Accounting Explained – Accounting Resource

What is it?

Accounting Explained is a free online resource that provides information relating to financial and managerial accounting.  The website is split up into a few different sections.  On the home page, you can find the most popular topics searched on the website. At the top of the website, you can find three other categories: financial accounting, managerial accounting, and miscellaneous (this includes simple versus compound interest, sole proprietorship, partnership, corporation, weighted average cost of capital, and an introduction to corporate finance).

Within each topic, you can find a not too detailed, but detailed enough page of information that includes examples of the materials that were just discussed.

What do I like about it?

– Information is detailed, but overly detailed that it loses the reader’s attention.

– A search engine is provided to help make information easily accessible.

– The information usually contains at least one example to help ensure the reader understands the information.

– Website is user friendly and organized.

– Some of the information includes easy to remember acronyms to help readers understand the material better.

– There is a “most popular topics” section which can engage anyone who is interested in the topic or for those searching for extra help.

– A few of the information pages provide charts and pictures where possible.  One example can be found on the page with information about the accounting cycle.

What do I dislike about it?

– Although I appreciate the website including at least one example in many of the information pages, I sometimes wish that there were more.  Sometimes, one example isn’t enough and another example could have been extremely helpful.

– The website contains advertisements which can get distracting.  It also doesn’t help that the information pages are colourless and a bit bland looking whereas the advertisements are coloured with moving pictures.

Where does this fit into the curriculum and how would I use it in my classroom?

This online resource fits in with the Accounting 10/20/30 curriculum.  For the most part, this resource does an excellent job of covering a few of the objectives.  However for some objectives, there are a few small, but minor changes.  One example is in the curriculum, the accounting cycle is only 7 steps while this resource provides 8 steps (which I have checked that other resources have this as well!  However, when comparing the two, they are both relatively stating the same thing although one step in the resource is broken down into two steps).

Going into specifics, all of module 1 can be achieved with this resource (and it achieves it quite well I must say!).  This includes the accounting equation, financial statements, and commonly used definitions.  From Module 2, this resource can help to achieve the basics of preparing the financial statements.  All of Module 3 can be achieved.  A majority of Module 4 can be achieved although not in as much detail as I would like.  Only a tiny section of Module 8 can be achieved (mostly just the definitions and a few basics).  And finally, the basics of straight-line depreciation from Module 9B can be achieved.

As for actual use in my classroom, I might only use this resource for studying the accounting cycle from Module 1 since this resource covers it quite nicely.  So if I were to actually use this in my classroom, I could use the information either for notes or as an assignment/independent study.  With that said, it could be anywhere from a whole group assignment to pair or individual work and in class or out of class.

Also, this could be an excellent resource to post onto my classroom blog or website for extra help for students who need the help or even just want to learn more about the subject.

Overall evaluation of Accounting Explained…

Overall, I really enjoyed reading up on some of the information provided on Accounting Explained.  I feel that they have done a good job on explaining the accounting cycle and have broken it up into steps to help simplify this cycle.  The website itself is user friendly and it is easy to find information which is great for people like me with low tolerances for technology!  The biggest downfall to this website however is that it doesn’t cover very much of the curriculum and it fails to have pictures or something like that to help “spice” it up (or make it look more engaging).

If I were to give this website a rating, I would give it a 7/10.

Utah Education Network – Accounting Resource

The Utah Education Network is a website specifically for teachers and school districts in Utah (although luckily anyone has access to it and it’s resources).  This education network provides a variety of resources for professional development which includes lesson plans, a link to the Utah core standards (curriculum), games, blogs, and other resources.

Specifically I would like to look at the lesson plans section of this resource.  I have looked through many resources and have found many good resources that could be used in my classroom or even ideas to use to teach a particular lesson.

What is it?

This section of the website provides lesson plans and unit plans (not very detailed however) for all grades and all subjects that are found within the Utah curriculum.  Under the business category, this includes many subjects that can be found under the Saskatchewan curriculum, including: information processing, communications media, accounting, and law (although it can be found under a different name on the website and amount of resources can vary).

Under each specific lesson plan and unit plan, you can find a summary of the lesson, which curriculum objective this lesson achieves, career connections, materials (which includes teacher resources, student resources, rubrics, and websites), background for teachers, intended learning outcomes, instructional procedures, strategies for diverse learners, assessment plan, and a bibliography section.

What do I like about it?

– Resources provided can be easily downloaded.

