Colleen Shanahan and Katy Van Zandt use Budget Challenge in an online semester course to teach students in larger class sizes than typically found in high school. Their classes typically feature 80+ students. They have been long-time users of our program and have found success in an online course. Here's what they have shared with us about their experience.
How would you describe your school?
Montgomery High School serves roughly 1,600+ students in grades 9-12 with a highly diverse student body. The school, part of the Montgomery Township School District, is known for strong academics, with a 71% AP participation rate and 97% graduation rate.
What class/grade do you use the program in, and approximately how many students do you teach?
All Montgomery students take this course as a graduation requirement. The program is primarily used with 10th-grade students. However, since it is a graduation requirement in NJ, some students who transfer in have to take it either in their Junior or Senior Year.
How did you start working together on Budget Challenge, and how do you coordinate your approach?
The summer before we launched our program, we met with a Budget Challenge Team member to review the program. We each registered to sample the program via the “Teacher Play” feature, which was very helpful. Because we have each participated in the Budget Challenge simulation, we can help our students navigate the program more easily.
Budget Challenge also offers an e-textbook with chapters that highlight various personal finance topics with accompanying quizzes. Because we have to meet the needs of all of our students, we decided to create our own quizzes that pair with the textbook. This allowed us to individualize the experience for our students.
What advantages does having a teaching partner provide when implementing Budget Challenge?
Because our Financial Literacy program is fully online, we each have our own classes of roughly 100 students per semester. We actually create separate classes that run simultaneously.
With class sizes larger than typical, what strategies have you developed to keep all students engaged?
Our students are naturally competitive, so with the help of the leaderboard feature, our students are very engaged. Moreover, we also utilize the engagement score as an assessment tool. We chose to use the engagement score rather than the performance score because we want to give our students the space to make mistakes without being penalized. The engagement score measures our students' willingness to participate, regardless of any mistakes they may make.
With so many students, how have they generally responded to Budget Challenge?
Our students have learned how to manage their money through the simulation. Many students said they felt better prepared to navigate finances after the simulation ended. Students realize the importance of paying bills on time, saving money, and investing in a 401(k). Many students have stated that they like the program because it allows them to make mistakes without real money being on the line.
What tips would you give to other teaching teams considering Budget Challenge?
We would definitely recommend that teachers sign up for a free Teacher Play account. This is crucial for understanding what is expected of your students.
What has been your favorite part of Budget Challenge as teachers?
We have enjoyed discussions with our students and reading their reflections on how Budget Challenge has helped them feel better prepared to manage their money in adulthood.
Do you have a Budget Challenge story that is especially memorable?
We believe that the most memorable part of the Budget Challenge is how it mirrors real life. We, along with other co-workers, have taken the Budget Challenge and are impressed with how it mirrors real life. We believe that this is a phenomenal tool to help students navigate all aspects of adulthood and their finances.
What part of the simulation do your students find most challenging?
We think many of the students find that logging in regularly can be problematic. Since this is a completely online class for our students, many seem to forget. We have offered simple solutions, such as setting up a reminder or an alarm for students. Many have stated this is helpful and can be used to remind them to pay real bills in the future as well.