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An interesting point about this chapter is cloud computing. Cloud computing means that services and information are stored and managed on servers outside of an organization, processed quickly, and available from many different devices to result in increased efficiency with reduced costs, staff workload, and energy consumption.

Clouds can be integrated into a business classroom by allowing students to use clouds for storage space and also they can be used for a virtual academy. Online clouds could also allow students access to textbooks online which would save school districts a lot of money.

Clouds could be used in the business environment for storing company information. The only concern I would have about this is what if a hacker gains access to a company’s cloud and all of their records. Clouds may also allow for storage of these records to become more difficult to hack into with advanced security options. Clouds could also allow businesses to use advanced search options that may allow them to access information in a more efficient manner.

Wikis are web pages that students can use to write, edit, and add elements, such as images, video, to create collaborative projects. Wikis can be used for professional development as well for teachers. Traditionally teachers work in isolation with little sharing among peers and other experts in the field. Wikis allow educators to share information and build on one another work through collaboration whether it be subject area or grade level.

Wikis can be used in the business and marketing classroom in numerous ways. One of the ways I think Wikis would be a good tool to use would be to study for a test. Students could create a wiki and then collaborate over the important items they believe will be on the test or key to their own learning. This peer teaching could be beneficial to the students and the teacher could also add some concepts that they may not include right away. This would be a great tool for understanding what areas need to be taught more in depth and what students know and don’t know as well. I would also give students participation points for contributing. This would be difficult to track but if you give each student a concept and then have them post it you could track the learning and participation this way.

Wikis are used in the business environment many ways. I believe they are used not only to work collaboratively with one another but also to give customers a better understanding of their products and services offered. Because wikis allows companies to use images and videos the uses are unlimited. Wikis could also allow businesses to use them to collaborate on research and other work.

The article I selected is about how students use Web 2.0 tools to collaborate and work on group outside of the classroom. The reason I chose this article is because I was wondering if the strategies my peers and I use is the most popular form and matched the research data stated in the article.

The article discusses that information learned in small group work is retained longer than other instructional formats. The article discusses how student test scores were raised and also the student’s problem solving abilities increased and it had nothing to do with the instructor. This data supports the theory that small group work is the best way for students to retain information.

The article also suggest that students use tools such as Facebook, Instant messaging, and text messaging, to arrange meeting dates and communication. The students use email and blackboard to file share and collaborate on projects. The main advantage to using Web 2.0 in group work is convenience, increased productivity, and feedback from peers.  The article also discusses the importance of using collaborative tools such as Google docs allows students to work on the same project but input their section of information. This tool is one of the best collaboration tools and I know first hand it has been helpful with group projects.

Some disadvantages to using Web 2.0 tools which I found interesting is that students found that trust was more of a concern because of the limited face to face interaction. Other concerns with Web 2.0 technology was the reliability of the software and connections working properly when needed. Some students complained about emails not going through and this can be crucial to the success of a project.  Another part of the collaboration outside of the classroom is that eventually someone needs to take on the leadership role and divide up the work. With having to communicate through web tools and not face to face this sometimes becomes a disadvantage to students and the group might not always be on the same page.

After reading this article I would say the information is accurate to the experiences I have had myself first hand with Web 2.0 tools. I know several times I have used facebook and text messaging to arrange meeting dates and also the collaboration of information using email and Google docs has been very helpful for insuring the work was complete.

Virtual environments  allows students and educators to step into a virtual world and learn. Virtual worlds are defined as online interactive systems in which multiple people, sometimes millions of people, share in the development  of an interactive narrative. Teachers use virtual environments to support inquiry based learning and conceptual understanding. This allows the students to realize there is no one correct way and that they will often research the problems as they come up with the solution.

One way of using virtual environments in a business and marketing classroom could be through the use of a simulation game.  A few example come to mind, one being a stock market simulation and the other a business simulation I used when studying at the University of Toledo. A stock market game would be a good tool for buying current stocks but with money the students don’t have so speaking from a hypothetical standpoint. While at the University of Toledo I was required to participate in a business simulation. This simulation had you decide what type of product you wanted to produce, number of workers, their hourly wage, stock options, dividends, price of product you were selling, and many other options. This simulation allowed you to compete against other college students in your product category. Overall it taught us the complexity of how businesses operate and gave us a big picture overview of the business world.

