Kontan Jou

Several days ago, using the Virtual Stock Exchange, I started a stock simulation with my students. I posted the instructions on the class website and emailed all registered users. This included ALL of my students and not just the civics students that are required to participate. I did not anticipate the response. I teach 37 civics students and there is a much larger number playing my stock simulation. They are totally into this game!

My second period is a global studies class and they were to be working on foreign policy research for their final exam paper. I look up and JC is on the stock site. Why? He just wanted to play. He isn’t even in the civics class! His response, yes, but I am ranked higher than you. *grin* At least he is interested! About thirty minutes later I notice that JC is not the only student in my global studies class playing the simulation. Only two of them were actually required to. They were watching stock, researching tips, learning how the market works, looking up the terms they didn’t understand, and helping each other. Their goal….outrank me. It’s nice to have goals.

I have been dreading the econ portion of my civ class for months now, but the students are loving it. We have to do the book work and they race through it, learning what has to be learned so they can move on to the activities. Today we divided into buyers and sellers negotiating the crude oil market. It is so great to have them engaged, enthusiastic, and learning. With two teaching weeks remaining I am wishing I had started this earlier.