– Resources provided (e.g., student outline) can be opened in Microsoft Word which can be easily edited (very convenient!).

– Lesson plans are detailed enough for the teacher to get a brief idea of what to do for a lesson but it is not that detailed that it is “spoon feeding” the teacher.  This will help to keep classrooms original and doesn’t limit the teacher’s creativity that is put into the lesson.

– Provides links to outside websites for additional information or resources that can be used in the classroom.  These outside links are usually quizzes and activities which can be stimulating and engaging for the students.  This is extremely helpful in case someone would like to look deeper into certain topics, check the information provided, or look for other resources or ideas to use.

– Information provided is brief and to the point.  There is no garbage or junk within these lesson plans that are time consuming to read; it is short (sometimes even one word sections) and straight to the point.

– Lesson plans are organized and do not need to be downloaded (although resources within the lesson plans must be in order to view).

– Website is easy to navigate and is user friendly (which is great for technology illiterate people like me!).

What do I dislike about it?

– In all of the lesson plans that I have viewed, the “Strategies For Diverse Learners” section only ever had “online activities.”  I feel that there are many ways that lesson can be adapted so I feel they could have done more with this.  However, I don’t take this as a huge factor especially since it is also hard to make adaptations for an unknown class or unknown students.  Also, seeing as they provide a lesson plan with great resources, I suppose the teacher has to do something on their own, hey?  With that said, I don’t think it was necessary to include this section in the lesson plan since there wasn’t any strategies really given that could help meet the needs of diverse learners.

– Some of the resources for the students did not look very appealing.  I took a look at one of the resources and was thinking “Holy cow this looks like a lot of work and really boring!” If I thought this, I’m pretty sure my students would as well.

How does this fit into the curriculum and how would I use it?

This online resource can be used to achieve the objectives from the Accounting 10/20/30 curriculum.  Specifically, this website can help to partially achieve 5 out of 17 of the objectives within this curriculum: Module 1 (basic vocabulary, adjusting and closing entries, journalizing, general ledger, and worksheets for merchandising and service businesses), Module 2 (financial statements), Module 4 (cash control), Module 5 (payroll), and Module 9 (depreciation).

In my actual classroom, I would use this resource as a reference and possibly use some of the ideas from these lessons. If I were to use them, I would most likely change the resources for students and modify them so they are more appealing to students.  I feel that school can be fun and shouldn’t be completely boring or else students will not want to learn, so I definitely think I would change up some of the resources.  With that said, it is a good starting point and offers many ideas to use.

Also, I could post some of the resources given onto the class website/blog or hand them out to students who would like to practice their knowledge, need to deepen their understanding, or need something productive to do if they finish their work early.

Overall evaluation of Utah Education Network

If this website aligned with the Saskatchewan curriculum rather than the Utah curriculum, I think this would be an awesome resource to use.  Unfortunately though it’s not, but it can serve as a good reference point and can occasionally be used in the classroom.

If I had to rate this website resource, I would definitely give it a 8/10.

DWMBeanCounter.com – Accounting Resource

dwmbeancounter.com is a website created by David Marshall, who is a retired individual who has experience in audits, payroll, and teaching college business classes.  This site specifically was created with the intent to help individuals learn the basics of accounting for free.

I will not cover the entire website; rather I would like to look at one page specifically.  On this page, you will find a description of four different accounting games: Fling the Teacher, Walk the Plank, Basketball, and Teacher Invaders.  In addition, this page provides links to these games and as well three different versions of the game which have different questions.

What is it?

1. Fling the Teacher – In this game, you build a trebuchet (or basically a catapult) to “fling the teacher.”  You build this by correctly answering questions related to accounting.  In addition, there are three “help” buttons that can only be used once during the game (sort of like the three life lines on Who Wants To Be A Millionaire).

2. Walk the Plank – As the title suggests, you have to make your victim “walk the plank” off of a pirate ship.  If you answer the given question correctly, you are given the opportunity to roll a dice which determines how many steps your victim takes towards the edge of the plank.  If you answer incorrectly, you must roll a dice and your victim will move that many steps away.

3. Basketball – The objective in this game is to test your 3-point shot.  You get to shoot a basketball every time you answer a question correctly.  However, this does not mean you score the basket.  This game also works on an individuals reaction time and accuracy; if you can line up the shot correctly by getting the cursor into the middle of a circle, then you will sink the basketball into the net.  The questions in this game test an individual’s basic bookkeeping and accounting knowledge.

