Student as Teacher, Part 1

I had an experience this week that confirmed two things for me...some kids are definitely motivated by the use of technology (and I'd venture to guess it's becoming the majority of kids), and kids love to teach teachers!

In a grade 5 classroom yesterday, I observed a basic math lesson on the meaning of "profit" and how you can earn it. After some students gave a few examples, and the class worked through a couple of questions, one boy raised his hand and told us about a game he plays on the Internet called Frontier. He told us that you have to visit different locations and buy and sell things, and in his words, "It's all about profit." Another boy then raised his hand and told us about a game he plays online called Lemonade World. Again, how to make a profit, this time selling lemonade.

Last night I attempted Lemonade World. After going through the tutorial, I still wasn't sure how to actually play the game. So today I asked Ben if he would show me. He was so happy! At the end of the day he came to my room as planned, and he burst in, literally exclaiming, "This is the day I've been waiting for!" "What day is that?" I asked Ben. "The one where I get to teach the teacher something!" He did an excellent job of showing me the strategies you can use to make a profit and be able to continue maintaining your Lemonade Stand. At one point he said to me, "Now you tell me what you think you need to do to keep going, and I'll tell you if you're right." A teacher in the making!

Lori