The school year is coming to a close, and the work is actually increasing for my senior economics class. Attendence and late work are undergoing special scrutiny, especially given a passing grade is required in this subject for graduation. My cooperating teacher has stressed the importance of a consistent and manageable policy for late work; and after observing this class for a while now, I tend to agree. It was satisfying seeing one particular student raise a grade from a 10 to a 70 in a matter of weeks. After missing the first 2 weeks of school, he had been trying his best to turn in quality work and its now paying dividends. Students that get off to a slow start deserve a chance to catch up if possible, and an efficient policy for helping these students is helpful in accomplishing this end.
I liked the assignment the class worked on today. It was a “simulation” in which students analyzed a situation involving a newly formed monopoly in the computer industry. It was the sort of assignment that had no right answer, but required students to use information presented in previous lectures to make value judgements. Was this corporation a natural monopoly? Could its domination of the industry hurt consumers or actually help? What are possible negative consequences to the economy? The assignment was by far the most challenging I’ve since observing, and it was in the form of interactive group work, which is my favorite.
