We are a group of teacher educators at WestEd who work with teachers, administrators and staff developers to write cases–candid, problem-based accounts that are crafted to stimulate discussion and reflection–and then publish them in thematic casebook so others can learn from their experience. These field-tested casebooks focus on such topics as: diversity in the classroom, mentoring new teachers, student groupwork, and teaching math concepts in grades four through eight. We also provide assistance on how to use cases effectively through facilitator guides, videos, and seminars on discussion methods and case writing; make presentations at professional meetings; and publish our research in books and journals.
Teachers and teacher educators have long been aware of the yawning gap between the principles of education taught in university preservice programs and the realities of classroom life. The current burgeoning interest in educational case methods is testimony to the promise of case-based teaching as a way of bridging that gap, and of easing the novice teacher’s entry into the classroom. A case holds attributes of both theory and practice, enabling teachers and students alike to examine real-life situations under a laboratory microscope. It is a piece of controllable reality, more vivid and contextual than a textbook discussion, yet more disciplined and manageable than observing or doing work in the world itself.
Contact Information:
Judy Shulman
Director, Institute for Case Development
WestEd
730 Harrison Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
email:
jshulma@wested.org
Phone: (415) 565-3057
Fax: (415) 512-2024