2010-2011 Course Syllabus
Instructor: Mrs. Alisha Foots Room 249—B & E Floor
Email: Tutorial Day: Wednesdays 3:20 – 4:20 pm
Phone: 404-802-4950
INTRODUCTION
I am Mrs. Alisha Foots, the instructor for Business Essential Class at B.E.S.T.AcademyHigh School. I have 11 years of instructor’s experience. With a B.S. in Business Education, a M.A. in Instructional Education, and certifications in Business, Reading and Technology education, I pleased to be apart of the Business and Entrepreneurship Department. I look forward educating you, integrating my knowledge and experience into the curriculum.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
Business Essentials is a foundations course for the Small Business Development Career Pathway. It is also appropriate for students enrolled in any Career Pathway who plan to own and operate their own businesses. The course will help students build a strong knowledge base and develop management skills as they study forms of business ownership, functions of management, budgeting and finance, technology, communications, legislation, leadership and teamwork, marketing, and economics. Mastery of these standards through project-based learning and leadership development activities of the Career and Technical Student Organizations will help prepare students with a competitive edge for the global marketplace.
This course is a prerequisite for all other courses in information technology. Core Employability Skills and Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) activities will be incorporated throughout the course. Upon completion of this course, students will be able to participate in certifications for presentation and communication software applications.
The course will consist of daily activities, classwork, projects, quizzes, tests, and other requirements described within. Students will be required to keep a 3 ring binder of graded projects. Students will also be required to maintain an electronic portfolio to showcase work and achievement. Students will be expected to give written, visual, and oral presentations throughout the course.
FBLA—Future Business Leaders of America—is a co-curricular student organization. Students are encouraged to join the organization. This organization will provide students with competitive skills needed for competition, and hopefully the skills gained will transfer and will allow for use in the real world.
MATERIALS REQUIRED
1 two-pocket folder, 1” 3-ring binder, loose leaf paper, 5 dividers, pens, pencils, etc.
1 ream of printer paper (may be required) OR students will be charged 10 cents per page of excess printer paper used (Example: printing documents not related to this course)
TEXTBOOKS, EQUIPMENT, & OTHER RESOURCES
- Microsoft Office 2003 (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher) Introductory Course. Course Technology (2005). Pasework and Pasework
- Other supplementary textbooks may be used
- Software: Micro-Type, Microsoft Windows (Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint, Movie Maker)
- Internet (utilized for research, tutorials, and projects)
- Scanner, Digital Camera, HP Color Laser Printer
(See Details on page 6 of this syllabus)
All students are required to have a “Student Agreement Form” on file in the computer lab. Rules on the Student Agreement Form include but not limited to:
- Students may not sign on to any social website such as Myspace. Tagged, Facebook, or any site similar.****
- Students may not access streamed music, or streamed video from any site unauthorized by the instructor.
- Students may not play online games unauthorized by the instructor.
BUSINESS ESSENTIAL PACING CHART
This pacing chart only illustrates the order in which this course will be taught. Daily activities and projects are not limited to the lessons within this chart.
UNITS COVERED / Lesson
1st Semester
Unit 1 / Communications
Unit 2 / Leadership and Teamwork
Unit 3 / Business Concepts
Unit 4 / Entrepreneurial Discovery
Unit 5 / Ethics
Unit 6 / Forms of Business Ownership
2nd Semester
Unit 7 / Functions of Management
Unit 8 / Budgeting and Finance
Unit 9 / Business Law
Unit 10 / Risk Management
Unit 11 / Marketing
Unit 12 / Economics
Unit 13 / Job Acquisition Process
Project / Business Plan
GRADE CALCULATIONS/WEIGHTS
Grades are posted in GradeBook on a weekly basis. Parents may obtain access to GradeBook via the Internet from the school counselor with appropriate identification. Although every assignment will not be a physical grade on record, students are expected to complete assignments as instructed to enhance their abilities. As for the grades that are recorded, the following distribution indicates what your final grade is composed of:
Projects25%
Daily Work40%
Reading/Journal Writing5%
Test/Quiz10%
Homework 10%
Final Exam 10%
Total percentage 100%
WORK ETHICS
Work Ethics is defined as behavior and discipline exhibited while completing daily class assignments.
Violations may include but are not limited to being off task, sleeping, horseplay, disrespecting teachers, yourself, and classmates; eating and drinking in class; cell phones, other electronic devices, inappropriate internet use.10 pts will be given each week for displaying good work ethic in class.
The following indicates how your work ethic will affect your grade:
- Off Task - -2pts
- Horseplay - -2pts
- Misuse / Abuse of Equipment - -2pts
- Uncooperative Behavior - -2pts
- Sleeping / Head Down -2pts
Daily bell-ringers will be given during the first or last five to seven minutes of class. Throughout the year, examples of types of daily bell-ringers includes: business activity, reading activity, quote, or summary.
EXCUSED AND UNEXCUSED ABSENCES
Students in Ms. Foots’ classes with an excused absence will have the opportunity to earn FULL credit for all missed assignments if work is made up within 3 days of returning to school. For excused absences, this time may be extended on a case-by-case basis. However, these arrangements must be made within 3 days of the student returning to school. An absence is considered excused if the student presents the teacher with the stamped note from the attendance office. Students should place these slips in the mail box near the door as they enter the class – AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CLASS PERIOD. If absent due to “school business,” i.e. field trip, assembly participation, etc. students should verify with me that I have received some form of documentation excusing their absence from the adult sponsor of their activity.
If allowed to make up work, students with an unexcused absence will have the opportunity to earn only partial credit (no more than a 74) on missing assignments.
