Business Teacher is Moving
I’ve decided to move my blog over to Google’s Blogger. The availability of templates and the tie-in to Google makes it a no brainer. For the few of you have read the infrequent posts on this blog please consider the new one at samsabiz.blogspot.com. However I decided to bring samsa.biz into this decade as well so I blended it with the blog. So there it is, all in one at http://samsa.biz.
Thanks
Create a Class Blog
It’s 2011 and blogs have been around for quite a while. Class blogs can help students analyze, collaborate, and write for an authentic audience. There are many stages. You can have a blog (such as this one) which has posts and invites comments. Better yet is have a blog where the teacher is the administrator and the students are users, with lesser rights. The key is to add users and then use categories, labels, or tags to identify their posts. It depends on which blog site you use that determines how you do this. The best way to identify student posts is to use their first name and a number relating to their last name. For example, the first student on your list is Annie Adams, she will identify all of her posts by a category or label such as 01 Annie. Parents will be happy the last name is kept out of the site. Another good idea is to develop an acceptable use page. Do this with your students.
Although I don’t have a class to teach, I’ve tried out some of the bigger sites and have some comments.
Blogger – great tie in with google. Only two sets of admin levels though and I couldn’t see how to preview the posts first. Use labels as identifiers. Here is an example: Ridge Blogs.
Edublogs – they say all the right things and are powered by wordpress. Users are added easily by adding a + after the first part of your own email address, e.g., ridgelibrary+user01@gmail.com, and so on. You can then change the display name. Use categories to identify student posts. The annoying part is the ad right smack on top of every new post. Check it out at Ridge Blogs.
WordPress – this blog. No annoying ad. But a little tougher to add users. You can invite them and they then make an account, with or without their own blog. Several levels of membership. I like it if just to avoid the ad.
Ning – a more complete social networking site. Not free but you can apply to have Pearson pay for it. I am still waiting for my free Ning. I’ll report on it if I get it at a later date.
The final stage is to have each student have their own blog.
Rule the Tube – The CA Video Competition
Have your kids create a Youtube video and they can win as much as $1500.
Check it out here:
Getting Smarter about Money
InvestorEd is at it again with many new publications, resources and contests. Here is the e-newsletter link:
High School Business Competitions
Spice up your classes or business clubs by entering some competitions. Here are a few:
OBEA Contests. Many contests run both in class and in a club environment. Must have a teacher OBEA member.
CMA Make it Happen. This is a big group challenge which may lead to $5000 for the school.
Sprott Business Competition. Run a business and compete against fellow students. Then go on and compete against regional and provincial teams.
McMaster High School Business Heroes Competition. Haven’t done this one yet but our business club is taking it on in the new year.
Social Network: a movie for BTT
One of our BTT teachers, Lisa Omeri, suggests a field trip to the movies to see Social Network. It’s about the founding of Facebook. Here’s some info:
HST Sample Transactions
Some us teaching-accounting types have been wondering about typical transactions now that the HST has replaced the former GST and PST. Below is my take:
Before:
Purchase of $1000 goods for resale (assume perpetual method):
dr Inventory 1000 dr GST Recoverable 50
cr Cash or A/P 1050
Not being a final seller of goods the company would be exempt from paying pst.
Sale of the same goods (assuming 100% markup):
dr Cash or A/R 2260
dr Cost of Goods Sold 1000
cr Sales 2000
cr Inventory 1000
cr PST Payable 160
cr GST Payable 100
Assuming this is the only sale the company had, remittance of the two taxes would be as follows:
dr PST Payable 160
cr Cash 160
dr GST Payable 100
cr GST Recoverable 50
cr Cash 50
The cheques or bank account credits going to our respective government agencies.
After:
Purchase:
dr Inventory 1000
dr HST Recoverable 130
cr Cash or A/P 1130
Sale:
dr Cash or A/R 2260
dr Cost of Goods Sold 1000
cr Sales 2000
cr Inventory 1000
cr HST Payable 260
Remittance to federal government only:
dr HST Payable 260
cr HST Recoverable 130
cr Cash 130
I think! Please comment if you have another way to do these transactions. I’m all ears.
Here comes the HST
Accounting teachers will especially be interested in the changes coming with the introduction of the HST. This Ontario government site gives a good summary and includes a pdf file to download:
Templates
Why have your IT students re-invent the wheel all the time? For those using Microsoft apps consider this post at makeuseof.com for five sites (MS included) that provide templates. Consider having students search for a template, add content, and present the results.
Google Docs is fast becoming a favourite here. But it still isn’t possible to match the formatting tools of say a MS Word. But if you do use Google Docs, the form creator is terrific for creating a quick online survey and getting the data back in spreadsheet format. Google also has many templates as well.
Social Media Revolution (updated)
This video is one of the better ones and has been updated. Some of the stats are staggering and have implications for the way we communicate and teach.
