Purdue Online Writing Lab – Business Resources

Owl.english.purdue.edu is an online writing lab which contains resources for: writing and teaching writing, research, grammar and mechanics, style guides, ESL, and job search and professional writing.  Under the professional writing, I will be discussing “Writing the Basic Business Letter.”

What is it?

This is a resource that tells you the parts of a business letter, how to format the letter, and provides an example of a business letter.

What do I like about it?

• Words and language used are understandable.
• User friendly.
• Not only lists but describes each section of a business letter.
• Provides an example for clarification.
• Easily able to print using button at end of resource.
• Well organized.
• Available as a PDF version.

What do I dislike about it?

• Does not provide examples of each section of a business letter (only one comprehensive example at the end).
• Suggested resources on left tab does not provide related resources.

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

This resource fits in the Information Processing 10/20/30 curriculum under module 13.  Learning objective 13.7 states: “Develop written communication skills by composing, editing, and formatting business letters and memoranda.”  At this point, this is where students are first introduced to business letters and this resource provides a detailed explanation of the different sections of a business letter and includes an example.

In my classroom, I might get students to read this resource over and compare the business letter example to personal letters and personal-business letters (which if following the curriculum, you should already have examples of these to compare to).  Once this has been completed, then students can create their own business letter (using the example from resource for help).  Once students have written their business letters, they will switch with a partner and edit each others.  Once this is completed, they will hand in a final copy of their revised business letter and the copy that their partner edited.  This resource would also be good to put on the class blog so students may refer back to it throughout the course and their schooling.

Evaluation of Purdue Online Writing Lab

The Purdue Online Writing Lab website is a great resource for students who need assistance in writing.  The site is very well organized and is appropriate for high school students.

If I had to give this website a numerical value, I would give it a 9/10.  The resource discussed would receive a 9.5/10.

Freetypinggame.net – Business Resource

freetypinggame.net is a site that has a variety of typing games that either teach you how to properly type or to improve your typing speed/accuracy.  One typing game in particular that I would like to look at is the game called “Typing Lesson”.

What is it?

This typing lesson is a free interactive lesson which teaches you how to use the keyboard properly in steps.  This resource starts with the basic home row keys and then moves on to other keys from there.

What do I like about it?

• User friendly.
• Can have a picture of the keyboard and placing of hands if desired.
• Can choose to work toward a typing speed goal (set your own goal).
• Keys that are to be used by a certain finger have their own colour.
• Teaches how to properly key in numbers and symbols.
• Makes you try the key first then begins practice.
• Drill/repetitive.
• Makes you retry the lesson if you didn’t reach your goal.
• Competitive, which ultimately makes it more engaging.
• One minute (lessons are not long).

What do I dislike about it?

• Does not do a general typing test (test everything at once).
• Does not test any other keys, just the one’s your lesson is based off of (does not test prior keys).
• Does not use the common way of teaching keyboard where you learn the home row first, then the top row and then the bottom.  Once these have been taught, then you would normally move on to numbers and symbols (which is the method I prefer).  Rather, this resource teaches the alphabet and punctuation mixed in with one another as well as teaching punctuation and numbers at mixed intervals (however you can change the order in which students learn these keys since there is no prior knowledge of other keys in the lessons).
• Has advertisements.
• Uses the word “type.”  The proper term used now is “key” or “keyboarding.”  I remember in one of my previous education business classes, my professor explained how “type” refers to using a typewriter and “keyboarding” refers to using a keypad on a computer.

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

This keyboarding lesson fits in the Information Processing 10/20/30 curriculum in module 2.  Learning objective 2.2 states: “to execute and practise the skill of touch keyboarding the alphabetic, numeric, punctuation and basic service keys.”  This resource teaches the user how to keyboard all of these keys listed using touch keyboarding.

In a class, I would use this for students to practice for maybe 5 minutes a day to practise their keyboarding skills and then move on to the lesson I intended for that day.  I might also use this in conjunction with another game from this website to practise all the skills they learned that lesson (and even prior lessons as well).

Evaluation of freetypinggame.net

This is a great resource for helping students learn how to keyboard properly.  All of the games on this website are to help improve keyboarding so if a student gets distracted by a different game, they are still practicing this (although just maybe not using the right game).  This website is also very user friendly and is categorized very well.

If I were to give this website a numerical value, I would give it a 9.5/10 and the resource I discussed 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.