student response - 1/27/2007

This week I was able to get some feedback about student content knowledge by having them create a budget. I gave them a paper-based prototype of the content I would like to present digitally. I did this to identify areas in which I would have to make a concerted effort to instruct and which areas students were comfortable with. They were given an income and expenses to manage; it went pretty well, students did well when I told them exactly how much to deduct from their income with rent and utilities. They got hung-up when it came time to make decisions with their remaining money, i.e. how much they would use for food, gas, etc. The students had no reference to make an estimation. In the on-line version, I will need to scaffold the financial decisions better.

needs analysis - 1/20/2007

This week was spent preparing for and conducting a needs analysis. The needs analysis was created to discover if there existed a need among students at Menchville High School to learn how to make a budget and what kind of money management skills the students had. The entire sample group has not completed the survey at this point. It’s final exam time and I only see the students once during the week.

back in the saddle - 1/12/2007

This first week I spend deciding the direction I would take this next semester. I was reading “The Millionaire Next Door” and decided it would be a good idea to invest some effort into teaching wise budgeting and investment skills.

I am excited to generate more units to increase fiscal awareness among my students. But the next month will first be spent conducting needs and learner analyses.