Economics will help students become:
Effective Communicators:
| Through creating their own individual portfolios, students will be able to express their ideas, emotions and personal experiences clearly and creatively. Each student will decide how she / he is best able to communicate her / his learning throughout the semester. |
| Students will make extensive use of peer assessment and self evaluation, which will require them to continue to develop their listening and oral communication skills. |
Literate Individuals
| Commenting on current economic articles will give students the opportunity to integrate the economic theory they are learning with actual economic problems. Students will be required to draw on a variety of sources for these articles so they may examine a variety of economic points of view. In addition since real economic issues usually involve socio-political causes and consequences, students will be encouraged to apply what they have learned in other courses to the specific problem they are examining in order to arrive at a comprehensive solution. |
Critical Thinkers and Problem Solvers
| When proposing solutions to economic problems students will be reminded that there cannot ever be one single correct answer. The very nature of economics requires students to recognize that alternative theoretical assumptions will yield very different answers. When answering essay or data response questions, it will be important for students to state the assumptions upon which they are basing their answer and to acknowledge that alternative points of view exist. |
| Students will be encouraged in their portfolios to identify the economic theories that best fit with their own assumptions about human nature and the overall ultimate goals of economic decision making. This process should force students to continue to develop their own economic and political value systems so they can apply these views to actual economic problems. |
| When completing Economic Commentaries students will be expected to critically evaluate the authors economic assumptions. Students will also be expected to evaluate their own work and identify areas for improvement. |
Self-Directed, Productive Learners:
| During the first semester, students will be required to establish a company that will produce, market and sell a product. Students will be required to set personal and company (class) goals for the semester. Students will be encouraged to contribute their own unique talents and interests to the overall success of the company and to investigate whatever economic issues and topics required to make the company a success. |
Constructive Community Members
| When studying Economic Development during the 2nd semester students, will take action to address a specific problem of a Less Developed Nation. Initially students will research the challenges facing these nations and evaluate the public and private attempts to solve these problems. Eventually each student will be asked to take some form of direct action to aid those in need. This may involve building homes with Habitat for Humanity, becoming involved with Philippine Relief or providing assistance to other NGO’s or national governments. Whatever the country or problem chosen however, students would be expected to take some type of direct action, not just read about the problem. |
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