4. Teacher Invaders – This game is very similar to space invaders but instead of shooting at aliens, you are shooting at teachers.  You are given three lives and for every question you answer incorrectly, you lose a life and must answer a different question until either you get the question correct or run out of lives.  If you answer the question correctly, you have earned an extra 10 seconds of game time and may continue the game until you have run out of lives (or complete all of the rounds, which I’m not entirely sure if that is possible as there seems to be many rounds).

What do I like about it?

In general, there is a wide variety of games for students to choose from that relate specifically to accounting.  So, if a student has no interest in basketball or becomes bored of the game, they can simply choose a different game that will test on the same knowledge.  Also, each game has a variety of difficulty levels which is great for differentiation and challenges each individual students’ knowledge at appropriate levels.

1. Fling the Teacher – The player (student) gets to create your own “victim” that you will fling.  This, along with the title “Fling the TEACHER,” can be appealing and engaging for the student (although might not send a good message about teachers).

– Has three “help” buttons which can provide help for students who are struggling and can avoid anger or frustration from having to restart the game.

– Not timed.  Students may take time to think about the answer and make sure that it is correct (which also avoids frustration and anger).

– Asks if you are sure about choosing that answer.  This can ensure that the student hasn’t accidentally clicked the wrong button.

– Although questions are the same if you restart the game, the questions and answers are generated into different order which can prevent memorization.

2. Walk the Plank – You can actually change the skin colour and hair colour of your victim (even to blue!!).

– Questions are challenging which could engage the individual playing the game (or could be a turn off too!).

– The “pirate” theme can attract and encourage students to play.

– Has three different versions of the game that have different questions.

3. Basketball – Can be one or two player and/or timed if desired.

– Tests general understanding and basic concepts.

– Has three different versions of the game which ask different questions.

– Works on accuracy and reaction time.

– Can be competitive and challenging for students.

– Appears to test relevant accounting information.

4. Teacher Invaders – It’s ADDICTING!! I found it hard to stop playing, although I was getting frustrated with some of the questions.

– Question section has helpful hints: If the answer is four letters long, it will have four question marks and if there is more than one word it is separated with a space. Ex. profit = ??????

– Questions are not timed which allows students to either look up the answer or thoroughly think about it.

– There are multiple rounds so the game lasts for quite a while.

– Gives three different data results at the end of the game including knowledge (%), total points received in the game, and how many “teachers” were destroyed (the second and third not so relevant to the testing of knowledge).

What do I dislike about it?

As a general note about all the games (except for the basketball game), they all send out a violent and negative image of teachers and that students should hate their teachers.  Students may think it’s funny but this can send out a bad message.

1. Fling the Teacher – If you get a question wrong, you have to restart the entire game and the questions are the same if you restart the same game.  This could lead to memorization if a student repeats it enough.  Also, since they have to restart the entire game, this could cause them to become frustrated and lose interest in the game/subject.

– It felt like a lot of questions.  Maybe they were a bit difficult for me but I felt like I was playing the game forever and was worried every single time I answered a question in case I had gotten it wrong and had to restart.

– I actually wasn’t able to beat the game.  I became very frustrated with it and made silly mistakes that I eventually just gave up.

– There is only one skin colour type that you can select.  This is racist and leads students to think that teachers are only “white” individuals.

2. Walk the Plank – Does not offer any hints or help buttons.

– Character calls you degrading names such as “stupid.”

– One game, I had answered 2 of 10 questions wrong and I still hadn’t gotten my victim off the plank.  This was because I kept rolling a total of 5 when I had a question correct and I had rolled a total of 9 or higher when I had the incorrect answer.  This made me extremely frustrated! This game is based off of luck and this happened a number of times! 😦

– Reuses many of the same questions if you have to restart the game so it doesn’t test a wide variety of your knowledge.

3. Basketball – When aiming to shoot the ball, the dot that moves back and forth moves quite fast the second time you must get it into the center.   This can be quite frustrating and may cause students to not want to play the game.

– By changing difficulty levels, this only affects how fast the cursor moves when trying to aim.  This does not actually change the difficulty of the questions.

– Questions do not change if you need to restart or try playing the game again.  This is sort of made up for by having different versions of the game but can be a hassle and more work than necessary.

– If you miss the basket or answer a question incorrectly, the remarks can be a bit degrading and could discourage a student from playing the game.

