, 6/27, and 6/28
This course will examine issues of language and culture in the classroom. Focus will be placed on developing cross-cultural competence (in the classroom, with families, etc.). This course is intended to provide participants with the opportunity to reflect on the mutual impact of language and culture in the learning experiences of language minority students. It will explore culturally and linguistically diverse students' assets as educators begin to critically reflect upon how to extract such rich knowledge possessed by their students. (3 credits)
APLNG 484: Functional Discourse Grammar
July 22–July 26, 2024. Meeting dates: 7/22, 7/23, 7/24, 7/25, and 7/26
This course is designed to provide an overview of the structure of the English language through a functional/discourse analytical approach to linguistic analysis. Grammar is viewed as holistic and dynamic in the sense that grammar and grammatical forms are intricately related to speaker stance, cognition, and interaction. That is, when speakers use certain forms of grammar (in any language), they are generally making choices over other possible forms. In addition, this course examines what types of motivations might underlie such choices and will investigate how this approach to grammar can be applied in teaching/learning of English (and other languages) as a second or foreign language. (3 credits)
ESL Specialist Certificate Class Times
Fall and spring classes run on a weekend format:
Friday, 5:30 p.m.–8:30 p.m.
Saturday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Sunday, 8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.m.
Summer classes run during the week:
Monday–Thursday, 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.
Friday, 8:00 a.m.–1:00 p.
Contact us at 570-963-2600 or email [email protected] for information.
How to Apply:
Non-degree seeking applicants who want to take graduate-level courses for personal enrichment, professional development, or later want to apply for graduate degree status, can seek admission as a non-degree student in order to register for these classes.
Apply as a non-degree student - print form and email/scan to [email protected]
Note: The University reserves the right to cancel courses due to insufficient enrollment or other unforeseen circumstances.