Cases of Teaching and Learning Across and Beyond K-12 Settings

This book compiles cases of teaching and learning that were written by practitioners from a variety of backgrounds in education--elementary school, middle school, high school, and adult instruction--in public, charter, and private institutions, face-to-face and online. Cases of Teaching and Learning Across and Beyond K-12 Settings is intended primarily for use in education courses that have students from different specializations, but it also can be an important resource for instructors and students in any education courses who want to develop a broad focus on learning (for example, thinking about middle school students as former elementary and future high school, college, and adult learners). A historical and developmental approach to learning is a founding principle of this book: all cases are written as stories of never-ending multi-faceted development, making them distinct from video cases that are gaining popularity. These cases capture memorable experiences related to teaching and learning that problematized existing practices and thus presented ample opportunities for critical thinking and creative performances. Each case in Cases of Teaching and Learning Across and Beyond K-12 Settings is paired with analysis written by its author that relied on the theories and research summarized in the first part of the book. The selection of the theories was based on their presence in current research literature, mainly serving as foundations for empirical research, and relevance to various standards for teacher education and leadership. The analyses embedded these theories and allowed for their in-depth understanding and exploration. They can serve as springboards for various written and oral assignments, collaborative and individual.

About the Author :
Natalia Collings received her Ph.D. from Michigan State University in 2006. She has been teaching courses in educational psychology and assessment, as well supervising student teachers, at Central Michigan University since 2006 and wrote this book with her graduate students as an associate professor.

Review :
"It is difficult for novice teachers to 'know everything' as they begin student teaching or finally take on their first full-time classrooms. The experiences of others can be great and rewarding as teachers share with teachers. Natalia Collings's book is a reminder that teachers, no matter how inexperienced or experienced, must share their understandings of the profession with others. This book would also be useful in any number of education courses that stress class management, student struggles, engagement, cognitive development, and a host of other situations encountered in nurturing the needs of students." --Lynn F. Laskowsky, high school English and U.S. history teacher of 37 years and university student teacher seminar leader and coordinator of 15 years "Natalia Collings's book offers a rare collection of authentic case studies, each created by different teachers and each portraying vastly different teaching and learning experiences. These rich case studies offer more than brief snapshots of a classroom, as we see in the more common video case examples. Instead, these cases include histories of the learner and the teaching environment for an in-depth look that leaves more room for analysis. Along with the case studies, the book includes brief summaries of learning theories, allowing it be used as a stand-alone text or as a supplement to a more traditional textbook. However it is used, this book will certainly enhance the learning of both pre- and in-service teachers in a variety of education courses." --Shane Cavanaugh, Professor, Department of Teacher Education and Professional Development, Central Michigan University