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I am grateful to learn about problem-based and case-based learning in this class. In the class I will teach in the spring, I previously planned to have students hear stories written by disabled writers. Although I may still incorporate some stories, this week’s readings made me realize the value of using case studies to help students think critically about including students with disabilities. I love how case-based learning has the potential to reflect what students will experience when they become teachers. I also like that they will learn to practice and think about their inclusive teaching practices before diving into full-time teaching. I want students to build a foundation of their inclusive pedagogical beliefs in the class I will teach.
The class I will teach is about educating students with disabilities in K-12 education. Special education classes for future teachers focus on the characteristics of disabilities and how to include students with disabilities in the general education curriculum. However, Special Education classes do not always focus on how to reduce educational, social, and societal based ableism. My hope would be to incorporate case studies that will expose ableist beliefs, thoughts, and behaviors, so that future teachers can recognize ableism and learn how to reduce ableism. I want the students in my class to leave with an understanding of the complexity of addressing ableism in general education classes.
After finishing this week’s readings, I ordered a book of case studies for the online course I will teach in the spring. As the readings indicated, giving students case studies will motivate them to think critically about difficulty situations. I still need to think about how I will facilitate learning for students when using case-based studies since my class will be online. I may use the discussion feature to have students collaborate and share their thoughts about case studies. I could also post responses to the discussions as a way to facilitate learning. I am excited to included case-based learning in my class.
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