Change and Continuity of Economic Systems and Processes: Economics for Prospective Teachers

1. Change and Continuity of Economic Systems and Processes: Economics for Prospective Teachers

2. Dr. Tammie Fischer Director, Center for Economic EducationUniv. of Nebraska-LincolnDr. Toby Boss Director of Professional Development, Nebraska Educational Service Unit #6Jennifer Davidson, M.Ed Director, Programs and Community Development, Nebraska Council on Economic Education

3. Wiki link: http://unlecon.wikispaces.com/

4. Morning Session 8:00 - 8:45 Registration 8:45 - 9:00 Introductions and Overview 9:00 - 10:15 The Show Break 10:30-11:45 Online Resources Lunch Afternoon Session 1:00-2:15 Engagement Strategies Break 2:30-3:45 Integrating Economic Concepts 3:45- 4:00 Closure Tentative Agenda

5. Essential Questions for the Day • What are Big Ideas and Essential Questions? • What knowledge and pedagogy do we want teacher candidates to possess? • How can we model the pedagogy in our classroom?

6. Big Ideas • Big Picture – How can a better understanding of econ help us understand the economic world of the past, present and future?

7. Literature Framework Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by design. Alexandria, VA. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. Wiggins, G., & McTighe, J. (2007). Schooling by design. Alexandria, VA. Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

8. Big Ideas • An important inference, drawn from the experience of experts, stated as a specific and useful generalization. • Refers to transferable, big ideas having enduring understanding beyond a specific topic. • Involves abstract counterintuitive and easily misunderstood ideas.

9. Big Ideas • Is best acquired by “uncovering” (i.e., it must be developed inductively, co-constructed by learners) and “doing” the subject (i.e., using the ideas in realistic settings and with real-world problems). • Summarizes important strategic principles in skill areas.

10. The facts A body of coherent facts Verifiable claims Right or wrong I know something to be true I respond on cue with what I know The meaning of the facts The “theory” that provides coherence Fallible, in-process theories A matter of degree I understand why it is true I judge when to use what I know Knowledge vs Understanding

11. Transfer • Apply learning to new situations not only in school, but also beyond it. • The point of school is to learn in school how to make sense of learnings in order to lead better lives out of school. • Learn now to apply lessons to later challenges.

12. Big Ideas in Econ • People choose. • People’s choices have costs. • People respond to incentives in predictable ways. • People create economic systems that influence individual choices and incentives. • People gain when they trade voluntarily. • People’s choices have consequences that lie in the future.

13. Processing • What are some big ideas that are included in your curriculum?

14. Essential Questions • What essential questions will foster inquiry, understanding, and transfer of learning?

15. Essential Questions • Provocative and arguable question designed to guide inquiry into the big ideas. • By actively exploring the essential questions, students develop and deepen their understanding.

16. Processing • What are some essential questions that could apply to your curriculum?

17. Essential Question #2:What knowledge and pedagogy do we want teacher candidates to possess?How do we best prepare future teachers? • Active and Engaging • Modeling • Resources: print and online

18. Economics Knowledge Effective Economic Education Place In Curriculum Teacher Resources

19. Teaching Methods Economic Knowledge

20. Macro & Microeconomics for Prospective Teachers • 16 week, Semester Courses • Meeting Twice Per Week • 2 Days of Student Holidays, Per Course • Generally taken during their sophomore or junior year

21. Course Components Portfolio Approach: • Lesson Plan Projects • One, Three, and Five Days • Journals • Articles and Assigned • Reflection Letter • Exams • 4, noncomprehensive Text • McConnell/Brue Economics, 19th edition

22. Course Philosophy • Interactive and engaging • Learn by doing, no “busy work” • Various teaching methods and strategies • Model course design, teaching with objectives tied to assessment • Professional networking opportunities, experiences

23. Student Feedback… “In a regular economics class you would not be given the opportunity to make lesson plans or improve on your teaching skills. That is a very big benefit of taking the education major’s section.” “I was very intimidated going into the semester, but then I became very comfortable with the subject, and it just didn’t seem hard anymore.”

24. “I never would have imagined applying these concepts to many different classes. I am excited to actually be able to use these ideas in my future classroom.” “The lesson plans have amazed me on how beneficial they have been to helping me learn the concepts.” “Economics is much easier to learn when there is a real practical purpose such as teaching applied to it.”

25. Macroeconomics At A Glance

26. Microeconomics At A Glance

27. Appendices • Student Syllabus – Macro • Student Syllabus – Micro • Cognitive Levels • Basic Economics K-12 Concepts • Voluntary National Economics Standards • Lesson Plan Format • Economics Curriculum Project Evaluation

28. Website http://www.councilforeconed.org/syllabus/

29. Break Time!!

30. Econ Ed Link http://www.econedlink.org/ Econ Ed Reviews http://www.econedreviews.org/ Online Calculators CPI Calculator http://data.bls.gov/cgi-bin/cpicalc.pl Money Chimp http://www.moneychimp.com/ U.S. Debt Clock http://www.usdebtclock.org/ Federal Reserve Education http://www.federalreserveeducation.org/ Keynes vs. Hayak rap http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d0nERTFo-Sk Virtual Economics - tutorial Online Resources

31. Virtual Economics 4.0

32. Virtual Economics Version 4.0 is available as a CD-ROM VE 4.0 is also available as a 1 GB USB Flash Drive

33. Virtual Economics 4.0 51 key economics concepts illustrated with an overview, a multimedia demonstration, teaching tips and featured lessons

34. Virtual Economics 4.0 1,400 CEE lessons searchable by economic concept, grade level, key word, national economics standard, your state economics standard and publication

35. Concepts

36. Lunch Time!!

37. Essential Question #3: How can we model the pedagogy in the classroom?

38. Engagement Strategies for Economics • Opportunity Cost Apron • The Bag Game • Property Rights Activity

39. Bag game slide here

40. Take a Break!

41. Integrating Economic Concepts in Preservice Preparation

42. Big Ideas in Econ People choose. People’s choices have costs. People respond to incentives in predictable ways. People create economic systems that influence individual choices and incentives. People gain when they trade voluntarily. People’s choices have consequences that lie in the future.

43. Other Examples In a free market, price is a function of supply and demand. Relative scarcity may lead to trade and economic interdependence or to conflict. Governments make rules to influence the economy. Firms make decisions based on profit maximization. Freely competitive markets are efficient. The topography, climate, and natural resources of a region influence the culture, economy, and lifestyle of its inhabitants. There is rarely a single obvious cause to a complex event.

44. What does “Essential” Mean in Econ? • Important questions that recur throughout life: • “what is fairness?” • Core ideas and inquiries within a discipline: • “what causes recession?” • Helps students make sense of complicated ideas: • “how do we manage the economy?” • Engages the students through relevance and meaning: • “how am I a consumer?”

45. Econ Examples What motivates human behavior? What determines value? Why do people trade? Why do people migrate? Why do economies grow? How does where we live influence how we live?

46. Understanding Econ in U.S. History Why did the colonists fight when they were safe prosperous and free? How did cotton become king? Was free land a good deal? Were the Robber Barons really robbers? Could the U.S. economy have grown without the railroad? Who should make the food safe? Did the New Deal help or harm the recovery?

47. Processing What are some essential questions that could apply to your curriculum? What strategies can you use to teach econ vocabulary?

48. The Flipped Classroom Article: The Flipped Classroom Video: The Flipped Classroom The Flipped Classroom is Born

49. Charge!! 3 – 2 – 1 List 3things you found interesting. List 2things you want to learn more about. What 1thing will you try in your classroom?