By default*, students are required to add and subtract their deposits and withdraw to calculate their new account balance when sent a transaction. By calculating their new balances, students make real-world connections to words like deposit and withdraw, acknowledge the real-time feedback you provide them, and practice addition and subtraction without even realizing it! (Abby and I were both math teachers, so we had to work in the extra reinforcement😊).
*Don't want some or all students to have to do calculations? Learn more about turning Math calculations on and off here.
How do my students make a deposit or withdraw?
Once you send a student a transaction (bonus, fine, paycheck, or expense), they will need to do the math to deposit or withdraw to update their balance.
Students will see their "To Do List" of deposits and withdraws on their homepage.
Click the button that says either "Deposit" or "Withdraw."
Type in the new balance based on the old balance and new transaction. This will update the balance on the student side. If a student enters an amount incorrectly, they will be prompted to "Double check your math!"
Repeat for all pending tasks.
✨ Pro tip: Send decimal transactions to give students practice with decimal fluency!
What if my students don't withdraw their expenses?
Students need to make all of their deposits and withdraws before they can check out from the classroom store so that their balances are up to date before they spend their money. If they have pending transactions, the "Pay now" button will be grayed out, and they will be prompted to complete all their pending transactions first. This way, they can't just leave those fines and bills sitting there :)