A Guest Post by Paige Rosner, Glitter Enthusiast and Gallery Educator at the Southern Alberta Art Gallery in Lethbridge, AB
Why would anyone want to present a case study? For that matter, why would we even invite you to do one in the first place? Well there are a few reasons that I can think of. Obviously it provides you with a discounted rate to attend an amazing conference, shines a light on your work and your institution, and builds your professional cred—but there are other aspects to presenting a case study that perhaps you have not really thought about.
Creating a case study gives you a chance to really dissect and understand the successful (or perhaps not so successful) aspects of your organization and, more importantly, your contribution. It forces you to look at your work critically and to not only recognize where you stand on contemporary issues in the field, but also how your work has created an impact. Furthermore, it forces you to discover what is really at the heart of your success. So often we focus on simply doing our job, and in doing so, we neglect to really analyze what we are creating for our communities and organizations. Reflection can also lead us to realize that we do, in fact, have unique insight on issues or innovations within our industry.
You are a professional and as such it is your right and duty to help shape the conversation of your field. It is generally accepted that with experience comes greater insight and knowledge, however veteran-level experience is not a prerequisite for sharing your particular experiences or opinions. If for no other reason, it is important to represent the particular circumstances and new perspectives of educators who have recently entered into the field. So don’t be shy about sharing your story. Similarly, educators who have ‘been around the block’ are a huge resource for other educators. You have seen it all and have managed to come out on the other side. You can do the ‘basics’ with your eyes closed and can take on more complicated and nuanced obstacles as a result. We want to hear about these projects and to feed off the inspiration of your discovery.
Knowledge is meant to be shared. If you have uncovered a glint of hope, an exciting innovation or just a program that rocks then share it with our community of educators. You can even brag if you want to. I know I would. What part of your work brings you the most pride? What have you come across that makes you ask questions? What intrigues you to the point of passion? What needs to change? Case studies give you the voice to declare your experiences and to make an impact within a field that is continually begging for innovation.
We are interested. We want to know what you are doing, what you’ve been thinking, what obstacles that you are facing and what inspires you. We are always seeking out new inspiration to reinvigorate ourselves in a profession that can be emotionally exhausting. Our audience is eager to hear about what goes on at other institutions and to discover the innovations, issues and solutions that are occurring across the country. What is your story? We want to hear it.
