Category Archives: Uncategorized

No need for needs? Putting wants and needs into historical context. February 8, 2021 There are no needs in economics, only wants. That’s a pretty bold statement that not only seems to contradict biology but the most fundamental economics lessons on “needs and wants.” No needs? How can that be? Although economics purportedly does notContinue reading “No Need For Needs?”

With Kelly Koch, UGA The C3 Framework states that knowledge of human capital is an essential component of economic reasoning; “Economic reasoning and skillful use of economic tools draw upona strong base of knowledge about human capital, land, investments,money, income and production, taxes, and government expenditures” (p. 35). Covid-19 has revealed a need for criticalContinue reading “Unpacking human capital narratives in social studies and society”

I wrote about jobs in the job creators post and my state of elem. econ post. Here’s what I’m continuing to think about;  I think classroom jobs (community-builders?) done right (or better) could likely foster a sense of belonging, affiliation and purpose. A job could be a way for a student to have a concrete,Continue reading “More on Jobs + entrepreneurship”

This is an ongoing list of link and resources for teachers and teacher educators Advertisements and you gets at critical consumerism, ethical production and supply and demand https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/tolerance-lessons/advertisements-and-you as does sensible consumers https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/tolerance-lessons/sensible-consumers Producing digital information (gets at what it means to be a producer) https://www.tolerance.org/classroom-resources/tolerance-lessons/producing-digital-information When women stopped coding (the power of advertising) https://www.npr.org/sections/money/2014/10/21/357629765/when-women-stopped-codingContinue reading “Recommended Econ Lessons and Resources”

On August 8, 2020, Trump announced a deferral of payroll taxes. The measure was met with a lot of confusion and criticism. Coming amid the lack of Covid-19 relief, it seemed a poor substitute for a check or unemployment benefits. After all, it affected the already-employed, not those who were experiencing job loss. What happensContinue reading “What’s the DEAL with Trump’s payroll tax deferral?”

People ask me who and what they should read to get a handle on economics. Here I provide 3 lists, one of K-12 scholarship, another with some econ texts I recommend and a third with economists and econ groups to know because they continually produce brilliant work. K-12s Race and Economics by M.M. Eboch. VeryContinue reading “Econs to know”

1.) I often hear teachers and teacher educators comment that they do not know economics. Some may contend that the children they teach don’t, either. I say they’re wrong. Everybody knows economics. We live it and we learn it as we live it. Are kids choosing between 2 options for lunch? They’re doing economics. AreContinue reading “Beliefs about teaching economics”

I’m trying to compile theories in social studies. This list is not complete and it is a constant work in progress. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1_Xpmi-5YmKME2FLryuvvIlfFWt8y4xcKSd1a9J_zbGY/edit?usp=sharing

During the Vice-Presidential debate, the candidates each touted their administration’s record of job-creation. You probably hear the term “job creators” a lot, especially from conservative politicians. In the rhetoric, job creators are venerated. They are seen as worthy of tax breaks and protection. This rhetoric was particularly noticeable in the passage of 2017’s Tax CutsContinue reading “Job Creator(s)”

As I watched the Vice-Presidential debates, I noticed the frequent invocation of certain word and phrases such as socialism, job creator, debt and deficit. I thought about the ways these words are intended to provoke us and how economic discourse has been distilled to a few prominent signifiers. It seems like these words and phrasesContinue reading “Election economics: Rethinking economic literacy”