Thursday, June 13, 2013

Paul Krugman

One resource to help students understand the different perspectives of economists is Paul Krugman's NYtimes blog.  It can be used along with other blogs to get point-counterpoints to assist students with understanding how economics can be used to support a wide range of points of views and perspectives.  Students should be encouraged to analyze different ideas and make a determination for themselves which argument they agree with most.

Freakonomics


The Freakonomics website, run by Stephen Dubner and Steven Levitt, like the book and movie of the same name, is a fantastic resource featuring a blog, a podcast, videos, and lectures.  Examples of posts that can be incorporated into a classroom include an analysis of why there are cronut scalpers, what incentives work best to get blood donations, and the impact NBA coaches have on wins.

Marginal Revolution

Tyler Cowen
Marginal Revolution is a blog run by economists Tyler Cowen and Alex Tabarrok, professors at George Mason University.  The blogs slogan is "small steps toward a much better world."  They post about current events, economic news and policies, and how economics relates to various real-world events.  The blog, particularly its daily links, is a fantastic resource for examples of how economics relates to the real world.  For example, how an $18 million maple syrup heist impacts supply, the economics of the MLB draft, and how people bargain.  Examples like these can be used to help make economics come alive for students.