4. Teacher Invaders – Wording of some of the questions were difficult and became frustrating when the answer that was revealed was something that I should have known if I had read the question extremely carefully.

– Spelling must be accurate.  This could be both a positive and negative.  A positive in the way that it corrects and ensures that students are having thoughtful questions and the spelling is correct (works on literacy skills).  A negative is that it can be extremely frustrating since you lose a life for the error.

– You only get three lives.  This can be a downfall for a few reasons: One, if you get shot once or twice in the game, you don’t get very many chances to answer questions which won’t challenge the student’s knowledge and ultimately won’t help them learn in the end.  Of all the times that I played this game, the highest score I was able to get was 380 and only 8% knowledge.  This made me frustrated each time and made the game slightly off-putting for me.  Another way that this is a downfall is because with the short amount of lives, you don’t get to play for very long if you aren’t as skilled as the game requires you to be.  When you have to restart the game over and over again, it becomes unappealing and frustrating especially since it asks you many of the same questions.

– You do not receive points for getting correct answers.  I’m not sure whether or not this is a bad thing or a good thing but I feel like there should have been points for answering questions correctly.

Where does this fit into the curriculum and how would I use it?

This website fits into the Accounting 10/20/30 curriculum.  The games on this website cannot teach students to fully understand the information from this curriculum although it can help practice this knowledge and be used as a self-assessment tool.  Through playing the games, I am now aware of the areas of accounting from which these questions are derived from.  With that said, I can make an assumption that these games help to achieve Module 1A.  Specifically, these games help to achieve learning objective 1.1 which states: To recognize and use the basic vocabulary of accounting in classroom discussions and assignments.  So really, these games focus on definitions often used in accounting which is what this objective is asking to be achieved.

In my classroom, I could use this resource in a few different ways.  One way that I could use this in my classroom is as an end of unit practice when studying definitions.  Whether this is actually in class or in the students spare time, this could be used as a fun way to  review or self-check.

Another way I could use this resource is to use the idea of the games.  For example, I could tie business into actual physical basketball or something like a relay race.  For the relay race, they must complete an obstacle to get to an item.  But to get that item, they must answer a question about accounting in order to receive that item which they must bring back to their team in which they would then win.  This may seem like a bit of a stretch but it does get the students active while they are testing their knowledge on what they have been learning.

Also, I could just use this resource as supplementary resources for struggling students and those who wish to test their accounting knowledge on their own time.  I could do this by posting this resource on the classroom website/blog for students to access at any time.

Evaluation of DWM Bean Counter Games…

Overall the games on DWM Bean Counter are fairly engaging for students but can be extremely frustrating for those who have a slower reaction time or need questions to be provided in a simpler form of words.  The ideas of these games could be used within a classroom (provided a few modifications, in my opinion) and could work out great! However, as they are, they could prove to be a frustration for some students which is not what I would want for any of my students (although I know I can’t 100% avoid the frustration for all students).

If I were to rate the games found on this website, I would give a 6/10.

Accounting Coach – Accounting Resource

What is it?

Accounting Coach is an online website that provides free information about accounting.  There is a wide variety of topics that go from general to more specific, such as the Accounting Equation, Careers, and Manufacturing Overhead.  In addition to this information, there is a dictionary, “test yourself,” and pro materials (must be paid) section.

What do I like about it?

– Under each section of information, there are different subcategories which you may click on to jump to that section.  This can be very convenient and helps the reader to know what exactly will be covered in that section.

– There is a search box which can be very convenient in case a student needs to search something but doesn’t know where to find it or if it is even on the website.

– Includes crosswords of key words in each section. Also, there are tests, questions, and answer pages for each section to help students deepen their understanding and allow for self-checks of their understanding of the material.

– Tests give immediate feedback (if you choose to see the answer).  However, the answer is not explained.

– Under the questions and answers page, you can either look at popular questions and their corresponding answers or you can ask a question yourself.

What do I dislike about it?

– You cannot do a test on a persons overall knowledge; you can only do tests on each individual sections.

– Tests are easy to cheat on.  You simply have to move your cursor over the blank and it will reveal your answer.  This could be avoided if you print out these tests.

– Test cannot do a tally of questions you answered correctly (or give a final score).  For some students, this might be a feature that they would really appreciate.

– Cannot change tests according to different difficulty levels.

– There are ads on several of the pages.  This can be a distraction for some students and is not a good idea for classroom management and control.

