Current Topics(in order of appearance) - Intro to Company Simulations, Reference Sites For Company Simulations Users, A Winning Formula.

Intro to Company Simulations - Action in the Marketplace: An Enrichment Model for the Applied Communications and Traditional English Classrooms (Students served: 5 - 12; cited in "Exemplary Practices in Tech-Prep in NYS") - Just as most schools require their students to be computer literate, work world literacy should be a requirement for all students. The company simulation process is a high interest approach to enhancing student creativity, meeting the standards, and bringing the work world into the Applied Communications and traditional English classrooms. Teachers using these strategies will get support throughout the year on this web site.

In this three phase model, groups of students form companies, develop products, and market those products based on day-to-day problems and changes in the marketplace.

PHASE 1 - Small groups of students create their own companies, products, and advertising.

PHASE 2 - Students, through their companies, consider and react to changes in the marketplace. Business events emanate from student suggestions, the illustration of a topic, and information learned in other subject areas.

PHASE 3 - Interdepartmental projects are developed and carried out.

The various written and oral assignments in all phases evolve naturally from interaction between company divisions, and between companies and the public. Each phase can be incorporated as teachers become more comfortable with the process.

Skills learned in the more traditional classroom setting are reinforced and applied in a practical and high interest way on company simulation days, usually one or two days per week.

You can get a hands-on explanation with take-home lesson packet at your school or conference. Contact Jim Seeley, cyberjimseeley@juno.com.

TEACHER CHALLENGE - We need specific company simulation lessons and strategies for grade school (all levels) and special education students. Please share with us by sending an email attachment to cyberjimseeley@juno.com, or fax them to: 1(646)383.2355, or send them regular mail (address on home page). - Cyber Jim Seeley

Reference Sites For Company Simulations Users (clickNgo)

http://www.entre-ed.org/ (lesson plans, business startup tasks, company organization, promotion, ethics, market research, transparencies, examples; interdisciplinary, 5 - College, free).

www.consumerjungle.org (consumer literacy program; for teachers: unit plans, classroom activities, articles and handouts; for students: interactive games, quizzes, projects; for parents: parent/teen activities, need to know tips, valuable resources; high school; free).

www.howstuffworks.com (great information on how things work; free, all grade levels; a "Free To Schools" program for 4th through 8th graders -- 60 free copies of How Stuff Works Express magazine for your students).

www.greatachievements.org (links to some of the greatest inventions in the world; all grade levels, free).

Incorporating Character (Respect and Responsibility) Education into your classroom: www.character.org (Character Education Partnership), www.charactercounts.org (Character Counts Coalition), and www.cortland.edu/c4n5rs (Center for the 4th and 5th Rs).