Talkingshop is an interactive web based education product which gives today's consumers the opportunity to interact with professional people in real time on consumer issues - and it's free to Warwickshire Schools.
Talkingshop is a big success in Warwickshire!
Seventeen of Warwickshire's Secondary Schools are signed up to talkingshop and to date the Trading Standards Service has run over 40 talkingshop sessions involving over 500 students.
Here is what some students have said about talkingshop:
- "It was more interactive, enjoyable to take part in".
- "Interactive learning, which is a fun way to learn!"
- "It was fun and interactive which makes it more memorable."
- "Promote it as much as you can, so that more people know about it".
To find out more about talkingshop or to book a demonstration contact Simon Cripwell on 01926 414039 or email simoncripwell@warwickshire.gov.uk
Warwickshire Trading Standards offers two talkingshop programmes.
Money Matters Financial Literacy Programme
Money Matters is a new financial literacy activity developed jointly by Warwickshire Trading Standards and North Warwickshire Citizens Advice Bureau.
Whether you are implementing Enterprise Education or teaching PSHE or Citizenship, ‘Money Matters’ is a great way of introducing your students to the world of personal finance.
Suitable for students in Years 10, 11 ,12 and 13 (and particularly appropriate for those aged 16 to 18), the subjects covered include: opening a bank account; credit and debt; credit scoring; personal budgeting; credit and debit cards; repayment plans; APR’s, guarantors; and the Consumer Credit Act 1974.
Money Matters is a one off activity delivered by Trading Standards staff, in school, using a web based learning tool. Class sizes of up to 30 can be accommodated at any one time and session timings can be varied to meet the requirements of the school timetable. Students would need access to a suite of PC’s for the duration of the session and all participants receive a certificate on completion.
Pupils take on the role of a ‘Student Support Officer’ at a local college, and are tasked with advising eight students who come to them asking for help with their financial problems. The activity encourages students to research their answers using a range of pre-prepared resources.
Consumer Rights and Responsibilities Programme
Aimed at 14/15 year olds (Year 10) this programme meets the National Curriculum for Citizenship Key Stage 4. It has however been successfully used with older and younger students as well as adult groups.
Consider the plight of the youngster who wants a mobile phone, but doesn’t understand the complexities of the small print or the teenager who buys a computer game over the Internet, changes their mind and is not aware that they have a cooling-off period.
Contracts; buying and receiving gifts; buying age restricted products; buying over the internet; changing your mind about an item that has been bought; buying faulty goods, buying sale items, buying incorrectly priced items and much more, Credit and debt; cooling-off periods; refund, exchange and repair; counterfeit goods and much more is all covered in the Consumer Rights and Responsibilities event. |