– Although the information pages are short and straight to the point, I would have liked to have seen more detail and go in greater depth.

How does this fit into the curriculum and how would I use it in my classroom?

This website can be used in the Accounting 10/20/30 curriculum.  Unfortunately, this web resource does not go in as much depth on each subject as I would like; however, it does provide a variety of information which can help to achieve (along with other resources): Module 1B, Module 1D, Module 1G, a majority of Module 2, Module 3A-C, Module 4, Module 5 (although very little on 5B), Module 8, Module 9, and Module 13.  By comparing this to the number of modules in the accounting curriculum, this website resource can help to achieve 8 out of 16 outcomes.  Comparing this to other resources that I have found, this covers quite a lot of the curriculum although in a very general sense.

In my classroom, I could use this website resource in a couple different ways.  The first way I could use this website is for an independent study unit.  Students can do this on their own time or on free periods where they could choose from a list of topics that I have provided them.  However, because this resource does not go into as much depth as I would like, I would use this resource in conjunction with others.  This could help reduce the amount of material covered in class and allow the class to go in-depth with other materials.

Another way that I could use this in my classroom is as an extra resource for students who are struggling.  This website can be linked from the class website/blog and be used as a study tool or as extra help if students are struggling.

One other way that I could use this in my classroom is to use the quizzes and games from this website and use as either homework, quizzes or extra practice for those students who are struggling or have completed work before the rest of the class.

Evaluation of Accounting Coach.

Overall, I definitely like Accounting Coach and would use it in my classroom.  The website is very user friendly and it provides a general but diverse selection of information that students can use to study and practice.  If I were to rate this website, I would give it an 8.5/10.

Wikihow.com – Business Resources

What is it?

Wikihow.com is a website where anyone can post articles online.  This website provides articles for a variety of topics including: arts and entertainment, education and communications, food and entertainment, relationships, and finance, business and legal.

A look at a few resources from this site

How to Make a Resume is an article that explains what a resume is, the different types of resumes, and provides steps on how to recreate a resume.  This article also explains each step and provides examples of different resumes.  This article fits with the Life Transitions curriculum (module 17) and the Career and Work Experience 10/20/30 (module 6).

How to Understand Debits and Credits is an article which discusses debits and credits by breaking it down into steps to help students understand debits and credits and how they are used in financial statements.  This article fits with the Accounting 10/20/30 curriculum.

What do I like about Wikihow.com?

• Provides related articles at the end of the article for further interest or in case the article didn’t completely explain topic.
• Provides tips and videos.
• User-friendly.

What do I disliked about it?

• Advertisements in the right column of the article which could easily distract the viewer (in this case the students).
• Anyone can edit the article (both a pro and a con but someone could go on and erase the article or put in false information).

Where does this fit into the curriculum and how would I use it?

This website provides resources that could fit into any business curriculum (I’ve shown examples in Accounting, Life Transitions, and Career and Work Exploration).  In the classroom, there are a few ways that I could use this, the first being as an independent study in class.  I could provide students with the links for articles and get students to complete a question sheet or get them to write a summary on what they learned.  If this is an article say for example like the how to create a resume article, students could create a resume and use the article as a guideline to help.  If I wouldn’t use if for this purpose, I could always use it as an extra resource on our class blog to be examined outside of class.

Evaluation of Wikihow.com

Wikihow.com is a great site for finding many different articles, although the user should take caution since people can easily edit any article (whether for good or bad).  However, assuming people change it for the good, this website is a good resource for students to use.  I would use this website in my classroom although I may want to check on the links frequently to make sure it’s still the same (or better).

If I were to give Wikihow.com a numerical value, I would give it a 7/10.

SBTA Website – Business Resources

What is it?

The SBTA website is the website for the Saskatchewan Business Teachers’ Association which is an association directed by educators, associated members, and superannuated teachers who have an interest in business education.  This website provides awards, networking opportunities, PD events, and resources for members of this association.  Particularly what I am looking at is the “links” section found on the homepage tab on the left hand side.

What do I like about it?

• Organized.
• User friendly.
• Provides links for every business course offered in Saskatchewan.
• Open’s links in new tab so you don’t have to continually retype in the web URL or click “back” a bunch of times.
• Links provided lead to resources and websites with information about textbooks that could be used in a business classroom.
• Provides general tools, teaching aids, and business journals and newspapers.

