Introduction to Business/Technology (Course Syllabus)

Course Code: 06.41500

Martin Luther King High School

Teacher(s): Ms. J. Coleman Email: janice_coleman@dekalbschoolsga.org

Room Number: 1036 Phone Number: 678-874-5487
Semester: Fall 2018 Tutorial Days: Tuesday & Thursdays
Textbook: N/A Tutorial Hours: 3:30-4:30
Various Internet Resources Tutorial Location: Room 1036

Department Philosophy: The Career Technology Education Department believes that education’s most important
function is to provide all students with the skills needed for post-secondary and careers. This is accomplished by
providing interest-based programs that meet industry standards

COURSE DESCRIPTION
Introduction to Business & Technology is the foundational course for the Administrative Support, Small Business
Development, and Human Resources Management pathways. The course is designed for high school students as a
gateway to the career pathways above, and provides an overview of business and technology skills required for today's
business environment. Knowledge of business principles, the impact of financial decisions, and technology
proficiencies demanded by business combine to establish the elements of this course. Emphasis is placed on
developing proficient fundamental computer skills required for all career pathways. Students will learn essentials for
working in a business environment, managing a business, and owning a business. The intention of this course is to
prepare students to be successful both personally and professionally in an information-based society. Students will not
only understand the concepts, but apply their knowledge to situations and defend their actions/decisions/choices
through the knowledge and skills acquired in this course. Employability skills are integrated into activities, tasks, and
projects throughout the course standards to demonstrate the skills required by business and industry. Competencies in
the cocurricular student organization, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), are integral components of both
the employability skills standards and content standards for this course.

Various forms of technologies will be highlighted to expose students to the emerging technologies impacting the
business world. Professional communication skills and practices, problem-solving, ethical and legal issues, and the
impact of effective presentation skills are taught in this course as a foundational knowledge to prepare students to be
college and career ready. Introduction to Business & Technology is a course that is appropriate for all high school
students. After mastery of the standards in this course, students should be prepared to earn an industry recognized
credential: Microsoft Office Specialist for Word Core Certification. The prerequisite for this course is advisor
approval.

Career Pathway: Small Business Development

Career Opportunities: Entrepreneur, Office Manager, Human Resource Manager
Software: Microsoft Office Suite, Internet Explore and other instructional software applications

FBLA is a co-curricular student organization that plays an integral part in the components of the Business &
Technology course standards. FBLA activities are incorporated throughout this course and the rest of the Business
and Computer Science courses. Students are strongly urged to join FBLA to benefit from the wealth of opportunities
the organization has to offer.
 COURSE STANDARDS
IBT-1 Demonstrate employability skills required by business and industry.
IBT-2 Apply technology as a tool to increase productivity by creating, editing, and publishing industry appropriate
documents.
IBT-3 Master word processing software to create, edit, and publish professional-appearing business documents.
IBT-4 Analyze and integrate leadership skills and management functions within the business environment.
IBT-5 Demonstrate understanding of the concept of marketing and its importance to business ownership.
IBT-6 Use professional oral, written, and digital communication skills to create, express, and interpret information and ideas.
IBT-7 Demonstrate an understanding of entrepreneurship through recognizing a business opportunity, how to start a business
based on the recognized opportunity, and basics of how to operate and maintain that business
IBT-8 Understand, interpret and use accounting principles to make financial decisions.
IBT-9 Develop effective money management strategies and understand the role and functions of financial institutions.
IBT-10 Research and interpret the various risks involved in operating a business while determining the role of insurance for
a business.
IBT-11 Examine basic human resources and the legal aspects of a business while incorporating the methods into business
practices.
IBT-12 Explore how related student organizations are integral parts of career and technology education courses through
leadership development, school and community service projects, entrepreneurship development, and competitive events.
UNITS/TOPICS
Semester 1: Semester 2:
1. Introduction to Technology 1. Leadership and Management
2. Word Processing Applications 2. Accounting 101
3. Effective Communication Skills 3. Money Management Basics
4. Introduction to the World of Marketing 4. Managing Risks
5. Entrepreneurship and Business Ownership 5. Introduction to Human Resources
Grading Procedures:

Class Assignments 20% A= 90-100 Excellent

Projects 30% B= 80-89 Good
Tests/Quizzes 25% C=71-79 Fair
Work Ethics 10% D=70 Passing
Final Exam 15% F=Below 70 Failing

Recovery Provision for Improving Grades: DeKalb County’s Policy – Provision for Improving Grades

 Opportunities designed to allow students to recover from a low or failing cumulative grade will be allowed
when all work required to date has been completed and the student has demonstrated a legitimate effort to
meet all work requires including attendance.
 Students should contact the teacher concerning recovery opportunities. Teachers are expected to establish a
reasonable time period for recovery work to be completed during the semester. All recovery work must be
directly related to course objectives and must be completed ten school days prior to the end of the semester.
 Teachers will determine when and how student with extenuating circumstances may improve their grades.

Honor Code:
As explained in the student handbook, cheating is defined as “the giving or receiving, in any form, information relating
to a gradable experience.” Violations of the honor code will result in a zero for the assignment, plus an honor code
violation form placed in the student’s disciplinary file. Read the handbook carefully to fully understand what
constitutes a violation. Upon teacher request, students may be required to email essays, research papers, or other
written work to turnitin.com. The website checks the submission for plagiarism, provides a receipt for the student to
give to the teacher, and reports to the teacher that the student’s work was not copied from any source. Students will
be trained on the use of turnitin.com in the first week of school. Students who do not have email access at home may
use the computers in the media center.
Schoology:
An educational platform to aide in student achievement. All tests will be administered via Schoology. Tests are not
to be taken unless you are in the classroom under the supervision of the teacher not the substitute teacher. A grade of
zero (0) will be given to any student who fails to follow the assigned rules for Schoology.