In the business environment the virtual environment is used in many ways. One way I could think of is their estimates for revenue for each quarter along with the use of advertising in virtual worlds. I know some companies pay to advertise in video games and the last presidential campaign President Obama had advertisements in video games and other virtual worlds.  Whether the business uses virtual worlds to simulate products and revenue or to use virtual environments to promote and advertise the uses of the virtual world is endless.

The world communicates in many different ways as technology keeps evolving. Visual communication tools include computers: cell phones, televisions, and other handheld devices. These visual learning tools could include use of photos, video clips, and other presentation software that allows students to communicate and express themselves. Teachers can use video and photo tools in many different ways in their classroom. One example could be a digital storyboard. A digital storyboard can be used to narrate a personal experience or story using photos and narration.  Currently at Sylvania Southview High School a class is creating a digital storyboard about introducing themselves to their classmates. The students love the assignment because of their options in the digital storytelling such as use of photos and music. They also appreciate the personalization of their assignment. The music they use in the their storyboards is copyright free music that the instructor provided to them.

There are 6 elements of a digital story.

• Voice: write in the first or third person
• Character: List the traits your main character demonstrates
• Setting: Describe where the story takes place
• Conflict: Show a disagreement or struggle
• Visual: Use photos or other images to enhance the story’s meaning
• Pacing: Set the stage by rising action, create drama using conflict, and use falling action to lead to resolution

These elements will greatly enhance the students stories.

If  I were to use visual elements in a business or marketing classroom I would have students create an advertisement. They would make up a product and identify characteristics of their target audience and consumer. Students would then create their own advertisements and share with the class.

Visual learning tools are used in the business environment in many different ways. One of the ways business use visual learning tools in the business environment is through expressing the image of the business. This could be a promotion video or an advertisement clip on television or online. Business could also use visual learning tools to train employees.

Social Networking allows people to communicate, learn, develop, and share information and ideas with one another. Many students use social networking but not allows for the best purposes. A lot of students use social networking to play games and chat with friends and not network with people in a professional manner.

Social Networking offers several advantages such as:

• small groups can collaborate on projects
• students can post questions and concerns
• the site can be used to retain teacher notes, videos, podcasts, and other classroom activities
• students who are absent can catch up on work
• students can develop, collaborate, and retain their own efforts over time
• access can be granted to families and others to share information

If I were to incorporate social media into the business education classroom I would use it to post assignments and reminders on projects. I believe this would keep students on track more because checking Facebook is one of the first things they do when they get home from school. This would be more useful than email reminders in my opinion. I would also use social networking to keep students who are absent up to date on assignments. This would also allow for communication with parents and  I would also demonstrate the power of networking and communication.

Business can use social networking to communicate with employees and also for advertisement. Some business will use social networking to collaborate on group projects and also to communicate. Before social networking like Facebook, businesses would send memos via email or fax. Now business will use Instant Messenger, Facebook, and Twitter. Business are also using social networking to reach out to customers. Advertising specials on a Facebook page is a lot more efficient than free standing inserts and other printed methods of advertising which would cost a lot more money.

This podcast discusses how parent teacher conferences should be conducted. The author of the podcast suggest that teachers always schedule appointments with parents ahead of time. They also suggest that teachers have records, assignments, and an individual folder with the students work to share with parents during conferences. The podcast also suggest that teachers make sure the student is aware of why the conference is taking place and to answer any questions the students has. By having good communication with parents  teachers will ensure that their child is meeting the educational expectations.

http://www.onwardsearch.com/Careers-Podcast/021-5-Signs-Social-Strategy-Is-Working/

This podcast covered the topics of how to use social media to searching for jobs. The host discussed many topics and the expert provided several examples. The expert stated the main points that people are sometimes intimidated to use social media. They hear about the negativity that Human Resource Departments discuss about Facebook and twitter being unprofessional. That is because people don’t use them the right way. They need to use social media to share ideas with people and network not discuss their daily activities. One way to know that your social media is working is when you go into a job interview and the interviewer skips right into the main questions and doesn’t ask about your interests or past employment because they already know if its posted on your social media sites. The expert also suggested that you have coworkers share notes or recommendations about the experiences they had working with you. This will really catch future employers attention. Social media can also be used to network and build relationships with people that you never meet face to face. By having small discussions you can build trusts and promote your personal brand. The podcast also discussed the promotion of local events, fundraisers, and job posts. They ended their podcasts with a list of jobs their company currently has openings for. One job that caught my eye was a Facebook account manager.