Looking through some of the links:

http://www.lemonadegame.com/ this is a website that brings you immediately to a game where you are selling lemonade at a lemonade stand.  This game makes you take into consideration different factors that might affect sales, customer satisfaction, etc.  This is engaging and could be great in an entrepreneur class!

Under financial planning, the link “Test your Investment Know-How” brings you to this:

I don’t see anything about testing your knowledge about investing.  I even tried searching for this in the website search box and nothing popped up, so I feel this wasn’t a useful resource and makes me believe they don’t always check their links to make sure they’re right or working.

What do I dislike about it?

• Only provides links.  There is no description of the website or what the website has to offer for teachers.  Basically left to go explore on your own which isn’t always a bad thing but for teachers who are strapped for time, a brief description would be helpful.
• A few of the links that I looked at didn’t bring me to where I thought I was going (see above example).

Where does this fit into the curriculum and how would I use it?

This fits into all business curriculum.  If I ever need to find a resource to help me teach a business class or just find general information about that course I could go under the categories and easily pick out links to look at.  Some of the resources, like the lemonade stand, I would use with my students in an Entrepreneurship class to help them become aware of factors affecting a business’s sales and what and how much to purchase for supplies.

Evaluation of the SBTA website.

The website is a user friendly and well-organized website that provides great resources for business teachers to consider using.  For the most part, they provide more than one link per category in case you don’t want to use a certain one or are looking for more ideas.  Some of the resources are engaging and usable in a classroom and others are just there to help teachers find more resources or provide information on the subject that they are teaching.

If I had to give this website a numerical value, I would give it a 8/10 and the resource (lemonade stand) a 8/10.

Slideshare.net – Business Resources

Slideshare.net is a website that shares presentations, documents, PDF’s, videos, and webinars.  These can be about almost any topic as long as someone has shared it on the site.  This has many great resources, two which I will discuss: How has the Personal Computer Evolved and The Accounting Equation.

What is it “How has the Personal Computer Evolved”?

This is a slide presentation discussing how both the computer and the personal computer have evolved over time and how the personal computer has changed our lives.

What do I like about it?

• Visually dynamic.
• Organized.
• Pictures to help engage viewer.
• Discusses people who were important in the making of the computer.
• Adds humor (once again increases engagement).

• Discusses advantages and disadvantages of computers.
• Discusses different types of technology.
• Point form so information is short and to the point.
• User friendly.

What do I dislike about it?

• It has an Overview slide and next is an Introduction slide that basically tells the viewer the same thing.

Where does this fit into the curriculum and how would I use it?

This presentation fits in with the first module in the Information Processing 10/20/30 curriculum.  To be specific, it fits with learning objective 1.2 (pg 14) which states: “To identify the changes and trends of computer as well as the differences in current technology.”  This presentation covers all of this: beginning with the start of computers, the presentation works its way to computers today and even discusses the different types of current technology.

In the classroom, I would use this as a presentation, of course telling my students where I had found it, and while going through it, I would ask questions like “What are the advantages/disadvantages of technology?” before we get to those slides.  When we get to the slides discussing the new technologies, I could also ask my students if they could think of anything else to add to the slide or if there is a technology that hasn’t been discussed but should be mentioned.

2. What is “The Accounting Equation”

This is a presentation on the introduction to the accounting equation and it’s components.

What do I like about it?

• Visually pleasing.
• Diagrams/pictures.
• Engaging.
• Organized.
• Easy to understand words and language.
• Provides a definition and later provides types of assets, liabilities and owner’s equity.
• States that these three have the same relationship with one another (Accounting equation).
• Provides examples.

What do I dislike about it?

• Doesn’t introduce topic as the curriculum recommended it (which the curriculum introduces it in terms that the student isn’t learning anything new explaining the relationship in terms that they know).  However, the presentation does put it into these terms when defining, but then the author immediately uses the assets=liabilies+owner’s equity.
• Goes through terms quite fast (doesn’t provide a lot of examples).

Where does this fit into the curriculum and how would I use it?

This resource fits in with learning objective 1.9 in Module 1B of the Accounting 10/20/30 curriculum (pg 13).  This objective states: “To prepare a Balance Sheet using proper format, showing its derivation from the accounting equation, and to identify it as the statement of financial position on a certain date.”  This resource better fits with the first part of this objective as it introduces the accounting equation and the terms assets, liabilities, and owner’s equity (in notes section).

