Mike Vigilant » Economics

“Recession” Sneakers

admin — Mon, 06 Apr 2009 03:55:39 +0000

Expensive, name-brand basketball shoes have been a teenage trend for many years–a rite of passage for many a high school athlete. Anyone who has been around teens has undoubtedly heard of the Air Jordan line of Nike basketball shoes, a brand that has been around for almost 25 years and currently sells for an average of $150 per pair.

But this far-reaching economic slowdown has not left even adolescent pride untouched. A rapper named Fat Joe has recently announced plans for a $30 shoe called The Recession, and snubbing traditional outlets, the shoes will only be sold at Sears and Kmart. While reaction from shoe aficionados has been mixed, all are surprised, and some are accepting. Some who are not accepting of this break from tradition still understand the motive behind Fat Joe’s method.

I’d be interested to know what students have to say about this. Would they be more likely to buy shoes designed by a famous person? Could the stigma of buying your shoes at a discount retailer be overcome? I’ll be curious to see what the further reaction to this is, and whether or not “Recession” shoes are successful.

Certification Goals for 2009

admin — Sun, 18 Jan 2009 05:42:48 +0000

As the new year begins, I have decided to gain some additional certifications, in order to increase my skills and marketability as a social studies teacher.

I already have:
Economics
Geography
Special Education Social Studies
Special Education Consultative

I would like to obtain:
Political Science
Middle Grades Social Studies
History

I have already made plans to take most of these certification GACE exams, and I look forward to continuing my record of 100% pass rate on these tests. I have also begun the spring job hunt in earnest and am looking forward to getting out there and meeting administrators soon. Look for new additions to this site as I continue to build my online resume; I also hope to be posting some economics-related book reviews soon!

Economics: More Important Than Ever

admin — Thu, 16 Oct 2008 03:00:44 +0000

It is difficult to turn on your television or your computer these days without reading about America’s economy. Today the Dow Jones Industrial Average saw its biggest percentage drop in over two decades. That alone would be a huge news story, if it had not come two days after the Dow’s biggest point gain ever and just a week after the biggest point loss ever. Lest one think the credit crisis is limited to those in Wall Street and those invested in it, the effects have trickled down to our street, where lending to consumers has mostly dried up, and many banks have either merged or gone out of business. My own bank sold itself just hours before it was to be seized by the FDIC after essentially running out of money and was unable to obtain loans for more. We taxpayers just agreed to spend $700 billion–a fourth of our national budget–in an attempt to rescue the banking and lending industries.

Times like these are why I believe a strong background in economics is so important for every American citizen. This is why I love teaching economics. Helping students understand what events like this mean–for themselves, their families, their communities, their country, and their planet–is what motivates me as an economics teacher. If part of education is preparing students to live in the world outside school and be effective citizens, economic education is an important part of that preparation. Today’s events prove just that.

I love connecting economics theories and ideas with current events, to let me students know how the information they are learning in my classroom pertains to life outside its walls. When economics makes the news, as it sometimes does, students often ask about the meanings of all these stores, and rather than just tell them, I like to think I give them the tools to figure it out on their own. Economics isn’t in the headlines often, so I will take advantage of it when it is.