Learning and Teaching support
This section contains links to web sites, online resources and tools that provide learning and teaching support for teachers.
Digital learning in Economics
Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS): CensusAtSchool (http://www.abs.gov.au/websitedbs/cashome.nsf/Home/Teacher+Resources) - CensusAtSchool is a student-centered online data collection and analysis project run by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. Thousands of Australian students have completed the 2008 CensusAtSchool questionnaire, forming a rich database of real raw data about Australian school students available free from the ABS website. This link takes you to the CensusAtSchool data page, where you can use the random sampler to extract real raw data on student lifestyle and attitudes and investigate spatial differences. Alternatively, use the range of prepared samples and information tables sourced from the CensusAtSchool database. Ready to use classroom activities based on raw, real data collected from students are also available on this site.
Connect - includes unique environments for teachers, primary and secondary students. Users can search for websites, images, video and audio with all resources tagged according to audience. Topic lists of websites are clustered under the VELS.
Cybergeography (http://www.cybergeography.org) - contains atlas of maps and geographic reprehensions of the geography of the new electronic territories of the internet, world-wide and other cyberspaces.
Digilearn (http://www.education.vic.gov.au/digilearn) - the new way teachers can access and download The Learning Federation’s learning objects and digital resources. Teachers are now able to search online by keyword or browse by domain to discover hundreds of different digital learning resources.
Global Classroom project - provides links to global projects such as Victorian global projects, the Mad Hatter Challenge; a way to connect to schools around the world; a place where students can map out their favourite Victorian location; an online discussion about books; and the Travel Buddy and Bulldog Buddy activities. Search this site for Economics-related projects.
Economics related websites
A Studies of Asia program embeds the study of history, geography, literature, popular culture and traditional arts of the countries of Asia within the domains of Humanities, English and The Arts. Such learnings are imperative to prepare students to live, learn and work in the 21st century.
Australian Business Week (http://www.abw.org.au) - an innovative Enterprise Education program for primary, secondary and tertiary students where students learn about business by running their own company in the manufacturing, IT, hospitality or retail industry.
Consumer and Financial Literacy Professional Learning Program (http://www.financialliteracy.edu.au/resources/resources.html) - provides resources and units of work for teachers of economics on financial literacy. Topics include:
- Lower primary – Understanding Money (including needs and wants, the nature and functions of money, income and expenditure, goods and services, and savings)
- Upper primary – Consumer Education (including consumer behaviour and protection, scams, ethical and sustainable consumption, e-commerce, financial institutions and advertising)
- Lower secondary – Personal Finance (including budgeting, expenditure, loans and interest rates, investing, debt management, protecting yourself and your assets)
- Upper secondary – Money Management (including financial planning, enterprise initiatives to generate wealth, wealth building, assets and liabilities, protecting your money, insurance, taxation, superannuation, credit and obtaining financial advice).
Financial Literacy (http://www.commbank.com.au/foundation) - Financial literacy is an essential life skill. By supporting education programs, the Commonwealth Bank Foundation seeks to empower young Australians to approach their future with confidence and help stand them in good stead for their future. The Foundation has a range of programs available to schools in 2008, including: StartSmart Forums and Workshops, Australian Financial Literacy Assessments, and Financial Literacy Grants.
Real Game series (http://www.curriculumpress.edu.au/feature/the-real-game-series.php) - a career and life skills education program. The implementation of The Real Game series in Australia is a Commonwealth Government initiative, managed from May 2009 by the Curriculum Corporation. Five programmes are available:
- The Play Real Game for students aged 8 to 10
- The Make It Real Game for students aged 10 to 1ame for students aged 12 to 14
- The Be Real Game for students aged 14 to 16
- The Get Real Game for students aged 16 to 18
r.u.MAD? (Are you Making A Difference)? (http://www.rumad.org.au) - an initiative of the Education Foundation, helping kids change their world. The web site contains resources to help students identify problems and challenges in the school, local or global community and tools for students and teachers to ‘make a difference’ in realistic and achievable ways.
Virtual Enterprise Australia (http://virtualenterprise.com.au) - provides a simulated business environment used for training purposes where students manage and operate a company as part of their learning program. Each simulated business or ‘Virtual Enterprise’ (VE) follow real-world business practices and trades within a virtual economy. In the VE, the learning is managed by students with support and guidance from the teacher/trainer. So, the CEO or manager of the VE is not the teacher - that role belongs to one or more of the participants.
Young Achievement Australia (http://www.yaa.org.au/page/victoria) - provides business enterprise programs for students. The web site details their national awards program, student events, and contains state-specific news sections.