MEYERSDALE AREA SCHOOL DISTRICT A PLANNED COURSE STATEMENT FOR Business Communications and Procedures Adopted: June 2009 Revised: June 2012 Developed by: Christine Custer Business Communications Planned Course Statement A. Page 2 COURSE DESCRIPTION This course is designed to help students sharpen their tools for oral and written communications in business and the working environment. This includes using a computer, oral, writing and editing skills. Proofreading, filing, business equipment usage and other business basic skills will be examined. This course will develop basic skills, information and attitudes that will prepare the students for a successful career. Length of Course: 36 Weeks Periods per Week: Five Curriculum: Unit: Grading: Prerequisite(s): Business Education 1 Credit Percentage None Materials: Help with Business English, by Judith Shultz Byfield, Houghton Mifflin Company Telecommunications Skills, Moore, Southwestern, 2004 Communication Skills for the Processing of Words, 5th Edition, Reiff, Southwestern, 2005 Proofreading at the Computer, Norstron and Cole, South-Western , 2000. Alphabetic Indexing, Guthrie Norwood, South-Western , 1999. Internet Worksheets and handouts distributed by the teacher. Business Communications Planned Course Statement Page 3 UNIT: Business English I. Learning Objective: A. Students will obtain a level of proficiency in functional language skills including vocabulary, grammar, spelling, proofreading and oral communications. In any office and as part of life, these rules are a necessity to learn and understand. Students will use hands on techniques, internet and handouts to master these skills. Functional language, vocabulary and grammar are introduced in manageable amounts. With a focus on listening and speaking, learners are given the opportunity to build their confidence in areas such as telephoning, ordering, networking and dealing with problems in authentic business contexts II. Content A. Students will define common nouns, proper nouns, collective nouns, plural nouns, and possessive nouns. B. Students will identify common nouns, proper nouns, collective nouns, plural nouns, and possessive nouns within a sentence. C. Students will define pronouns, personal pronouns, gender pronouns, case pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, interrogative pronouns, and indefinite pronouns. D. Students will underline and identify the pronouns, personal pronouns, gender pronouns, case pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, interrogative pronouns, and indefinite pronouns with a sentence. E. Student will write pronouns, personal pronouns, gender pronouns, case pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, interrogative pronouns, and indefinite pronouns and use them correctly in a sentence. F. Students will define three different types of verbs – action, linking and helping. G. Students will identify and use each type in a sentence or paragraph form. H. Students will define the different types of adjectives – descriptive, proper, articles and comparison. I. The student will identify and use each type in a sentence or paragraph form. J. Students will define the different types of adverbs – modifying verbs, modifying adjectives, modifying adverbs and comparison. K. The student will identify and use each type of adverb in a sentence or paragraph form. L. Students will define prepositional phrase, coordinating conjunctions, correlative conjunction, and subordinating conjunctions. M. The student will identify each and use each type in a sentence or paragraph form. N. Students will identify the types and parts of a sentence. O. Students will create sentences based on types and parts. P. Students will identify and define four types of phrases – appositive, infinitive, participial, and gerund. Q. Students will identify each in sentence or paragraph form. R. Students will create their own sentences or paragraphs using these phrases. Business Communications Planned Course Statement Page 4 UNIT: Telecommunicating Skills I. Telecommunications in the world A. Students will define telecommunications. B. Students will identify major technology developments of the 1980’s and 1990’s. C. Students will explain why it is important to study telecommunications. D. Students will research a historic event dealing with telecommunications and reports their findings. E. Students will explore jobs in telecommunications. F. Students will analyze the top uses of the Internet. II. Using Business Telephones, technology and tools A. Students will identify why the telephone is an ideal way to communicate when a problem needs solved. B. Students will explain how having more than one line on a business telephone will help when receiving incoming calls. C. Students will describe three types of telephone systems used by businesses. D. Students will explain two ways CTI can improve customer service. E. Students will write a memo. F. Student will research and purchase a fax machine. G. Students will handle incoming calls on the telephone. III. Wireless Telecommunications A. Students will list five ways a cell phone can handle business tasks. B. Student will explain why it is particularly important to observe the rules of cell phone etiquette in business. C. Student will name three professions that use walki-talkies, two-way radios, or pagers and list two advantages of each device. D. Students will list at least three features of a handheld computer that can help organize personal band business information. E. Students will research and compare pagers on the internet. IV. Telecommunication Networks A. Students will define sender, channel and receiver. B. Students will identify the three key elements of a telecommunications network. C. Student will list two benefits of having a business network. D. Students will explain how the Internet, intranet and extranet differ. E. Students will give directions on how to troubleshoot a technical problem experienced on the computer. F. Students will use the internet and research network service providers. V. The Internet Business Communications Planned Course Statement Page 5 A. Students will explain why to be cautious about giving personal and company information on a web site. B. Students will explain the difference between a traditional company that uses the internet for e-commerce and a dot-com company. C. Students will research and report the history of the internet. D. Students will evaluate web sites of local companies. VI. Doing business on the Internet – pg 65 A. Students will explain why it is important to use more than one search engine when doing research on the Web. B. Students will explain how a directory organizes information for searching. C. Students will list three general types of information sources that give reliable and accurate information on the web. D. Students will list at least two factors on what to consider before downloading and using information from a web site. E. Students