A graded assignment or test that is not made-up within the allotted time period - whether a student’s absences is EXCUSED or UNEXCUSED - will be recorded as a zero
MAKE-UP WORK
Due to the nature of our class, make-up work MUST occur BEFORE or AFTER school. Make-up work CAN NOT be completed during class time. Students have 3 days to make up work. If absent, it is the student’s responsibility to inquire about missed assignments upon their return to school.
Re-do Policy: If a student turns in an assignment that receives a failing mark, the student has the opportunity to redo the assignment. The following exclusions apply: multiple-choice test and other assignments as decided at the discretion of the instructor. The student must conference with the teacher within one week after receiving the assignment. After conferencing with the instructor, the assignment will be given back to the student to redo.
The assignment must be completed and returned within one week after the conference. Once the redo assignment is completed and corrected, it will average with the original grade. It is the student’s responsibility to take advantage of the redo policy. At the end of the 15th week marking period, students no longer have the option to redo assignments
LAB MANAGEMENT POLICIES
(See details on pages 4 and 5 of this class syllabus)
No food or drink allowed in the computer lab
Respect the teacher, yourself, each other, and classroom equipment
Students are expected to be in class and seated BEFORE the tardy bell rings
No sleeping in class or having head on desk
*See the attached “Lab Procedures” for more specific details.
INTERNET USE POLICY
Our school policy requires that any student desiring to use the Internet must have a permission slip signed by his/her parent on file. This “Student Agreement Form” will be kept on file in the computer lab.
Internet assignments will be given regularly in this course. If a permission slip is not on file, the student will not be allowed to access the Internet, and his/her grade will suffer due to incomplete assignments.
Students will access the Internet in the Business Essential lab only when an assignment of that nature has been given. They will not be allowed to use a chat room, send or receive email, play games, download anything, or visit websites that do not relate to the assignment.
Students who do not follow directions regarding the Internet will be assigned a zero (0), detention and/or a written assignment, and his/her Internet privileges will be temporarily revoked.
The student’s second offense will result in a student/teacher conference and/or a parent/teacher phone conference.
The student’s third offense will result in the student being written up and his/her Internet privileges may be revoked permanently.
LAB PROCEDURES
- Be in class and seated, quietly at a computer station BEFORE the tardy bell stops ringing; restroom and/or water breaks are prohibited during class time—therefore, do not ask.
- Listen to the instructor (or designated student) when explaining the procedures—then act (DO NOT TYPE during instruction.)
- Bring all materials necessary to complete daily assignments to class; only use standard typing or computer paper in lab printers.
- LABEL and SAVE all assignments (name, date, file name of assignment, class period, instructor’s name)—if an assignment is not saved on your computer, you will not receive credit for it.
- Submit all test to instructor (do not put test in daily assignment trays or student folder)
- Clean up his/her work area before leaving lab.
- Always hand items to others rather than throwing them.
- Students are not to open file cabinets, closet doors, or enter storage room without the instructor’s permission.
- ABSOLUTELY NO food, candy, gum, mp3 players, drinks, cell phones, electronic devices, etc. will be allowed in the lab. (Students are expected to eat all food and drink all fluids outside the lab.)
- Remain seated until the instructor (or designated student) verbally dismisses the class.
- Be courteous to everyone in the lab at all times.
- Respect yourself, your instructor, your classmates, and other school staff.
- Only use school software (programs) on the computers; DO NOT tamper with the configurations of these computers for any reason—violators will be dealt with accordingly.
- Always practice good keyboarding techniques—eyes on copy, feet flat on floor, back straight, fingers on correct keys.
- Handle all classroom equipment with care (textbooks, computers, chairs, printers, etc.)
- ABSOLUTELY NO cell phones, mp3 players, beepers, CD players, radios, or any other electronic devices are permitted in the lab—if exposed, these items will be confiscated by the instructor and turned in to an administrator.
- Dress code will be strictly enforced; You must be dressed according to uniform policy. Active participation in “Dress for Success” days is also expected as part of your participation grade.
- Grooming in class is NOT allowed—no combing, brushing, braiding, twisting, or wrapping hair in the lab (including young ladies and men.)
- ABSOLUTELY NO sleeping or having your head down on the computer desk while in the lab.
- Working on assignments for an unrelated subject in the lab during normal school hours (8:25am-3:15pm) is not permitted—the instructor may take up the work and dispose of it at their discretion.
- Textbooks cannot be taken from the lab for any reason.
1st Offense—Verbal Warning
2nd Offense—Verbal Warning and Parental Notification
3rd Offense—Student/Parent/Teacher conference
4th Offense & thereafter—Disciplinary referral
*Violations of lab procedures can and will affect your work ethics grade.*
**Severe infractions will result in immediate disciplinary referral.**
CONTRACT
I have read the Business Essential syllabus, lab procedures, and other supporting documents therein for the Business & Entrepreneurship Department at B.E.S.T.AcademyHigh School.
I understand that I am responsible for my own assignments and behavior. I am also responsible for taking care of equipment and other materials which are assigned to me within the Business & Essential lab.
I also understand that failure to abide by the guidelines within the course syllabus, lab procedures, and other supporting documents will result in corrective action as explained to me verbally and in writing of the aforementioned.
Student’s Name (printed): ______
Student’s Signature: ______
Student’s Class Period: 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th
(Circle your class period)
Date: ______
Parents/Guardian’s Name (printed): ______
Parent’s/Guardian’s Signature: ______
Daytime Contact Number: ______
Parent’s Email Address: ______
*Please be sure to fill this contact out completely and return this contract to your instructor signed by you & your parent(s)/guardian within the next 3 days. If turned in on time, you will earn a 100 on a Daily Work assignment which is worth 15 percent of your final grade.*