Sunday, June 12, 2016

The Importance of Business Education in High School Classes

A lot of parents and students might ask the question, why we need business education in high school? The business education curriculum prepares students for life after high school graduation and putting an emphasis on preparation for college. This subject is an education for life, not just a livelihood. Through taking multiple business courses in high school, the student can be prepared for college with the appropriate study skills and academic challenges within the business education realm. You can thrive as a student and into adulthood by taking high school business courses. The class work in a business course is often divided into themes that include marketing, business writing, finance, accounting and economics, Students will be able to gain introductory knowledge, and those who have creative ideas may learn how to apply these ideas in beneficial ways.
In the business world, many employers search for applicants who are solid team players and in a high school business course, many instructors implement hands-on and real-world activities that give students opportunities to participate and gain experience in teamwork. This is important to understand in the aspect that it not only is preparing kids how to work with others, but the skills that they learn can be applied in other life situations as well. Think about this, when applying for a job what does everyone have to do? Submit a resume or at minimum an application for hire. Business writing skills make you a more likely candidate because of your professional writing persona. People who read your writing will be able to better understand your ideas.
Not only does business education give you real-world applicable knowledge that you can take with you, it can also be a lot of fun to learn as well. While researching, I came across Six Flags Entertainment Corporation, and for years Six Flags has invited high school and middle school students to learn about business by bringing them inside the marketing of a theme park. They invited various professionals from all different industries to speak to students about all levels of marketing. Each year, they create a challenge that students are asked to design a business plan for everything from a new concert or sporting event to marketing non-profits. They would tie in these classroom principles to help them gain insight into a future career.
Most importantly I want to address why business education is important in the classroom at the high school level. When we talk about education, this doesn't only mean schooling, but also a much wider concept that embraces formal and informal methods learning, traditional and non-traditional teaching processes, and self-learning through various multimedia platforms. Yes, business is considered only a subset of education and is only offered as an elective typically. So should one learn about business? Well considering that business education includes all management-related subjects. When there is something you feel you don't know enough about, you have to figure out how to learn more about it whether in the classroom or in your job field.
When students take business classes, they are not only learning but also developing the ability to transfer their learning, meaning they can apply what they know and have learned in a particular situation to another in a different context. Which is ultimately our primary purpose of schooling. We want our students to be able to apply the knowledge and skills they learn with us to other challenges inside and outside of school. Business education encourages students to become more conscious of transferring their learning to more challenging and higher order thinking contest. In many ways this can even be comparable to the application stage of Bloom's taxonomy . Students, parents and teachers alike should all support this type of learning for the question "Why are we learning this" is a question that is fairly easy to answer in these teachers' classrooms.

Sunday, May 29, 2016

A Necessary Need


The questions you might ask is, why do we need computer applications classes? Well, the computer applications class curriculum will have a significant impact on students and their learning that will allow them to understand the basics of the technology that surrounds them on a daily basis. The teaching standards for this class will create a learning outcome for the students that provides them with the knowledge of technology so that they can apply it in school, in the workplace and even at home. Computers and other technology is becoming more and more a part of our daily lives and in our businesses. In today’s world, technology usage is part of our learning process and used by our students in many ways. It is important for our students to be exposed to basic types of technology. They need to gain experience in software programs, internet research and other related material. Technology helps students learn by getting the students to be more hands-on with their learning and start to apply critical thinking skills that come with these project-based learning. Becoming familiar with technology allows you to be better prepared as you move on from high school to college, or from school to work. Technology can be applied in all subject areas and the use for technology has endless possibilities.
When it comes to our students taking computer application courses, unlike core courses, computer application elective classes have more variety of different learners at different levels. Teachers can differentiate content, process and product according to the readiness of the students as well as as their targeted interests. This is especially important when it comes to our kids because it gives our teachers more flexibility and room for creativity in order to accommodate to each student and their learning style. You can incorporate different things for different learning styles and personalities. Many students may think they are experts when it comes to basic computer applications, yet they don't know how to really create an effective office document.  As a teacher I can quickly figure out who needs help, and what areas we need to work on. When implementing computer applications, you can develop a solid foundation of understanding in applications that take part in making a student career ready and give them an easier transition from high school to college, or from school to a job.
Many parents might still ask why computer applications classes are necessary? Since computer class is usually not required for high school students to graduate, it is only recommended for students to take at least one computer class. However, students today might not think they need to take one since they have grown up with computers and technology, that they do not need to learn how to use one. I would encourage you to think about taking a computer class. White it might seem pointless, it can really help you in your work and home life, and even in other classes especially at the college level. Taking a computer class gives you a better understanding of how computers function a. These types of classes can become more advanced and eventually lead you into learning how to edit videos, make web pages and other advanced computer skills. Technology has become important for students to learn to use computers to improve their own work and prepare for careers. Teachers have found ways to make learning more efficient by improving the way lessons can be planned and taught. Computers make the learning process a lot more simple and efficient giving students access to tools and methods of communication unavailable offline. As a teacher, it is much better to teach these tools in alignment with context material. Teach features and concepts that can be applied to other areas of the students daily life. These basic computer skills help students excel in college and eventually carry over with them into the workforce.