will research and report plagiarism. F. Students will define and explain how copyright differs from a trademark or patent. VII. Mortgages A. Students will define the term mortgage B. Students will identify several types of mortgages C. Students will describe the components involved in obtaining a mortgage D. Students will explain the mortgage approval process E. Students will describe consumer protection laws that apply to mortgage lending F. Students will describe laws directly related to mortgage lending G. Students will explain the concept of government backed loans H. Students will identify government backed programs to encourage home lending VIII. Commercial Lending A. Students will list purposes for commercial loans B. Students will identify types of commercial loans C. Students will identify basic ratios used in commercial underwriting D. Students will list other items used to evaluate commercial loans E. Students will explain the importance of disclosure in commercial loans F. Students will describe the purpose of the SBA G. Students will explain SBA loan eligibility requirements H. Students will identify SBA loan options Unit: How to do Banking I. Setting and reaching goals A. Students will explain how to set and reach financial goals B. Students will develop a personal budget II. Savings accounts Business Communications Planned Course Statement Page 6 A. Students will tell how and where to save money in order to reach financial goals III. Electronic Banking A. Students will describe how to use an ATM and how moving money by satellite has change banking IV. Balancing and writing checks A. Students will write checks B. Students will reconcile a bank statement to a check book register V. Credit A. Students will explain how to get and keep credit Unit: Basic Keyboarding Skills A. Reinforcement of basic keyboarding skills 1. Students will type by touch, display proper posture, and use proper keystroking patterns. 2. Students will type without looking at their keyboard. B. Speed and Accuracy Development 1. Students will strive to earn a “C” average or better on timed writings. 2. Students will strive to improve on their speed and/or accuracy progressively. C. Centering horizontally and vertically 1. Students will correctly format and type problems using MS Word vertical and horizontal placement. D. Formatting and typing business letters 1. Students will correctly format and type business letters using proper placement for all letter parts. E. Addressing envelopes 1. Students will type addresses on small and large envelopes following specific guidelines, and using MS Word. UNIT: Electronic Calculator Proficiency I. Learning Objective: A. Students will develop the ten-key touch method for speed and accuracy. B. Students will perform four basic math functions while being tested for speed and accuracy. C. Students will solve typical business problems such as percentage, millage, markup and markdown. Students will utilize the advanced calculator functions such as memory, percent and memory storage Business Communications Planned Course Statement Page 7 UNIT: Index and Filing III. Learning Objective: Students will learn and use the correct proofreaders marks while correcting business correspondence. Students will also use correct grammar, sentence construction, punctuation and language. Students will improve the quality of their copy. In any office and as part of life, these rules are a necessity to learn and understand. Students will use hands on techniques, internet and handouts to master these skills. IV. Content A. Students will file indexing units including personal names, minor words and symbols in business names with titles and suffixes. B. Students will file single letters and abbreviations. C. Students will combine article or particles in a personal or business name in order to correctly file and index. D. Students will index and file identical names. E. Students will index and file organizations and institution names. F. Students will index and file separated single words and hyphenated names. UNIT: Proofreading V. Learning Objective: A. Students will obtain a level of proficiency in the alphabetic and indexing rules and procedures. In any office and as part of life, these rules are a necessity to learn and understand. Students will use hands on techniques, internet and handouts to master these skills. VI. Content A. Proofread for keyboarding errors. B. Use comparative proofreading C. Proofread statistical information D. Use the electronic spell checker E. Proofread as a team F. Check for grammar, punctuation, mechanical and consistency errors G. Format common documents Business Communications Planned Course Statement UNIT: Page 8 All Units in Automated Accounting I INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES X Lecture RESOURCES & MATERIALS X Computer X Demonstration X Overhead Projector X Discussion X Chalkboard X Exploratory/Discovery Activity ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES (cont'd) Classroom Portfolio Other Models/Maps METHODS OF ASSISTANCE AND ENRICHMENT Laboratory X Textbooks X Cooperative Learning X Resource Books X Independent Learning Literature X Adaptive Materials X Integrated Learning Laboratory Equip./Materials X Test Remake/Retry X Presentation/Dramatization Manipulatives X Cooperative Learning X Peer Tutor Community Based Instruction X Worksheets/Workbooks Teacher Tutor Assembly X Demonstration Board Self-Check Charts Peer Teaching X Slides/Filmstrips/Movies X Modified Curriculum Enrichment/Learning Centers X Charts X Instructional Support Computations Calculator Parental Conferences X Project Other Aide Assistance X Note Taking X Silent Reading Color Code Clues ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES Alternate Instructional Approaches Drawing X Class Participation X Provide Extra Time Field Trips X Research Papers X Tests Competitions X X Essay Tests Task Analysis Guest Speakers X Objective Tests Organizational Framework Model Building X Rubrics Other X Homework INSTRUCTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS X Verbal Response (Tests) Ad Hoc Grouping Individual Project X Computer Utilization X Class Work X Independent Testing X X Whole Class Application Audio/Videotape Lessons X Small Group Multi-media Production Resource Teacher Pairs Quality Elements Checklist Individual Teacher Observations X Focus Groups Extended Readings X Guidesheets Self-Assessment Learning Style Adaptations Ability Groups X Workshops Increase Guided Practice Heterogeneous Group X Tests Inclusionary/Blended Teaching Team X Audiocassette/Projector Read Work Experience Lab Work Other Skills Checklist MATERIALS/TECHNOLOGIES: X Journals Peer Work Group Work Business Communications Planned Course Statement X Videocassette/VCR/TV X Software/Computer Group Project X CD ROM/Computer X Internet Posters Observations X Oral Presentations Videoconference Community Service TV/Satellite Booklets Other Leadership Page 9