CHOP!

Welcome back!  I hope everyone has had an enjoyable summer and first week of school.  Now that we've taken time to establish and understand rules and procedures, brainstorm a little about what we want our program to be and how we want to be remembered, learn up on different aspects of business, and improve upon an established business model that will fund our program, it's now time to get the ball rolling for the year for this business.  I'm ecstatic to have a class full of hand-picked, hard-working students this year, and I'm confident we will succeed if we work together and CHOP!

What's CHOP?  Think about how to most efficiently take down a giant tree with nothing more than an axe.  Take a look at this short video about something I learned from the football program at my Alma Mater, Rutgers University.

Understand that if this group focuses all its effort toward a common goal and relentlessly pursues each task needed to accomplish it, this program will succeed.  That said, let's look at our weekly tasks.

Monday: VEI Pre-Test & Review Answers
Objectives: Complete VE Pre-Test, Grade VE Pre-Test
Clear Target: We can create a baseline on which the foundation of growth is measured.

Monday's class will begin with a pre-test that all Virtual Enterprise students are required to take.  The pre-test consists of 50 multiple choice questions, and should take approximately 25-30 minutes to complete.  Once everyone is finished, we will review answers and grade our own papers. I will submit the class average to the Tn Coordinator.

Please do not worry about your score on this test.  This is merely a baseline by which your growth will be measured this year, which means your grade on this test at the end of April is the one that will matter most.  Once you complete your tasks throughout the year, you will have a full understanding of the principles covered in the test.  It's ok if some of the material is not familiar at this time.

Graded pre-tests will be turned in to exit bin at the end of class.  If we have additional time, we will discuss what a resume should look like

Tuesday: Job Postings and Resume Intro
Objectives: Understand positions within the organization, Match personal strengths to a position within the organization, Analyze previously created resumes 
Clear Target: We can analyze and critique a job resume

Today we'll look at a brief PowerPoint about the open positions within our organization.  We touched upon this a bit on Friday, so I plan to get through this quickly so that we can take a look at some resumes that had been created in years past.  Your goal in class will be to determine an aesthetically pleasing template for your resume (can be found online or in MS Word), align your strengths to the KSAs of the position you desire, and think about what you want to convey with your resume. 

As an exit slip, you'll submit a plan of action for your resume and desired position within the company.

Wednesday: Guest Speaker - Professional Resume Writer Debra Ann Matthews
Objectives: Absorb as much knowledge from an industry professional as possible
Clear Target: We can apply writing concepts to create an effective resume

You'll need your paperwork you finished up on 8/14 (Generic Job Application and Questionnaire) to contribute to today's class.  Professional resume writer Debra Ann Matthews will be in class to share some wisdom with you.  Be on your best behavior and contribute to the discussion.  This will be an excellent day.

Thursday: Resume Prep
Objectives: Collaborate with other bright individuals about what to include on resume, Choose template for resume, Write resume
Clear Target: We can create a resume that effectively matches our strengths with a specific job opening

We'll begin class with a brief review/reflection on Debra's presentation and proceed to a structured discussion of what to include in a resume.  From here, you have independent class time to work on your resume, save it to the school server (and a cloud), and have little to no homework for VE.  Should you fail to complete your resume, you must complete it and submit it to me in class on Friday.

Friday: Resume Submission and Concession Stand Business Model Analysis
Objectives: Submit resume, Analyze concession stand business model, prepare for opening day of concession stand (set revenue, marketing, and logistics goals)
Clear Target: We can analyze and critique an established business model

You will have the first 4 minutes of class to electronically submit your resume to my Drop Box_Faculty folder on the server.  After this, we will have our concession stand preparation.  Your participation and productive contribution to this discussion will determine your grade for this task.  I'm leaving this in your hands and trust that it will go smoothly.

I hope you made it through this entire blog entry.  This is how I do my lesson plans for this class, so it is of the utmost importance that you read and adhere to the schedule.  CHOP!