Casebooks
Another form of exchange of information between teacher is the ‘casebook’ method, which involves reading about the experiences of other teachers. This method is gaining popularity as a way of educating teachers beyond theoretical approaches. These casebooks consist of documented experiences of teachers within the classroom and provide concrete examples of the kind of successes and problems that are encountered there. Moreover, the case writers can benefit from the experience by offering an opportunity to evaluate and analyze their own teaching and development. If you are interested in reading further, an example of such a casebook is The Intern Teacher Casebook, by J.H. Shulman and A. Colbert, eds. (Shulman 28-31).

Of course there are always the more traditional methods of professional development to choose from, and Chicago is a wealth of resource center, symposia, and workshop opportunities. The following calendar lists upcoming events, and the list below highlights particularly useful resources for continuing education:

• The Teacher Resource Center at The Art Institute of Chicago: This resource center is chock-full of resources and information about how to integrate art into education. There arealso programs offered regularly. The Oriental Institute Museum at the University of Chicago also offers a Teacher Resource Center and regular programs for teachers.

• Ascend Training: Keeping up with technology can almost be a full time job by itself. Ascend offers regular training programs to help you remain up-to-date on computer programs and application, which can hopefully help you do your job more efficiently.

• The Chicago Public Schools www.cps.k12.il.us and Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development www.ascd.org Web sites can provide information on upcoming events and resources. Events are listed on the calendar below as well.