In the Spirit of #ISTE12

The International Society for Technology Education (ISTE) is the premier membership association for educators and education leaders engaged in improving learning and teaching by advancing the effective use of technology in PK–12 and teacher education. The ISTE Conference is in San Diego from June 24-27. I wish I could have attended. Fortunately, there are virtual participation options, or you try to catch a few new tricks on Twitter by following #iste12.

In the spirit of #ISTE12, this post is in honor of my five favorite financial and economic education technology tools. A disclaimer - I love games and simulations, and so do most students. So the majority of my selections fall into this category. Unless otherwise mentioned, these resources are most suitable for high school students.

Financial Soccer

I am obviously a huge soccer fan, and so are some of my students. Financial Soccer challenges players to answer fast-paced, multiple-choice money management questions correctly to advance down the field for a chance to score a goal. The game offers single player and head-to-head game play options and is being translated into ten different languages. The game features three difficulty levels – geared to children, teens and adults. Players learn key concepts about saving, spending, budgeting, and the wise use of credit. Here are the features I like the most about the game:

• Applicability - Anyone of high school age can play, and it is very easy to learn how to play.
• Supporting Resources - For those who are new to financial education, this series of correlating modules can help bring financial education to life for students.

Bite Club

My students started and run TeenDollars - our online organization dedicated to financial literacy. As you can see here, according to their survey the game kids enjoy to play the most is Bite Club. Bite Club was developed by the D2D Fund, who is dedicated to strengthening the financial opportunity and security of low and moderate income consumers by innovating, incubating and stimulating new financial products and policies. Have a look at the game trailer below.

Gen i Revolution

The kids who enjoy this game the most are middle school students. The Gen I Revolution consists of fifteen interactive missions in which students complete a variety of activities to help them learn important personal finance concepts. Within each mission, students are introduced to a character who is facing a particular financial crisis. As a part of the Gen I Revolution, the student learns about the crisis, strategically selects “Operatives”, and then completes activities with the ultimate goal of solving the mission. 

The game is supported by the Council for Economic Education, and as you can see here they have an abundance of correlated and quality lessons that align with the game. Click here to see a demonstration of the game.

FinLitTV

I am the Director of the Innovate Educator Council with FinLitTV, a provider of online access for you to learn, share and grow your financial literacy with friends. You can "FLiCYourFriends" with mobile clips sharing financial advice, or use FLiC's like the one below for 1-2 minute content introductions for your students. We even have this App I helped develop. Click here to learn more about FinLitTV.

The Fed Chairman Game

This game simulates what it is like to be the Chairman of the Federal Reserve. The participant is faced with various economic scenarios, and it is up to the participant to determine how to best apply the tools they are equipped with. The site addresses the three main tools the Fed has at it's disposal, as well as short videos summarizing what the Fed did decade by decade. 

Runners Up: Financial Football, FarmBlitz, Celebrity Calamity, Khan Academy (Economics & Finance), Spendster (NEFE), Know Before You Owe (CFPB), and OCIS (Ohio Department of Education)

Click here for a comprehensive LiveBinder of K-12 Financial Education Resources.