Georgia Work-Ready and End-of-Pathway Assessments:

The Georgia Department of Education has made available two assessments to ascertain the competence of our career
technology students. The assessments are Work-Ready and End-of-Pathway. The Work Ready assessment measures
the skills of Georgia's workers, determines valuable job training opportunities, and assures companies that the state
can provide a long-term, qualified labor supply, and is a requirement for some Georgia jobs. The End-of-Pathway
assessment measures the level of technical skill attainment of each career pathway completer. The Work-Ready
assessment will be administered to all work-based learning students and all seniors currently enrolled in a CTE course.
The End-of-Pathway assessments will be administered to all CTE students who have finished or are finishing a
pathway. Tests will be administered in October and April.

Classroom Rules

Classroom Expectations: Please respect yourself, your classmates, your teacher, and school
property/campus.

1. All students are expected to arrive to class promptly and prepared. As soon as the last bell rings, students
are expected to be in their assigned seats, otherwise a student is considered tardy.
2. It is the student’s responsibility to bring all required materials to class every day.
3. Cheating will not be tolerated! If you cheat or allow/assist someone to cheat, all parties involved will
receive a zero and your parents will be notified immediately.
4. NO gum, candy, food, or drinks are allowed in this classroom/lab at any time.
5. Keep the room clean and respect the equipment and furnishing
6. Absolutely no use of vulgar, profane, or inappropriate language in the classroom
7. Students should use the restroom during class change--you will receive 5 passes for each semester. If those
passes are used, you will not be permitted to leave the room unless you have an emergency. Students must
be responsible for their own class pass, if it is loss you will not receive a replacement.
8. Students are not to groom in class, this includes hair, make-up, nails, etc…
9. Electronic devices, cellular phones, IPod, CD players, MP3 players, hand-held games, cards, or any other
material not related to or used in this class should be left at home. Bringing these items to class will result
in confiscation. Items will be released only to a parent or guardian.
10. When using the computer lab, NO student is to use the computer for activities that do not relate to this
class; therefore, you should not be checking e-mail, chatting, playing games, downloading, uploading,
doing research for another class, listening to music, personal browsing, etc….When allowed to use the
Internet, visiting websites that are not appropriate for school or not educationally related is PROHIBITED.
Violators will face consequences as outlined in the student handbook.

Discipline Policy: Students who do not adhere to classroom rules will incur consequences. The instructor reserves
the right to contact parents, administration, or counselors at any point in the discipline chain.

First Offense (Level 1): Warning given

Second Offense (Level 2): Student is assigned detention and parent is contacted.
Third Offense (Level 3): Student is assigned detention, parent is contacted, & seat assignment is changed.
Fourth Offense (Level 4): Parent is contacted, Self-Improvement Contract drawn-up and signed.
Fifth offense (Level 5): Administrative referral.

Detention: Detention will be held from 3:25-3:55pm in room E207 or C211on the assigned date(s). You should
arrive promptly and have work to complete. Failure to report to detention will result in a referral to an administrator.
If you have a conflict with the dates assigned, please see the instructor prior to your assigned date(s). The following
offenses will result in immediate administrative referral: Fighting, vandalism, overt defiance, or stopping the class
from functioning.
No student has the right to interrupt another student's learning processes or the instructor's ability to deliver instruction.
Violators will face consequences.

** All students should observe ALL the rules and regulations in the Student Handbook. **

Classwork/Projects/Labs/Special Projects
Students who fail to submit their assignment(s) on the date delineated by the individual instructor will receive a point
deduction as follows:

Late Day 1 11 points 89 is the total possible points a student may earn
Late Day 2 9 points 80 is the total possible points a student may earn
Late Day 3 5 points 75 is the total possible points a student may earn

Homework
Students will have 3 opportunities to submit late homework assignments.
Students who fail to submit their homework assignment(s) on the date delineated by the individual instructor will
receive a point deduction as follows:

*Late Day 1 11 points 89 is the total possible points a student may earn
*Late Day 2 9 points 80 is the total possible points a student may earn
Saturday School 5 points 75 is the total possible points a student may earn

*Teacher will determine the date student must submit the assignment.

Reassessment Policy
The goal of any summative assessment is to assess the level of mastery on a set of performance standards. Often,
students perform on some assessments better than others. Therefore, reassessment should be used as a learning
opportunity and students should take more responsibility for learning. Full credit is the maximum grade for
reassessments. The student is required to attend at least one tutorial session for re-teaching prior to the reassessment.
Reassessments must occur within the same 4.5 week marking period as the original assessment.
Make-up Work
Students who have excused absences are afforded an opportunity to complete missed work after their return to school.
Students have three days upon return to complete schoolwork missed due to an excused absence. Failure to complete
the missed work by the designated deadline will warrant an assignment to Saturday School.
Zeroes
Every effort should be used to avoid issuing a student a zero. Students may be assigned detention or Saturday School.
Also, parents may be contacted to solicit support for work completion. Counselors and administrators should be
involved if a student misses assignments regularly. Parents must be notified in writing or via a telephone call any
time a zero is issued. Teachers must document attempts to receive work from students.

****Important Information for Parents/Students****

Please read, sign, and return as soon as possible.

Classroom/Lab Agreement
I have read and understand the fall 2016 course syllabus including classroom/lab rules and regulations. I also
understand I will be using school equipment, and I will take care of it in a proper manner. If misuse of
equipment is found, I could be liable for the cost of repair.
Student Name (print) ________________________________________________________________
Student Signature ___________________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Name (print) ________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature ___________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian E-mail Address ______________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Home Phone Number _________________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Cell Number (if applicable) ____________________________________________