Celebrating You, Our Teachers

Hello! My name is Marta Watson, and I work at Bishop Kelly High School, in Idaho. 
I currently teach Business and Economics!

Can you share a positive experience using PersonalFinanceLab?

“Oh, my goodness, I can share 100 [examples]. The kids literally walk in with their laptops open talking to each other about their portfolios and their strategies. You can tell by how many trades they’re making that they are hooked on both the market and budget games, and that they’re not just trying to win.” Watson said. 

In my school only game, I’ve got students with over two hundred trades, which is remarkable. But I think the excitement [is the best part], and the conversations I hear like, “Well, why would you be investing in that?” “Where did you find that?”  “Well, I found it on this website or I read it on Bloomberg, or I saw it here…” 

It’s really interesting listening to them talk about it, because they’re using some very high level analytical and synthesizing skills. Which, as teachers, is exactly what we want them to do. They are asking themselves how can I step in and out of the market at the right time? All of that requires attention to current events and market trends.”

What is your favorite feature of PersonalFinanceLab?

“I like how interactive it is. I also like how I can actually monitor what the kids are doing. And if I give them an assignment from the website, I require both 100% Completion and 100% accuracy on their assignments.” Watson said.

“It’s really more challenging for the kids to know that they finished it perfectly.”

Do you recommend PersonalFinanceLab to other teachers? If so, why?

“Having a tool that is outside of the classroom, but is connected to the classroom curriculum and goals is powerful. It really affords students an opportunity to learn the material, and they can drive the direction they want to go, because I don’t tell them what to invest in.” Watson said.

“I teach them how to research. I teach them things to go look at, but I don’t tell them what to do. And then bit by bit, they start talking to their parents or their grandparents asking for other strategies. Each semester I probably have at least a half dozen students  open up their own accounts at brokerage firms as they turn 18 to begin investing on their own. That is powerful. The students are realizing that this isn’t just a game, but actually a learning platform that helps them understand how they can augment their life earnings and control their own destiny.”

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