Kentucky Academy of Technology Education

Clicking In The Classroom

Instructional Illuminations

Classroom management, immediate feedback, interactive technology, instant assessment and scoring; these are buzz words in the education world today. How do we accomplish these in the classroom? Personal response systems seem to be the answer for many university and K-12 institutions.

Referred to as "clickers" the personal response system allows teachers and students to interact in a variety of interesting and inventive ways. Teachers have immediate feedback of what students have learned and what needs to be reviewed. Students learn in an interactive and meaningful environment. It seems like a win-win situation for both students and their instructors. Clicker systems come in a variety of shapes and formats but operate with the idea of giving students quizzes and reviews interactively with real time results. Check out this article for more information on available models and comparisons.

Lets' Be Thankful

Core Connections

On November 26, 1941, President Roosevelt signed a bill establishing the fourth Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day. We all love to partake in a bountiful meal and spending time with family members, but do we really know why we celebrate this tradition?

November is month for students to make colorful cut out turkeys and dress up like pilgrims. It is the favorite time of the year for many people because of the beautiful colors and cooling temperatures. Share in this festive season with your students and inspire them with the true history of this event. According to the website Thanks-giving Square , "The First American Thanksgiving Began Long Before 1776". Use this site along with many others to add new ideas to your November unit on Thanksgiving.

Managing Your Money: Budgeting

Core Connections

Budgeting techniques need not be saved for the secondary level Business classroom. As early as 4th grade, students can begin to understand that financial literacy is an important part of a successful life.

Creating a personal budget is a task that most people (young people and adults alike) dread. However, financial planning, including creating a personal budget, is necessary to obtain financial security. The best way to start is to record your income and expenditures to determine where your money is coming from and where it is going. The easiest way to accomplish this task is to complete a "Record of Income and Expenditures" worksheet. The worksheet helps keep track of income and expenses for a specified span of time. View a sample "Record of Income and Expenditures" worksheet.

Preparing a budget can be done in a series of steps:

1. Estimate income (include wages, salary, tips, gifts, interest, dividends, allowance, etc.).

2. Decide how much of your income you want to save.

3. Estimate your expenses.

   • Fixed expenses: rent, utilities, insurance, car payment
   • Variable expenses: food, clothing, transportation, entertainment, gifts, donations)

4. Balance your budget. Your expenses and savings must not exceed your income.

The key to maintaining a budget is getting in the habit of keeping daily records; organization, consistency, and setting aside time to evaluate your budget on a regular basis. So, get started today and Happy Budgeting!!!

Budgeting templates:

Template 1

Template 2

Template 3