Week of August 25

Hi everyone,

Well, we managed to survive the first week. It was a hot one, but I think it should cool down a bit by the end of this week. Last week, I had intended to jump right in and start covering material in all of my classes. However, I forgot that I planned to give a pre-test in order to measure student progress over the semester. So, last week was spent going over expectations and procedures and pre-testing. This week, we can really get started. Here is what I have planned:

Computers 1
We will start by completing a flyer in Word together. I'll demonstrate everything step-by-step while students work along with me. Later in the week, students will complete study guides for the chapter and complete flyers on their own. Students will be introduced to a variety of formatting techniques available in Word.

Business Concepts
On Monday, I will pass out the study guide packet for this chapter. On Friday, study guides 1 and 2 will be due at the beginning of class. This week we will discuss wants vs. needs, goods vs. services, different types of world economies, and the concept of supply and demand. Students will be taking notes and completing activities each day.

Business Law
On Monday, I will pass out the study guides for this chapter. These study guides will not be due until Tuesday, September 2 at the beginning of the hour. This week we will discuss the creation of laws, different types of laws, and the importance of ethics. On Monday and Tuesday, students will be given a condensed Supreme Court case and asked to create a brief. A case brief pulls out only the most important information; basically it is a snapshot of the case as a whole. This will be completed in class. On Thursday, students will start watching a movie about Bernie Madoff and his infamous Ponzi scheme. Early next week students will be writing about what they watched.

I think that's it for this week. Have a good one.

MD

Week of August 18

Hi everyone,

Thanks for stopping by my classroom blog.

In all classes, Tuesday will be spent on a school-wide event where students will be taught the expectations for the school year: Responsible, Respectful, and Ready. The day will end with everyone on the footfall field taking part in a variety of fun activities. On Wednesday, I will hand out the syllabus for each class and let everyone know what to expect during the semester.

For Business Concepts and Business Law, students are required to bring their handbook, writing utensil and notebook. For Computers 1, students are only required to bring their handbook.

Business Concepts
On Thursday,  we will be starting chapter 1, about the economy, specifically needs vs. wants and goods vs. services. We will be taking notes in class and completing activities related to the content. Study guides for the chapter will be passed out on Thursday, and will be due sometime next week. I will give a more specific date in next week's blog post.

Computers 1
This week we will be starting a project in Word about creating flyers including formatting such as borders, font colors and effects, and picture styles.
 
Business Law
 This week, we will start chapter 1 over the definition of law and how it is created. Students will read an actual U.S. Supreme Court case and create a brief (summary) of the case. There should not be any outside homework.

That should be it for this week. Have a good one!

MD