Introduction
Purpose of This Webquest
Students will take a closed look into current economic market, in terms of living and works. Then students will connect the economic market with their daily live and create a educational badgeting plan in order to raise expectation, as well as predict their future.
Introduction
Graduation is coming very soon. A lot of you are concerning about the unknown of future, while some of you have already had a sketched plan in your minds. Your plans could be going to postsecondary education, working, marriage, or something else. Regardless of what your plan is, money has always in the middle of the game. You need to pay for your tuition, rent, or mortgage. It is very difficult to balance the income and expense. How to use the money wisely? It all comes to budgeting.
Task
Storyline:
You have recently gotten a job interview, and you really wanted to get this job offer. Fortunately, the interviewer liked you a lot and would like to give you this offer. However, he has this last question for you -- "What is your expected salary?" You wasn't prepared for this question, and the interviewer generously gave you a week before you could give him a reply. Meanwhile, as you were now going to get a job, you wanted to move out and live by yourself. Therefore, you now needed to support yourself financially. You needed enough money for living, but at the same time, your expected salary should not exceed what the company could offer, which scared them away and turned you down. The deadline was approaching, you had to have the answer for the interview.
Task:
Before giving them a reply, you decided to make a budgeting plan. This budgeting plan was divided into three parts: Career and Educational Choice, Educational and Living Expense, and Affordability.
Students will organize and list all of their educational and living expense in detail. Students will collect accruate and realistic information and data by using online resources. At the end, students will analyze their salary along with educational and living expense, in order to determine how they would use the money wisely. Meanwhile, they will able to analyze and decide the preferrable educational pathway in pursuing their higher education.
Process
Process:
Part I: Career and Educational Choice
1. Identify and provide a brief description about one career you wanted to explore, in terms of the responsbilities, required skills, working environment, and annual salary.
2. Identify the educational pathways in order to pursue your career. The educational pathways would include the required educational levels and certifications, along with necessary trainings, experience, and examinations.
3. Choose one educational pathway, if there was more than pathways, that you would like to pursue, Then incorporate it with colleges that you preferred. Consider at lease one SUNY, one CUNY, and one Private College when making your decision. Recognize all the requirements for enrollment.
Part II: Educational and Living Expense
4. Analyze all the educational expense in pursuing your career for each educational process. For examples, school tuition, living expense, transportation, books, personal expense, and etc.
5. You are looking for a new place to move in. Find a house/apartment you wanted to buy or rent. Consider the size of the apartment, location, included utilities, and maintenance. Then estimate all of your living expense for 1 year when you started moving out, which include expense for moving, rent, utilities, living, and etc.
*Tips: You could estimate your monthly living expense and multiplied it with 12 months.
6. Create a meal plan for 1 month, and list all the necessary expense with supermarkets advertising papers.
Part III: Affordability
7. Analyze and compare your educational and living expense with your preferred annual salary. Determine whether your annual salary would cover all of your educational and living expense, and how would you use those money. If your educational and living expense was not fully covered, what would be your plan for pursuing your career? This analysis should include 1-2 pages.
Online Resources:
http://www.cuny.edu/index.html
Evaluation
Rubric
|
Criteria |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
|
Information |
Incomplete information; no supporting details; irrelevant ideas included |
1-2 details provided per sections; some information provided is not closely related to topic |
2-3 details per sections; information clearly relates to topic; diagrams (if present) relate to topic and add to clarity |
3-4 unique details provided per sections; information presented shows a thorough understanding of topic; content is complete; all information clearly relates to topic |
|
Organization |
Information is presented out of sequence; gaps in information confuse viewer or reader and lead to a false understanding of topic |
2-3 gaps or out of sequence information cause viewer or reader to re-read numerous times for clarity |
Information generally organized; the content flows nicely; the viewer or reader has no difficulty following the information despite a minor error or two |
Clear organizational method chosen suits project (point form, jot notes); content flows in a clear pattern; viewer or reader is able to concentrateon the information |
|
Presentation |
Illegible writing shows no evidence of having been proof read for errors; major and minor errors in grammar and spelling; information is scotchtaped or otherwise attached without attention to pleasing effect; care of project not evident (edges rolled, etc.) |
Writing is generally legible but not aesthetically pleasing; many minor grammar or spelling errors; messy; inconsistent care in attaching materials or drawing or writing; care of the project is inconsistent |
Writing is clearly legible and does not interfere with understanding; 3 or fewer minor grammar or spelling errors; mostly aesthetically pleasing, some messy parts; evident care of project |
Writing is aesthetically pleasing and clearly legible or has been typed; an occasional grammar or spelling error may result from risk-taking; materials are organized and glued down, presenting a polished, pleasing result |
|
Creativity |
Images or layout copied from others or standard or so sketchy that intent can’t be determined |
Images or layout reproduce common patterns, and give viewer/reader what he/she is accustomed to |
Images or layouts use a common pattern with adaptations, which get intended audience interested |
Images or layout show original ideas and novel twists on established ideas; audience is surprised, interested and pleased |
Conclusion
Conclusion:
What is your reflection after reviewing your budgeting plan? How many details or items that you have almost ignored in your daily life which required the use of money? You would never notice how much money you have spent everyday until you wrote it down on paper.
Budgeting was always being ignored by people, as they thought they know how to do buget in their minds. However, it would be too late when you could not pay back all of your debt, especially when you used your credit cards. Study shows that the average US household credit card debt stands at $15,611. Therefore, we need to learn how to analyze our expected expense and use our money wisely. Having a budgeting plan will keep you away from debts and help you better predict your future.
Have you spent everything on one single item,
or you are able to have the balance among everything?
Credits
Reference:
Chen, T. (2014). American household credit card debt statistics: 2014. Retrieved from http://www.nerdwallet.com/credit-cards.
Online Resources:
Teacher Page
Teacher's Page
This webquest is created by Shun Kwan Tu in assisting students in understanding the importance of budgeting. It helps students to clarify the educational process and pathways, and possible expense in purpsing their dreams.
Dreams can always come true when they know the right way to pursue it!