Case Based Learning

     What is learning?    Acquiring knowledge and skills.    I understand and agree with people exchanging stories as a basis for learning from each other, and using actual situations as a base for learning,  but how on earth does this take place in public education?  I would love it but cannot find the jumping-off point for accomplishing it.      Learning does take place and is meaningful when it is part of a real situation, when current knowledge does not fill a need and so  needs to be updated.  Learning is communicating with other learners and teachers.  For example, in English, students will be required to write a letter to an editor about something they've read in the paper (why and what we are reading still needs to be established, mind you).   Of course, such a letter needs to communicate an idea, have correct grammar, etc.  thus creating a real-life scenario.Click here to read more »

 I have found stories to be a very effective method of teaching.  Stories allow us to look at things form a new angle and think from different perspectives as we put ourselves in the non-threatening shoes of a character rather that our own. This makes them great for encouraging analysis and eventually personal application.  During the past school year I used stories often as a method of teaching.  I taught the New Testament and its many parables.  It is interesting the different meaning that can be found in a parable among students based on their situation.