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hooverpodcast

Productivity Applications are used to help people conduct their daily activities. Some examples would be word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation tools, and collaborative calendars.

Teachers and students can use productivity tools in a variety of ways. The most beneficial way in my opinion is creating projects and collaborating on papers.By using a productivity tool such as Google docs. Google Docs allows students to collaboratively work on projects without having to meet face to face. This eliminates the problems with group work such as scheduling conflicts and storage of documents. With productivity tools students are able to work on it at their convenience and the storage is online therefore someone forgetting a flash drive does not affect their project because it is accessible online.

I would incorporate Productivity tools into the business education classroom by using it to work on group projects. An example I could think of would be the class creating a list of advertisements that gauge their attention. This would be an ongoing list and students can add it whenever they have time. This could also be used as a daily  participation grade. Also by using google docs it allows the teacher to monitor progress and make sure the students are on track.

Productivity tools are used in the business world for collaboration purposes in my opinion. Businesses can work on projects throughout their different departments and branches. It also eliminates the problems with international business setting up meetings because of time zone changes. Productivity tools would allow businesses to pick up the progress at their convenience as well. I could see productivity tools being really useful for business advertising using social media. This could be used in the classroom for students creating advertisements for local businesses. The businesses could draft what information and the student needs to include on their Facebook page for example such as hours of operations, menus( for restaurants), contact information, and job application process to name a few items. Productivity tools such as google docs would be very beneficial in a situation like this one.

Pod casts allow teachers to take advantage of the infinite number of resources available to them on a variety of topics. They can use pod casts to allow students to demonstrate their knowledge, understanding, and questions through pod casts. Schools have integrated these tools into the school by having students develop news shows. This allows parents and other members of the community stay up to date.

I believe that it would be neat to integrate pod casts into the business education classroom. One way I thought of doing this would be through using pod casts as a final exam assessment tool.  Students would create a pod casts which covers what they learned in the class and how they will continue to use this knowledge in their future. Students could also use pod casts to demonstrate their understanding of content and this could be used to help out other students who do not understand the content as well. An example would be a students explaining the accounting equation. A student could use example problems and this would be a great peer teaching and learning opportunity.

Students would link podcast to the business environment by viewing some examples of  businesses and how they use podcasts in everyday business .  An example I could think of would be having students create pod casts of a local business sort of like a Public Service Announcement. The PSA could turn into a competition and local businesses could choose to maybe issue scholarships to the best ones they believe will help their business.

Micro blogs likes Twitter allow Teachers to network and connect with people all across the globe. Twitter allows teachers to collaborate with other teachers for ideas and also allows teachers to connect with business professionals in the field. Twitter could be used in the business education field by following local businesses. Teachers and students could tweet questions to local businesses for example how do they advertise to the 12-18 year old market. This would be an authentic learning experience for both the students and teachers and allow the businesses to get instant feedback from students that may help their business.

Teachers can use blogs for many different purposes. Blogging allows all types of students to be included in the classroom and blogging can give teachers an assessment tool. For example it could allow students to work together on a research paper and also allow students to give feedback to one another. Teachers could use blogs for portfolios and to grade students over critical thinking and professionalism in the cyber world.

In my opinion blogs could used in Business Education to create a digital portfolio. Students could have an assignment to analyze businesses they pass on the walk or drive home from school and point out what they noticed. This idea and brainstorming could give them thoughts on how to improve the business or what they would do differently if starting their own business.

An assignment like the idea journal described above could be linked to the business environment by having students write a suggestion on what the local business do well or need to improve upon. For example, they could talk about their billboard advertising and describe the positive and negatives of this form of advertising. Students could then make suggestions on what might be a more effective marketing plan or more effective form to help out local businesses. Students could also use their knowledge and make the business a blog or blog about the business on a regular basis.

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