Mr Rouse's Online Classroom

Sharemarket Game Update 22 March

Mr. Rouse — Fri, 23 Mar 2012 10:49:52 +0000

Here’s an update on Waverley Christian College’s progress in the ASX Sharemarket Game. The rankings listed below are at the close of the market on 22 March, 2012. Looks like Green Snow Gum are going to be hard to beat!

Ranking	Player name	Portfolio value
1	Green Snow Gum	$51,148.42
2	Ryanqwe123	$51,124.68
3	The Moneymakers	$50,874.88
4	Calvin	$50,383.06
5	Obama	$50,318.98
6	McMoney	$50,264.38
7	Demacians	$50,247.00
8	The Irish Leprechauns	$50,193.74
9	MCK@NWS	$50,164.88
10	ARO@WS	$50,130.81
11	Drink Bottle	$50,022.67
12	DMEC	$49,980.70
13	The Rubber-out-erers	$49,970.00
14	Purple Fluffy Banana Catz	$49,942.08
15	Blueboy	$49,940.83
16	Dora the Explorer	$49,930.00
17	Total	$49,909.95
18	Negative Loss	$49,885.96
19	Urban Dictionary	$49,854.21
20	Woah	$49,832.40
21	Untitled	$49,830.00
22	Fonic Studios	$49,825.02
23	Pink Snow Gum	$49,816.30
24	Black Snow Gum	$49,808.61
25	HAKD	$49,726.94
26	Hajstar	$49,708.09
27	One Man Wolf Pack	$49,699.20
28	Jaks	$49,688.05
29	JJ123	$49,680.01
30	Money Seekers	$49,643.73
31	Public Enemies	$49,597.22
32	Stephen S	$49,525.03
33	Kieran	$49,451.97
34	Watta Head	$49,361.08
35	Team Solo Top	$49,329.37
36	Mark	$49,325.52
37	JET & Co Enterprises	$49,203.78
38	CHAM Industries	$49,164.16
39	Vicarious Vetran	$49,145.15
40	Team 888	$49,116.85
41	Pink Fluffy Unicorns	$49,029.88
42	343 Stockmasters	$48,532.33

Sharemarket Game Update

Mr. Rouse — Thu, 15 Mar 2012 03:09:58 +0000

The volitility of the sharemarket in the last week is highlighted evidence of the ongoing “two-speed” economy in Australia. Investors hoping for growth stimulus in the form of a cash rate cut would have been disappointed by the RBA’s decision last week to leave the cash rate unchanged at 4.25%. A number of economists are forecasting at least one rate cut this year, pointing to below average consumer sentiment and business confidence, as well as lower than expected approvals for housing finance. In particular, poor consumer sentiment and increasing saving rates have seen earnings in the discretionary retail sector stagnate or drop. This has impacted the share price of companies such as David Jones, Myer and Billabong.

Below are the rankings for Waverley Christian College at the close of day prices for March 14, 2012.

Ranking	Player name	Portfolio value
1	Calvin	$50,742.64
2	The Moneymakers	$50,649.89
3	ARO@WS	$50,590.81
4	Mark	$50,384.50
5	MCK@NWS	$50,368.58
6	Ryanqwe123	$50,318.93
7	Green Snow Gum	$50,280.92
8	Demacians	$50,280.10
9	The Irish Leprechauns	$50,166.09
10	Urban Dictionary	$50,053.44
11	Obama	$50,050.69
12	Drink Bottle	$50,043.34
13	McMoney	$50,041.28
14	Money Seekers	$50,007.63
15	Untitled	$49,980.00
16	JET & Co Enterprises	$49,972.79
17	Woah	$49,971.00
18	The Rubber-out-erers	$49,970.11
19	DMEC	$49,963.70
20	Dora the Explorer	$49,956.00
21	Purple Fluffy Banana Catz	$49,937.08
22	Vicarious Vetran	$49,923.17
23	Pink Fluffy Unicorns	$49,907.43
24	Jaks	$49,895.74
25	Hajstar	$49,887.78
26	Negative Loss	$49,887.62
27	Black Snow Gum	$49,875.33
28	Pink Snow Gum	$49,871.68
29	JJ123	$49,827.51
30	Fonic Studios	$49,788.72
31	Public Enemies	$49,785.97
32	HAKD	$49,736.08
33	Watta Head	$49,655.52
34	Team Solo Top	$49,578.80
35	Stephen S	$49,551.41
36	CHAM Industries	$49,487.30
37	Team 888	$49,055.69
38	343 Stockmasters	$48,933.58

Kony 2012

Mr. Rouse — Sat, 10 Mar 2012 02:22:37 +0000

Sharemarket Game Update

Mr. Rouse — Fri, 09 Mar 2012 10:36:32 +0000

Looks like the market is on the way up again after a few nervous jitters earlier in the week. Here are the raankings for Waverley Christian College at the close of trade on 8 March, 2012.

