YouTube Channel

So I was asked to use Doceri to record my lectures and make them available for students who might be absent that day. Since I will be posting them anyway, I decided to make a YouTube channel out of it. Check it out. I only have 2 videos up thus far, but there will be more as the semester progresses.

Investing in a College Education

I like bringing up controversial subjects, both here and in class. It makes things are memorable and students feel like you are being honest with them. This is no different. In the school in which I work 99% of students are accepted and will attend, a four-year college. I know that that is not the norm. For some students it is a decision of making money now, for others, it can be a question of how to pay for college, and still, others might not be aware of what it means to get a college degree. Though I would argue that college is not for everyone, most people do benefit from a college education. I like showing the video above when talking about opportunity cost. I then go to the National Council for Economic Education for some great lessons on a college degree. I like giving students all of the information possible before making a decision. This can lead to some great discussions. In addition, you can explore the questions of:

If a college education is so great, should we use tax money to pay for it?

What kind of degrees is worth it?

When he talks about the billionaires, is the reason those are well-known stories is that they are rare?

What kind of jobs are available for those who do not go to college?

When are vocational skills the right fit?

8 Skills Every High School Student Should Have

I was reading this article from the School Superintendents Association and found in interesting what skills the author thought every 18-year old should have. Here is the list of the eight:

AN 18-YEAR-OLD MUST BE ABLE TO TALK TO STRANGERS.

AN 18-YEAR-OLD MUST BE ABLE TO FIND HIS WAY AROUND. 

 AN 18-YEAR-OLD MUST BE ABLE TO MANAGE ASSIGNMENTS, WORKLOADS AND DEADLINES.
AN 18-YEAR-OLD MUST BE ABLE TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE RUNNING OF A HOUSEHOLD.
AN 18-YEAR-OLD MUST BE ABLE TO HANDLE INTERPERSONAL PROBLEMS.

AN 18-YEAR-OLD MUST BE ABLE TO COPE WITH UPS AND DOWNS. 

AN 18-YEAR-OLD MUST BE ABLE TO EARN AND MANAGE MONEY.

AN 18-YEAR-OLD MUST BE ABLE TO TAKE RISKS.

It got me to thinking, if a class on economics was designed correctly, we can teach all of these skills. 

Economics Review Games

If you are looking for some great economics review games, check out this website. In addition to the review games, there are explanations of concepts and graphs. This is a one-stop-shop to all things economics.  

National CEE Conference

For those who are both new to teaching economics and veteran teachers, I would suggest looking into attending the 56th annual financial literacy and economic education conference put on by the National Council for Economic Education. There are a number of extremely helpful workshops as well a teachers and councils from around the country there to learn from. Click here to attend. If you need help raising funds, they have set up a Crowdfunding page here. If you are able to attend, I would strongly suggest it. You will get almost more resources than you know what to do with.

Teaching Monetary and Fiscal Policy

ECONnections Webinar

Date: Tuesday, Sept. 19, 2017

When: 3-4 p.m. CT | 4–5 p.m. ET

                              or

            4:15-5:15 p.m. CT | 5:15–6:15 p.m. ET

Location: Your Computer

High school social studies teachers, are you looking for some great resources for your economics and government courses to help your students understand fiscal and monetary policy? Join us for this webinar. Economic education experts will point you to a variety of materials to enhance your instruction and better engage your students. The resources from several Federal Reserve banks include print lessons and publications, infographics, videos, audios, online courses, and more!

This webinar is free. Participants will receive a certificate for one hour of professional development upon completion of the webinar. To accommodate those living in different time zones, we are offering the same webinar at two separate times. Please select the appropriate link below to register for the session you plan to attend.

Register for 3-4 p.m. (CT). Register for 4:15-5:15 p.m. (CT).

After registration, you will receive an email with directions on how to connect to the webinar.