Crash Course Economics

Thanks to Norma Duez on the Facebook AP Economics page for alerting me to fact that Crash Course Economics has finally started.  Above is the introduction.  It will be co-hosted by Jacob Clifford who has a great cache of tutorials on economics and Adrienne Hill of NPR's Planet Money who will give the real world applications to the video.  Sounds like a great mashup.

The actual series will begin next Wednesday and can be found here. 

Google Classroom is Growing

Until today Google Classroom has been little more than a souped up way to use Google Drive to organize your students.  But starting today, it has added twenty apps to the suite.  So if you use or are thinking of using Google Classroom above is how you can add the new apps and here is the list. 

This Matter Textbook

Thismatter has a textbook of sorts for microeconomics.  It has a listing of all the subjects you will teach as well great graphics.  Thanks to Chris Gannon for the tip.

H&R Budget Challenge

I start my economics and personal finance class a week from Monday and so I just found this H&R Block Budget Challenge.  I wish I had had it in the spring as I had my AP Economics students do their own budget challenge, but on a spreadsheet.   But this game allows teachers to set up a course and have their students compete against one another by paying bills, investing, setting up retirement accounts, taking quizzes, etc.  Thus your students will be both challenged and at the same time feel as if they are playing a fun game.

As a teacher you set up an account and are given a code so that students do not need to set up their own account.  

Video Library & Quizzes for Economics and Personal Finance

If you teach a basic economics and personal finance class, you might want to check out Virtual Economics which has a number of videos all under five minutes that you could use with your students.  For my online students, if they miss a chat, I assign videos for them to watch to make sure they get the basics (which you can find here).  But this would be a useful alternative. 

FCPS Personalized Learning In-Service

I am giving a hands on presentation at Fairfax County, VA's Advanced Academic Institute at South County HS from 8:30 - 11:30. If you work for FCPS and would like to sign up go into MyPLT and type in summer into the search box and the AAP courses will come up.   Mine is half way down and titled Use of Technology in the Social Studies Classroom (Secondary (this is a link to it).  See you next Tuesday.

The participants will learn

• first about flipping important contextual information, 
• then how to use Google Drive for constant feedback in the classroom 
• and finally how to lead by facilitating and having small group discussions with students (or teachers in this case) rather than whole group presentations.  
• how to start the school year with an actual online way to showcase personalized learning

 We will start by taking a survey at http://bit.ly/fairfaxjune23

• then have the teachers come up with a concept or methodology they are going to use in the 2015-16 school year that they might like to give their teachers about by using the flip design.   For example here is a real example of flipping faculty meetings, personal development or even flip when administrators go over the school rules. (here are some reflections by a principal on flipping meetings). Here and here are some other tips you might consider in flipping a school. 
• next be learning how to create a short flip (defined) using Screencastomatic and what images, slides, short video and information might go into it.  
• discuss that you can always use others' videos such as (history and government).
• contemplate how to make sure students are watching the video in part using a Google Drive form. 
• discuss how flipping a meeting/classroom allows for one on one discussions between the class leader and the pupil.  For the teacher leader we will discuss how to use one on one conversations and formative quizzes to measure learning and give teachers feedback with some examples of classroom time found here.  

As you might expect I will be modeling all of the items above as we go through the lesson starting with a flipped video, questions and individual discussions.  

All of the steps above can be found in much more in depth by reading my book Deeper Learning Through Technology: Using the Cloud to Individualize Instruction.  Ken Halla can be reached at kenhalla@gmail.com for in-services at your school. 

Personalizing Classroom Instruction - W&M Presentation

I am presenting at William and Mary's Leadership Academy for administrators and teacher leaders. The institute is based on John Hattie's beliefs (some of which you can see here).
The goal is for the administrators to learn how they can lead by example with their teachers using Hattie's "mind frames" for developing relationships, getting feedback from the students, evaluating learning, etc.

The participants will learn

• first about flipping important contextual information, 
• then how to use Google Drive for constant feedback in the classroom 
• and finally how to lead by facilitating and having small group discussions with students (or teachers in this case) rather than whole group presentations.  
• how to start the school year with an actual online way to showcase personalized learning

 We will start by taking a survey at bit.ly/wandmflip

• note that teachers follow administrators better by repeated example
• then have the administrators come up with a concept or methodology they are going to use in the 2015-16 school year that they might like to lecture their teachers about by using the flip design.   For example here is a real example of flipping faculty meetings, personal development or even flip when administrators go over the school rules. (here are some reflections by a principal on flipping meetings). Here and here are some other tips you might consider in flipping a school. 
• next be learning how to create a short flip (defined) using Screencastomatic and what images, slides, short video and information might go into it.  You can also get the Snagit extension here (and here is how to use it)
• discuss that you can always use others' videos such as (history and science, math and grammar)
• contemplate how to make sure teachers are watching the video in part using a Google Drive form or even to use Remind (resources) to literally remind them to view the video. 
• discuss how flipping a meeting/classroom allows for one on one discussions between the class leader and the pupil.  For the teacher leader we will discuss how to use one on one conversations and formative quizzes to measure learning and give teachers feedback with some examples of classroom time found here.  
• note an example of the leading role administrators can play such as with principal Greg Green who has promoted flipped learning with followed by a great increase in his school's test scores.   (Here is a PBS show on his school.)

As you might expect I will be modeling all of the items above as we go through the lesson starting with a flipped video, questions and individual discussions.  

All of the steps above can be found in much more in depth by reading my book Deeper Learning Through Technology: Using the Cloud to Individualize Instruction.  Ken Halla can be reached at kenhalla@gmail.com for in-services at your school.