Dr. Jamie Wagner Finds Her Passion with Economics Curriculum Project For High School Students

Dr. Jamie Wagner, Associate Professor of Economics, is driven to find equality and accessibility in economics. That is why her latest research project has become her passion project. “Ethics, Economics, and Social Issues” is a new curriculum for introductory economics topics to help students to think critically about ethical issues and understand why ideas of right and wrong are vital to economic decision-making. Drs. Wagner and Jennifer Davidson’s project came alive thanks to grants from the Kazanjian Foundation, Council for Economic Education, the Nebraska Council on Economic Education, and the University of Nebraska at Omaha Center for Economic Education.

Today's students are interested in justice and equitable treatment. But what does that mean and how can we talk about it in the classroom? Economists operate within an ethical framework when they evaluate outcomes, public issues, or make decisions.

The curriculum contains 15 independent lessons that require students to think about how ethics is a valuable and necessary tool to think like an economist. The lessons are available at no cost on the Council for Economic Education’s EconEdLink website. The lessons examine choices in current events, public policies, or other issues. Lesson titles include:

• Lesson 1: How can I apply ethics and economics to any issue?
• Lesson 2: Can you conduct research ethically?
• Lesson 3: How do incentives and information affect ethics?
• Lesson 4: What are the ethical implications of allocation?
• Lesson 5: Is efficiency ethical?
• Lesson 6: Do businesses have a social responsibility?
• Lesson 7: Does self-interest prevent economic justice?
• Lesson 8: Should I join the sweatshop boycott?
• Lesson 9: Should we allow a market for transplant organs?
• Lesson 10: Income inequality exists; should we care?
• Lesson 11: What is the most ethical way to fund public schools?
• Lesson 12: Can we house the homeless?
• Lesson 13: What can we do about pollution?
• Lesson 14: Can you be fashionable and ethical?
• Lesson 15: Should private companies operate prisons?

“Several states are bringing the curriculum team in to do workshops for their secondary education teachers. I’ll be in Arizona at the end of March presenting to teachers and I am working on one in Colorado for the fall, in addition to planning on workshops in Virginia, Georgia, and South Carolina,” Dr. Wagner said.

“A big thank you to the authors who have created engaging, exciting, and high-quality lessons. The lessons have gone through revisions and implementation by teachers across the nation—and thank you to teachers who have reached out, tried the lessons, and provided invaluable feedback,” Dr. Wagner said.

Curriculum writers:

• Dr. Chris Cannon Associate Director of the Georgia Council on Economic Education
• Dr. Stephen Day Director of the Center for Economic Education at Virginial Commonwealth University
• Ms. Chandler Jordan Program Director of the South Carolina Council of Economics Education at the University of South Carolina,
• Mr. John Kruggel Associate Director of the Center for Economic Education at James Madison University
• Mr. Matt Pierson High school Economics teacher at Omaha Bryan and Associate of the Nebraska Council on Economic Education
• Dr. Jamie Wagner, Associate Professor of Economics and Director of the Center for Economic Education, University of Nebraska at Omaha

Other important stakeholders, partners, and editors in the project:

• Dr. Jennifer Davidson President of the Nebraska Council on Economic Education at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln
• Ms. Ruth Cookson, Council for Economic Education

And the teachers who implemented the curriculum: Melissa Schram, Scott Shinaberry, Jason Rath, Patrick Derosa, Brian Dunker, Austin Green, and Derek D’Angelo.

Wagner also has received a $108,000 grant to do personal finance workshops and develop online training for three years for Nebraska Business teachers. The grant is to expand a previous grant she earned, which allowed her to create a Personal Finance Institute. The Institute allows secondary school teachers to network, share resources, and improve their finance teaching. The Institute also provides in-depth content for teachers from experts in the field, including Wagner. Teachers will complete the W!se program, a financial literacy certification that then allows them to then teach and certify high school students. Typically, the Personal Finance Institute is offered for two weeks at UNO or UNK over the summer but with this grant the UNO Center for Economic Education will be able to expand this reach and teachers from across the state will be able to access an online course to enhance their knowledge and professional development. The grant is estimated to reach about 120 business teachers in Nebraska. Educators from across the state will now be able to join the Institute online and learn how to empower their students in economics and finance.

Congratulations, Dr. Wagner!