Case Stories for Elementary Methods: Meeting the INTASC Standards

 

            “We believe that our educational system must guarantee a learning environment

            in which all children can learn and achieve their own kind of individually configured

            excellence — an environment that nurtures their unique talents and creativity;

            understands, respects, and incorporates the diversity of their experiences into the

            learning process; and cultivates their personal commitment to enduring habits of

            life-long learning.”  From http://www.ccsso.org INTASC 1992, Preamble

 

INTASC was formed to ensure that all our P-12 students have the same base of knowledge and also that all teachers must meet the same standards for licensing.  Recent reform such as the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 have brought the standards movement to the public eye.  This book was written to provide what is often the missing piece of teacher preparation coursework–real-life experiences.  Written in ten chapters with twenty cases, this supplementary methods text provides problem-based learning opportunities involving the use of authentic dilemmas and concerns.  The cases are open-ended and require critical thinking skills and analysis by the student. 

 

A theme of the book is that teachers are human beings who are confronted with all the problems of daily life.  Readers of this text are urged to read and analyze the case stories, not only with an eye to finding educational solutions, but also with a keen awareness of how the strengths and weaknesses, likes and dislikes, and lingering concerns of each teacher affect their daily performance.  What we must remember is that while standards may serve as practical guidelines, it is individuals who are accountable for carrying out ethically good actions.  This text aims to educate a new generation of teachers in how to find solutions to varying problems and make reflective decisions, and in so doing achieve their goal of educating their class to meet the standards of today.