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Many high school students don't have enough opportunities to learn about
economics. This cohort is working to create online resources that will
be used by high school students to learn about economics.
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"I sense that there is definitely a fear of economics out there just because people don't know what it is," said Shala London, technology coordinator for the Online Economics Lessons for High School Teachers cohort. "If they know what it is and know that the terms are basic logical concepts…that will create more interest."
That familiarity with economics is just what the Online Economics Lessons cohort is hoping to create. Most high schools don't require economics for graduation. When it is required, kids usually don't take it until senior year. Since state assessments, which include economics principles, are administered during junior year, this poses a problem. "There's so much to fit in that economics has [been] put on the sidelines," Shala said. "We believe that economics training needs to start early and it can start as early as kindergarten."
In response to this issue, the cohort has been working to increase students' exposure to economics while they're in high school by providing instructors with economics lessons via the web that incorporate the national and local standards. The cohort made it easy for instructors to integrate the lessons because they aren't only for teachers with economics backgrounds; there are lessons available for a variety of disciplines from elementary through high school classes. "I'm very interested in technology and educational technology," Shala said. "That's why this project interested me."
The lessons are available with the click of a mouse. While the website, called the Econed Library, was originally going to be just a database of lessons, it has expanded to become much more. Teachers can choose to search for lessons by grade level or by subject areas that include math, business, reading and language arts, social studies, and science. Or, they can choose to search for lessons based on different economics concepts; lessons are available for everything from supply and demand to communism. Finally, they can also search for different types of resources, such as books, videos, or other websites. "It became more dynamic as we talked about it," Shala said. "The way we get economics training out there is to integrate it with all these other subjects. This way someone even who teaches math can teach economics."
While the website is still under construction, the cohort hopes it will catch on once teachers are informed. The cohort will begin by informing teachers who have taken courses offered in the Center for Economic Education at KU. If those teachers utilize the Econed Library and find it beneficial, then the cohort may model it nationally through the National Council of Economics Educators. However, the ultimate goal is not just to aid teachers, but also students. "They'll be better decision makers and better consumers and more informed voters if they learn a little bit more about economics," Shala said. "It's useful in everyday life."
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