Are Business Education Classes an Advantage?

*Does taking secondary business education classes give high school students an advantage when applying for jobs?*

As a future business education teacher, I feel that students will greatly benefit from taking business education classes. It will definitely give them an advantage when applying for jobs. We teach them skills such as interviewing, communication skills, writing a resume, how to dress appropriately, and career building. By teaching the students these skills, they will have a great advantage by knowing how to interview and communicate with co-workers and employers versus individuals who have never had any training of this sort.
Business education courses give students information and knowledge that they will use throughout their whole life. I feel that business education courses also give students an advantage in the real world.

Communication in Distance Education

*What is the best way to communicate with distance education students? Through video or text?*

I feel that communicating with distance education students should be both visual and text. It is important to show examples or other students work through video. I know personally, I do better when I actually see someone work a problem or demonstrate how to complete a task. So, I feel that students can get a lot out of watching a video of class. It does not matter whether they are watching it live (when it is being taped) or if they watch it on their own time. The important thing is that the option to watch a video of the class is made available. I also think it is important to provide your distance education students the lecture notes, Power Points, or other materials you may use in class. I am also a person who likes to have printed out materials in front of me in order to study. I like to highlight or make notes on the printed papers. Providing the distance education students with the option to print the materials gives them another option in studying. Both of these options is providing all students with different learning styles a chance to learn.

Building Community

*How do you build community in a distance education setting?*

I believe one of the best ways to build community in a distance education setting is to have group work. It is difficult to literally meet in groups, but through e-mail, video conferencing, chats, and discussions, students are able to put their ideas together and work on a group project. Since I have taken several distance education classes myself, I know how difficult it can be to work in groups. The best way to handle distance education group work is to assign tasks to everyone. This way, everyone has to participate. Once information for the project is found, each person should have a part in creating the presentation as well. For example, if it is a group paper, split the topics and have each person write one section of the paper. Then, choose one person to send all information to and let them put the paper together. After this has been completed, that one person would send the paper to everyone and they would proofread and send back errors or changes to the one person in charge.
Another way I feel creates community in a distance education class is to introduce yourself. In all of the classes I have taken, the very first discussion we completed was about our self. We also had to include a photo so the other students could put a face with voices and ideas. I think this is almost crucial for a distance education setting.

Distance Education Test Taking

*How do you ensure test taking integrity with distance education students?*

This can be somewhat difficult with a distance education class. However, there are a few ways I believe work for administering a distance education exam. The first way to ensure test taking is to have the students come to campus if it is at all possible. This way, you can see for yourself that the student is taking their exam for them self. The second way to administer a test is to have the student find a certified proctor and have them sign a sheet saying when and where the student took the test. Of course as the teacher, you might want to check up on the listed proctor to ensure honesty. You could also work out something with a college close by to the student so that they could go there and take their exam. This would be a little more work for the teacher seeing as she/he would have to make sure to fax or email the exam to the qualified proctor at the school.
Distance education makes exams a major issue. The main aspect here is that you as the teacher be able to put trust and faith in your students that they keep their academic honesty. I would use the proctor sign in sheet and actually talk to the proctor to make sure the student is truthful. I understand that one of the advantages of distance education is for students to complete tasks on their time, but if push comes to shove and cheating happens, the student may have to sacrifice and come in to the classroom to take their exams.