School Year 2023-2024
Course Description
What message are you sending when you speak, write, and listen? As one of the most important skills for employers, students will explore the value of communication in their personal and professional life. The digital presence and impact of written and visual communication in a technological society will be addressed. Students will create, edit, and publish professional-appearing business documents with clear and concise communication. Creative design, persuasive personal and professional communications will be applied through research, evaluation, validation, written, and oral communication. Leadership development and teamwork skills will be stressed as students work independently and collaboratively. Presentation skills will be developed and modeled for students to master presentation software in this course.
Various forms of technologies will be used to expose students to resources, software, and applications of communications. Professional communication skills and practices, problem-solving, ethical and legal issues, and the impact of effective presentation skills are enhanced in this course to prepare students to be college and career ready. 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 co-curricular student organization, Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA), are integral components of the employability skills standard for this course.
Business Communications is the third course in the Business and Technology pathway in the Business Management and Administration cluster. Students enrolled in this course should have successfully completed Introduction to Business and Technology and Business and Technology. After mastery of the standards in this course, students should be prepared to take the end of pathway assessment in this career area: Microsoft Office Specialist for PowerPoint Core Certification.
Course Prerequisites: Introduction to Business and Technology and Business & Technology
Curriculum Overview
The following academic concepts will be covered. THIS IS ONLY A GUIDE AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
CURRICULUM OVERVIEW |
Unit 1 – Communication for Employment |
Unit 2 – Communication Skills |
Unit 3 – Effective Presentations |
Unit 4 – Advanced Word Processing |
Unit 5 – Working with Digital Technology |
BOARD-APPROVED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS
Title | N/A |
ISBN | N/A |
Replacement Cost | N/A |
Online book and/or resources | Microsoft PowerPoint MOAC, Microsoft Advanced Word MOAC, Microsoft Office 365, Google Apps |
Online student access code (school specific) | |
GRADING SYSTEM: The DeKalb County School District believes that the most important assessment of student learning shall be conducted by the teachers as they observe and evaluate students in the context of ongoing classroom instruction. A variety of approaches, methodologies, and resources shall be used to deliver educational services and to maximize each student’s opportunity to succeed. Teachers shall evaluate student progress, report grades that represent the student’s academic achievement, and communicate official academic progress to students and parents in a timely manner through the electronic grading portal. See Board Policy IHA.
GRADING CATEGORIES | *GRADE PROTOCOL |
Formative and Diagnostic Assessments – 0% Assessment Tasks (Skills & Homework) – 25% Classwork (Guided, Independent, and Group Practice) – 45% Quizzes, Tests, and Projects – 30% | A 90 – 100 B 80 – 89 C 71 – 79 D 70 F Below 70 |
Notes:
*English Learners (ELs) must not receive numerical or letter grades for the core content areas in elementary and middle school during their first year of language development. A grade of CS or CU must be assigned. This rule may be extended beyond the first year with approval from the EL Studies Program. English Learners must receive a grade for ESOL courses.
~Elementary schools will utilize P (pass) and F (fail) in Health/Physical Education, Music, World Languages, Visual Arts and Performing Arts.
DISTRICT EXPECTATIONS FOR SUCCESS |
STUDENT PROGRESS | Semester progress reports shall be issued four and a half, nine and thirteen and a half weeks into each semester. The progress of students shall be evaluated frequently and plans shall be generated to remediate deficiencies as they are discovered. Plans shall include appropriate interventions designed to meet the needs of the students. See Board Policy IH. |
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY | Students will not engage in an act of academic dishonesty including, but not limited to, cheating, providing false information, falsifying school records, forging signatures, or using an unauthorized computer user ID or password. See the Code of Student Conduct - Student Rights and Responsibilities and Character Development Handbook. |
HOMEWORK | Homework assignments should be meaningful and should be an application or adaptation of a classroom experience. Homework is at all times an extension of the teaching/learning experience. It should be considered the possession of the student and should be collected, evaluated and returned to the students. See Board Policy IHB. |
MAKE-UP WORK DUE TO ABSENCES | When a student is absent because of a legal reason as defined by Georgia law or when the absence is apparently beyond the control of the student, the student shall be given an opportunity to earn grade(s) for those days absent. Make-up work must be completed within the designated time allotted. See Board Policy IHEA. |
SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS FOR SUCCESS |
CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS | Respect yourself, your classmates, your teacher, and school property. 1. No cursing, rude or disrespectful behavior. 2. Cheating will not be tolerated! 3. 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 talking when the teacher is talking. ABOVE ALL, ENTER CLASS PREPARED AND READY TO LEARN! ** All students should observe ALL the rules and regulations in the Student Handbook. ** Remember the 5 P’s: · Be prompt · Be respectful · Be polite · Be patient · Be prepared to learn |
FBLA | Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA) is a co-curricular student organization that plays an integral part in the components of the Business & Technology course standards. The development of positive personal qualities and leadership is a vital component for career and academic success. In this course, that development is achieved through a variety of methods, which include the participation in future competitions based on knowledge and skills learned in the classroom, career and leadership development through peer interactions, and adult mentoring. FBLA activities are incorporated throughout this course and all the Business and Computer Science courses. Students are strongly recommended to join FBLA to benefit from the wealth of opportunities the organization has to offer. To join FBLA, dues are only $30.00 due on or before September 1st (membership fee includes state & national dues and organization t-shirt). To participate exclusively in the classroom to complete BAA Awards (Business Achievement Awards) all students are required pay the minimum of $11 (this does not include a t-shirt or any other fees). |
MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES | Chromebook, laptop or desktop The Microsoft Suite |
EXTRA HELP | Tutorial Hours: M/T/TH/F 7:45 am or 3:15 pm OR by appointment |
Student/Parent(s)/Guardian(s)Acknowledgement Form Please Click Here.