The job description of Information Technology Resource Teachers (ITRT) is hotly debated. This case is a discussion starter for that topic.
Teachers Network Leadership Institute commissioned this Case written by the Education Study Group with support from TNLI National Case Advisor Dr. Katherine K. Merseth, Director, Teacher Education Program, Harvard University.
This work is funded by a grant from MetLife Foundation.
What is a Case?
Cases, written by teachers, are dramatizations of real life scenarios about the lives of students, teachers, families, and administrators. Most often, the scenarios revolve around how polices made elsewhere play out in schools.
Cases and the case method of instruction have a long history in professional education and preparation. They are usually intended to provide educators – from teachers to superintendents – a test opportunity to view the results of applying policy into their practice. TNLI uses them with policy-makers and educators to help them see how policies play out when implemented in local contexts.
What is the Purpose of a Case?
Well-developed cases encourage discussion and debate. They engage readers in powerful and sometimes emotional exchanges because they evoke personal beliefs and values. Often, amongst stakeholders, these values and beliefs may be in conflict.
The theory of action behind case use is that by having open and honest exchanges, in which multiple perspectives are aired, we can promote critical analysis and more extensive understanding of the issues. While the case may lead participants to clarify their own thinking around the issues, the intention is not to develop one ‘right answer’ or a particular viewpoint. Instead, its role is to stimulate thoughtful dialog, careful listening, and collaborative problem solving.
The goal is to help policymakers understand how policy plays out in real classrooms and in real schools, and to experience, through the case, the consequences (intended or unintended) that result from national, state, and local education policies.
