Tieing FBLA into Your Business Classes

As a business education teacher we are constantly looking for way to make our classes relevant for our students.  Incorporating FBLA (Future Business Leaders of American) into the class curriculum is a excellent way to add relevance and promote and offer exciting opportunities for you student both within and outside of the classroom.  FBLA is a non profit education association which extends exciting opportunities for students preparing them for careers in business.  FBLA is made up of four levels which are:

1. FBLA for High School Students
2. FBLA for Middle School
3. Phi Beta Lambda for post-secondary students 
4. Professional Division for business people, FBLA-PBL alumni, educators, and parents. (FBLA 2013) 

FBLA gives students the opportunity of attending regional, state and national conferences and the opportunity of participating in a wide range of competition at these events. Within the school student develop a professional organization that helps them to build their leadership qualities, complete a service project, coordinate events for FBLA week and prepare for competitions. It provides teachers with another valuable resource to us to promote student engagement in the classroom.  Teachers are able to tie competition preparation into their curriculum.  For example, if you are teaching an objective on business correspondence you can incorporate the guidelines for the resume writing competition in to you lessons. This will help to add more rigor to your curriculum and promote 21st century learning skills.

FBLA is a valuable student resource that should be implemented in every career technical education department with each school. To join and obtain the necessary resources to organize an FBLA organization within your school go to the FBLA website.

By joining FBLA student get to explore many great opportunities, as well they have the opportunity to make friend all over the world. Watch the video below and organize FBLA in your school today!!!!

References

FBLA (Image). 2013 June 19, 2013 http://www.fbla-pbl.org/

Future Business Leaders of America. 2013. June 19,2013 http://www.fbla-pbl.org/web/page/614/sectionid/614/pagelevel/1/main_interior.asp 

Making Business Education Classes More Meaningful

June 14, 2913

Student engagement is critical for promoting students academic success in the classroom. Technology is a effective way to promote student engagement in the classroom. As a business education teacher I am constantly looking for ways to use technology within my classroom.  As well, I want to find exciting ways to make my classes relevant to today world by offering real world experiences to my students.  As thriving 21st century learners student need opportunities to push them to become critical thinkers and problem solvers.

The Career Technical Education department at my schools offers the following course:

• Principles of Business
• Business Law
• Entrepreneurship
• Marketing
• Microsoft Academy 
• Multimedia and Webdesign
• Sci vis
• Health Careers
• Early Childhood

Students who choose the business pathway have the opportunity of taking four of theses classes. With that being said it is important that they have a clear understanding as to how to make the classes relevant and the significance of these class as they relate to their future.

There are many vehicles out there that can be used to add the real world experience objective to these courses. There are several games that can be used to achieve this process.  A couple to share are the Mcdonalds Game and the Hotel Management Game which extends to student a deeper understand of business, how it generates revenue, the background and all of the internal and external factors that come into play with running a business.  These particular games is excellent for teacher who teach Principles of Business, Entrepreneurship or Marketing to name a few.  Teacher can use these games in their business education class to engage the students and to make the class fun and relevant.  

Below is a video demonstration  of the Mcdonalds Game.

As I reflect I shared this game recently in with my students in this first session of summer school as I watch them play the game it was exciting to see all of their "Ah ha" moments.  I asked them how they felt about playing this game, They shared with me that the game really helped them to understand what they had been taught.

I hope you fine these games to be effective resources to help promote student engagement and understanding in you classroom.  Enjoy!!!

References

CTE (Image). 2013 June 14, 2013 https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&site=imghp&tbm=isch&source=hp&biw=683&bih=321&q=career+technical+education+logo&oq=career+techn&gs_l=img.1.1.0l4j0i5l5j0i24.4098.11572.0.13942.16.11.4.1.1.0.66.589.11.11.0...0.0.0..1ac.1.17.img.KQqAlZRi4tQ#facrc=_&imgrc=brgwEEQapEi_-M%3A%3Bd9fxNCm2y7Rl4M%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fschools.lcss.us%252Fcte%252Fimages%252Fcte-logo.jpg%3Bhttp%253A%252F%252Fschools.lcss.us%252Fcte%252F%3B418%3B353Mcdonalds Video Game (Video) 2010. June 12, 2013 http://youtu.be/LCIMyjJok-0 

Internal and External Environments Impact on Student Learning

June 7, 2013

Working currently as a teacher in  a environment that has a extremely high free and reduced lunch rate. I have been inclined to focus on how student internal and external environment shape what they learn and how they learn and the impact that technology plays on how their brains process information.

The author Jane Healy wrote the book Endangered Minds in this book she suggest our education system is in a deeper crisis than society thinks.  Although her book is slightly controversial she points out some valid point as it relates to how students learn. The book Endangered Minds focuses on research rather that diagnosis and plan for reform, which identifies why children are so difficult to educate.

Personally working with students who live within a lower socioeconomic environment and dealing with them on a daily bases, I see how their environments and family interaction shape their thought process as it relates to life and education. I consistently work with students who place limited value on education, they view it as something that is given and not required.  Which to me is unfortunate because by them having this view they limit themselves and there possibilities in life.  Based on the family interaction often education is not intrinsic and students have limited social and communication skills due the impact of technology and media.

Considering the focus of the book Endangered Minds, many thing impact how students learn.  Which and include but is not limited to:

• Technology
• Media
• Haphazard Child Care
• limited opportunities to develop conversations skills

According to the American Psychological Association, socioeconomic status impact students learning. Family household of lower socioeconomic status develop academic skills slower than family households of high socioeconomic status.

Socioeconomic status coupled with the technology impact has a great impact on student leaning and their level of communication skills. Dr. Jane Healy extends the concept of "Brain Cleaning" which is a way of redirecting how student learn who have been impact in a negative way.

Socioeconomic status and technology has a great impact on how students learn. These two factors can inhibit students greatly. Student learning is essential regardless to a students back ground.  All students have a right to a fair education that should not be limited by their socioeconomic status or technology impact on their lives.

References

Endangered Mind (Image). 2013 June 7, 2013 http://chesterfieldmontessori.org/images/books/endangeredMind.jpg

Association, A. P. (2013, June 7). Retrieved from American Psycholgical Association: mindshttp://www.apa.org/pi/ses/resources/publications/factsheet-

Healy, J. (2013, June 7). Endangered Minds. Retrieved from Enotes : http://www.enotes.com/endangered-minds-salem/endangered-minds

Merriam-Webster. (2013, June 7). Retrieved from Merriam Webster: http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/socioeconomic