In my classroom, I could use this presentation (giving credit to the author!) to introduce the accounting equation and the terms that go along with it.  This presentation provides a nice visual way to introduce this concept and provides a few good examples, definitions, etc that would help students understand the accounting cycle.  Throughout this presentation I might ask students questions like “what are some examples of these?” at the definitions of assets, liabilities, and owner’s equity slide.  Also, at the end of the presentation, I might ask students to make a guess on how they think the balance sheet will be set up in relation to the accounting equation.  Then, I would go into what an actual balance sheet would look like.

Evaluation of Slideshare.net

Overall, slideshare.net appears to be a user friendly site but can be quite a frustrating site.  When you type in key words that you are looking for in a presentation, most times  you don’t get presentations that are about that topic or have 50 – 100 slides on some other related topic.  One example is when I searched for “revenue and expenses,” “accounting equation,” and then “accounting cycle.”  When searching for the first two, I couldn’t find a presentation on those topics and then when I searched the last, I found a couple presentations on either one of them or both.  However, when you can find the presentation on that topic, quite a few of them are actually very good resources for those topics.

If I had to give the site a numerical value, I would give it a 7/10.  For the resources, the first would be a 9/10 and the second would be 8/10.

Buzzle.com – Business Resources

Buzzle.com is a website that contains articles on just about any topic (animals, education, business, art, entertainment, etc).  Specifically, I will be looking at the business and finance category.  However, there are many topics covered in this category and so I will discuss two articles that I can use in a business classroom: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and Demand and Supply Analysis.

1.  What is the “Generally Accepted Accounting Principles” article?

This article discusses what GAAP is and it lists the guideline’s principles.  The article also elaborates on the principles to allow the reader to gain a deeper understanding of these principles.

What do I like about it?

• Language and wording used is understandable.
• User friendly.
• Organized.
• Provides a definition of what GAAP’s are.
• Not only lists the GAAP’s but elaborates on them for deeper understanding.
• Provides related articles in the right tab.
• Page is colourful and provides a picture to increase engagement and likeliness to read article.

What do I dislike about it?

• When the article states “The subsequent paragraphs discuss and elaborate upon each principle of the GAAP so that you gain a clear understanding of them,” I was expecting more than just a sentence or two about each principle.  I expected them to actually “elaborate” which in the word’s definition means to “express in great detail” and, in my opinion, means more than just a sentence or two.
• Also, when listing the principles, I wish they would have listed what the principle said and then elaborated on it, rather than just the title of the principle and then elaborated.

Where does this fit into the curriculum and how would I use it?

This fits into learning objective 1.8 in Module 1 of the Accounting 10/20/30 curriculum (pg 13) which states: “To develop and explain the concept and acceptance of Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAPs).”  This article discusses what the GAAP’s are for, what they are and discusses them in ways that could be understood by high school students.

In my classroom, I might use this in conjunction with the actual GAAP’s.  Individually or in groups, I would get the students to go through the actual written GAAP’s to get an understanding of the concept and then I would get them to read over this article to deepen their understanding of GAAP’s.

2. What is the “Demand and Supply Analysis” article?

This is an article that analyzes the relationship between supply and demand.

What do I like about it?

• Defines “economy.”
• Lists a few economists who were thought to be the first three economists who advocated and improvised the supply and demand theory.
• Explains origin of relation of supply and demand.
• Exhausts possibilities of relationship between supply and demand.
• Language and wording easy to understand.
• Provides an example.
• Provides a diagram of the supply and demand curve.

What do I dislike about it?

• Doesn’t define what supply and demand are or what the theory of supply and demand is.

Where would this fit into the curriculum and how would I use it?

This fits in E (unit 5) of the unit one of the Economics 30 curriculum (pg 5) which states: “To provide the student with an understanding of the role of the market in the determination of prices and quantities.”  This includes having an understanding of both supply and demand and a great way to have an understanding of this is to analyze it which is what this article does.

In a class, I would ask students to individually define what supply and demand are and then get them to make a guess as to what their relationship might be.  Once they’ve done this, I would go over the definitions with them and then get them to read this article.

Evaluation of buzzle.com

I can see students getting very off topic if they go through the other categories but with the right teaching strategies and classroom, this could be avoided.  With that said, I do believe that the articles posted are relatively good sources (if you can find articles to match your outcome).

If I had to give this site a numerical rating, I would give it a 5/10, but the actual resource would be a 8/10.