Intro to Business Glogster Form

Upcoming Student Summit

The Flat Classroom Project (FCP) is a global collaboration project based on Thomas Friedman’s book, The World is Flat, that joined students together from around the globe. Students used a variety of Web 2.0 tools to communicate, research, evaluate, and create. We were the only school from Iowa participating.  Other schools that participated in our project were from Georgia, Pennsylvania (3 schools), New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio, Canada, Germany, South Korea, Australia, and the United Kingdom.


The purpose of the project is for students to experience the flattening of walls within the classroom. U.S. businesses no longer work in isolation, but rely on global partners just as our students experienced during this project. Students researched ideas discussed within Friedman’s book, collaboratively wrote a summary on a wiki page, and created a video that included an outsourced segment from a student in another classroom.

In true Digi-Tools fashion, the culmination of this project will take place online. Please join us on Tuesday, December 13 from 12:15-1:15 for our online Student Summit. Each student will share in one minute or less their experience of working through this project. It is most meaningful when they have an outside audience that views, comments, and recognizes their work. Simply click on the link below, enter your name & log in. Please feel free to share with others in your inner circle that may also be interested.

http://tinyurl.com/studentsummits

VHS Entrepreneurship Fair

Today’s Small Business, 
Tomorrow’s Corporation

November 15, 2011

6:30 - 8:00 pm

VHS Auditorium

PURPOSE:

The purpose of the Entrepreneurship course at Valley High School is to develop entrepreneurial skills that may contribute to the success of the students’ learning experience and future career.  The Entrepreneurship Fair allows students an opportunity to showcase their business idea and assess whether or not they have a business opportunity that can be supported by growth in the marketplace.

SCHEDULE:

6:30-7 – Keynote Speaker, Mr. Greg Abel

Mr. Gregory Abel is chairman, president and chief executive officer of MidAmerican Energy Holdings Company, based in Des Moines, Iowa.  There he oversees - a group of utilities, natural-gas pipelines, and a real estate brokerage with combined revenues of $11.2 billion last year.  

He also sits on a number of boards, including the Edison Electric Institute and the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Mid-Iowa Council Boy Scouts of America, Kum & Go, the Drake University board of trustees, and the American Football Coaches Foundation just to name a few.

Walter Scott, a Berkshire Hathaway director and major shareholder in Mid-American, describes Mr. Abel as being the kind of person that, whenever he's been asked to do something, he's willing to go and do it.  That’s exactly the kind of skills and mindset that our Entrepreneurship class at Valley High School is trying to instill in today’s generation.

7-8 – Student Presentations

Students will share their business ideas to a panel of business representatives.  Parents and community members are invited to attend and participate!

SPONSORS:

·         West Des Moines Community Schools Foundation

·         Heartland Investments & Insurance

·         Mr. Zac Voss

·         Mr. Greg Abel

·         Mr. & Mrs. Jason Yates

·         State Savings Bank

·         LWBJ

·         State Farm Insurance

·         VW Advisors

·         White Water Consulting

·         Ms. Angela Althoff

·         Jacobson Institute for Youth Entrepreneurship - University of Iowa 

Social Responsibility

Social responsibility refers to the duty of a business to contribute tot he well-being of a community.  Ways that businesses make sure they are socially responsible are by enacting policies and procedures to protect our environment & ensure worker safety, being sensitive to workplace diversity, and contributing the well being of individuals through employee wellness.  See student websites on these topics below.

PERIOD 2
Environmental Protection
Workplace Diversity
Job Safety
Employee Wellness

PERIOD 6
Environmental Protection
Workplace Diversity
Job Safety
Employee Wellness

PERIOD 8
Environmental Protection
Workplace Diversity
Job Safety
Employee Wellness

Further, a socially responsible business engages in ethical business practics.  Ethics are principles of morality or rules of conduct.  Students have also created websites on this topic.
 
PERIOD 2 - Business Ethics
PERIOD 6 - Business Ethics
PERIOD 8 - Business Ethics
 
Finally, the government plays a role in ensuring that businesses are socially responsible.  In fact, government is our biggest business. The government oversees protection activites, regulation, and provides public assistance.  Students created websites on two ways the government is involved in protecting consumers: through the protection of intellectual property & unfair business practices.
 
PERIOD 2 - Intellectual Propery & Unfair Business Practices
PERIOD 6 - Intellectual Propery & Unfair Business Practices
PERIOD 8 - Intellectual Propery & Unfair Business

Student Bloggers

The learning potential of having students blog is endless because it includes the chance to practice writing, reflect on others’ thinking, and respond to critical analyses of one’s own work. The purpose of having students blog in Digital Communication Tools is for students to learn to communicate effectively with a sense of audience, be able to publish their writing for others to view, and share with their peers what they have learned.

Right now I have 25 bloggers (aka writers and publishers) in Digital Communications. Take a look at what they are learning & doing in class!  Each name should be hyperlinked to their respective blog.  Please make comments on their posts, especially their World is Flat video reflections, in order to continue our online discussions and model proper digital citizenship.

Alex K.

Andrew K.

Ashlye B.

Cassi C.

Chris N.

Chris W.

Dillon J.

Elmar B.

Emilie E.

Groney C.

Hannah S.

Jason C.

Kelsey K.

KK S.

Koelten G.

Kojo B.

Logan H.

Mackenzie H.

Mitch B.

Rachel L.

Sam E.

Sedeazsha C.

Terrin H.

Will B.

While I'm Out

Entrepreneurship Class,

I am out today. Here are the instructions for today's lesson. Thanks to Sierra & Anna for helping out! By the way John F. Kennedy said that leadership and learning are indispensable to each other. He couldn't be more right! Learn so you can lead!

Hands-on GDP

Introduction to Business students are studying economic systems and the ways we measure the performance of the economy. Last week in class, students were grouped in their own countries and then produced 3 products: bookmarks, books, and apples. Students calculated their productivity, GDP, and GDP per capita for each round/ year.

Facts about GDP:

• GDP is the value of all goods and services produced in a country in one year.
• GDP is one economic indicator that economists use to measure the strength of a nation's economy.
• GDP grew in the U.S. by 1% in the 2nd quarter of 2011. More information can be found at the Bureau of Economic Analysis.

Here's a glimpse into the Introduction to Business classroom as students learned about GDP and other economic indicators.




If you have more information to share with us, please do so through the comments!
Students will be assessed over this unit on Friday, September 16!

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3 Faves from the Web

Some of my favorite websites that I visit on a weekly basis are as follows:

www.delicious.com - A social bookmarking site: This is where I keep all of my bookmarks/ faves so that I can access my bookmarks from anywhere.  Recently, I've added a ton of educational sites and other places where I can access content for my classroom that I have gathered from Twitter.  It's also fun to see what others are bookmarking!

www.snapfish.com - This is where I keep all of my pictures and I have a lot!  I'm hoping this site never goes out of business because I use it as my online backup of my photos. 

www.scrapbook.com - My one stop shop for scrapbooking inspiration.  Browsing the gallery, forums, and contests always offers good ideas for scraplifting!  Sometimes I get the bug to go shopping here too!