Ranking	Player name	Portfolio value
1	Pink Fluffy Unicorns	$50,181.05
2	Vicarious Vetran	$50,001.08
3	Hajstar	$49,973.58
4	The Rubber-out-erers	$49,969.98
5	Woah	$49,969.90
6	Dora the Explorer	$49,961.00
7	DMEC	$49,950.80
8	JET & Co Enterprises	$49,938.54
9	Purple Fluffy Banana Catz	$49,915.08
10	Black Snow Gum	$49,902.98
11	Jaks	$49,876.24
12	Negative Loss	$49,869.14
13	Money Seekers	$49,862.06
14	Untitled	$49,850.00
15	JJ123	$49,847.51
16	The Irish Leprechauns	$49,839.29
17	Pink Snow Gum	$49,827.60
18	HAKD	$49,703.50
19	Demacians	$49,608.10
20	MCK@NWS	$49,594.00
21	Obama	$49,550.85
22	Drink Bottle	$49,514.30
23	ARO@WS	$49,455.81
24	McMoney	$49,336.48
25	Fonic Studios	$49,333.37
26	CHAM Industries	$49,319.00
27	Watta Head	$49,289.32
28	343 Stockmasters	$49,197.03
29	Urban Dictionary	$49,159.62
30	Team Solo Top	$49,076.03
31	Ryanqwe123	$48,915.93
32	Public Enemies	$48,866.07
33	Green Snow Gum	$48,770.92
34	Mark	$48,688.81
35	Team 888	$48,652.65

Sharemarket Game Progress

Mr. Rouse — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 10:45:46 +0000

The Sharemarket is certainly in free fall at the moment. The impact of the global economy has taken it’s toll on the Australian sharemarket in recent days. Students who are playing the ASX Sharemarket Game are certainly feeling the effect of the depressed market at present. Here are the rankings at the close of trading on 7 March, 2012

Ranking	Player name	Portfolio value
1	Woah	$49,970.10
2	The Rubber-out-erers	$49,969.95
3	Pink Fluffy Unicorns	$49,961.05
4	DMEC	$49,949.20
5	Dora the Explorer	$49,939.00
6	Money Seekers	$49,935.60
7	Hajstar	$49,933.58
8	Purple Fluffy Banana Catz	$49,931.08
9	Black Snow Gum	$49,930.78
10	JET & Co Enterprises	$49,910.54
11	Jaks	$49,878.24
12	Negative Loss	$49,860.47
13	JJ123	$49,857.51
14	Pink Snow Gum	$49,855.35
15	Untitled	$49,820.00
16	HAKD	$49,724.47
17	The Irish Leprechauns	$49,694.95
18	Drink Bottle	$49,594.04
19	Demacians	$49,590.40
20	MCK@NWS	$49,474.20
21	Watta Head	$49,387.39
22	CHAM Industries	$49,323.10
23	Obama	$49,270.85
24	343 Stockmasters	$49,255.17
25	McMoney	$49,234.08
26	Team Solo Top	$49,103.02
27	Fonic Studios	$48,953.27
28	ARO@WS	$48,945.81
29	Urban Dictionary	$48,837.12
30	Ryanqwe123	$48,728.45
31	Public Enemies	$48,638.27
32	Mark	$48,290.06
33	Green Snow Gum	$48,195.92
34	Team 888	$47,924.01

A Vision of K-12 Students Today

Mr. Rouse — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 03:18:39 +0000

20th Century and 21st Century Teachers

Mr. Rouse — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 03:05:59 +0000

Shopping in the future

Mr. Rouse — Wed, 15 Feb 2012 09:25:26 +0000

You’ve just arrived at the station and an LED screen shows your train is leaving in one minute. You tear down the escalator to the platform but just as you reach the bottom the train is pulling away from the station. There isn’t another one for 20 minutes.

Watch a YouTube video of a virtual storefront here

The few seats on the platform are taken so you can’t sit down and read. How do you kill the time? Try doing the grocery shopping maybe.

Last year, British-based global retailer Tesco made waves by setting up amazing virtual stores on the walls of underground transit stations in Korea. Commuters could do their shopping simply by scanning their smartphone over a two-dimensional barcode on the station’s wall.

Now the idea is being mimicked in the US. How long before virtual storefronts becomes a regular feature of the daily commute worldwide, including Australia?

Continue reading from The Age

Crackdown on shop refunds

Mr. Rouse — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 11:34:47 +0000

SHOPPERS will no longer be left in the dark about refund policies as the ACCC launches an advertising blitz on the laws of returning goods.

The consumer education campaign aims to help those left out of pocket when retailers pick and choose what is eligible for a refund – whether it is a microwave oven or a pair of socks.

According to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, only 10 per cent of Australians understand their rights when it comes to dodgy products and substandard services.

From tomorrow, the ACCC will advertise online, on multilingual radio stations and at bus stops to inform shoppers they are entitled to demand any product or service not up to scratch be repaired, replaced or refunded under the new consumer laws.

“Whether you are buying a watch or a washing machine, brand new or pre-loved, at full price or bagging a bargain, consumers can put their faith in the products they purchase, or expect the retailer or manufacturer to fix the problem,” commission chairman Rod Sims said.

“We now have a single national law, so that no matter where you shop in Australia, you have the same rights to a repair, replacement or refund for a faulty product or unsatisfactory service.”

But the wider awareness will mean the ACCC is hit with an onslaught of complaints.

The watchdog receives 200 complaints from grumpy consumers every week, with state fair-trading agencies also filtering their share.

“I expect to see a spike once the campaign is up and running,” Mr Sims said. “But we are ready for it.”

He expected the number to subside once companies realised the commission had empowered consumers to better understand and stand up for their rights.

Mr Sims vowed to crack down on rogue traders who continued to flout the laws, and haul them through the courts if necessary.

This article was reposted from the Herald Sun

Advice for bargain hunters

Mr. Rouse — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 21:08:55 +0000

In the first lesson for this year, I was discussing wise shopping with my Year 9 Commerce class. As part of this discussion, the class developed the following advice for bargain hunters. This framework has formed the basis of our lessons on managing personal finances.

This is their advice:

Research product infomation carefully.
Read the fine print, especially in contracts.
Check a range of prices.
Make sure the product suits the purpose for which it was intended.
Make sure the purchase fits within your budget.