A guided tour of the classroom....

As part of a unit on databases, my S2 Administration class had to create a fictional criminal and use Microsoft Word to create a story about their past.

A couple of photos showing the excellent work my classes have produced over the last year.


My S2 Administration class have been working through an intergrated project called Managing The Band which has tested their abilities on various different software packages and the use of various office equipment. Some of the best work was put on the wall display.

Pupils were encouraged to bring in newspaper headlines about business related stories and they were put up on the Business in the News wall display.

To encourage my Administration classes to solve their own practical problems, I put up a Practical Skills Help Board. This has templates of things like letters, itineraries, memos, reports etc. and as well as helping each other, pupils were encouraged to go to this for help.

My S3 Business Management class were split into 4 groups and given the task of researching, developing and delivering a Powerpoint Presentation on an aspect of the Marketing Mix - Price, Product, Promotion or Place. The slides used were printed off and put on this wall display.

During the Marketing part of the Business Management unit course, I brought in a variety of adverts which we were able to refer to when discussing methods of advertising and promotion e.g. target groups etc.

My S2 Business Management class each had to research a county in the European Union and together they created this wall display

At the end of the various units, pupils were given the task of creating glossary wall displays containing important words from the unit they had just studied.

To show that Business Studies is not just a subject that allows you to become a Business Studies teacher, I put this wall display up to show all the varied and interesting jobs available to people studying Business Management, Accounts or Administration.

Pupils let loose with a camera!

I gave 3 of my S2 Business Management pupils the opportunity to run wild with a camera in class today and take photos of the work on the walls.

I was amazed at how professional they were and how they managed to take the photos, upload them to the computer and publish them on the blog.

To see the photos, click on Pupil Blog from the menu.

Further rise in unemployment figures

The unemployment figures for the last 3 months were published today and they continue to make grim reading. Some of the main points to come out:

• The unemployment figure rose to 2.261 million, the highest since November 1996.
  
• The jobless rate is 7.2%, the highest since July 1997.
  
• In the first three months of this year, 462,000 people aged 16 or 17 were in employment, a 16.5% drop from the same period last year.
  
• In the same three months, 3.5 million 18-24 year olds were in employment, down 4.8% from the same period last year.
  
• 16.6% of 18-24 year olds are now unemployed, the highest rate since 1993.
  
• The number of people actually in work fell by 271,00 to 29.11 million, the biggest quarterly drop since records began in 1971.
  
• The number of positions available fell from 659,00 in May 2008 to 424,000 in May this year.
  

Source BBC website

The power of celebrity endorsement

Celebrity endorsement of products has been around for years. But reading the paper this morning, I was surprised to learn just how far this type of marketing has gone and the power it now has. 

It seems that Cristiano Ronaldo was frustrated that Manchester United (and Alex Ferguson in particular) would not allow him to take advantage of his commercial potential by endorsing products which one expert believes will allow him to earn over £85 million in the next decade. 

The move to Real Madrid should allow him to take advantage of his potential. A professor of sport business strategy and marketing highlighted that Ferguson drives Manchester United's on-field success first and foremost whereas there is a greater belief that Real Madrid are an entertainment brand rather than a football club. 

To pay for Kaka and Ronaldo, Real Madrid are going to aggressively market both players in developing markets, including Asia, much as David Beckham was when he signed. Shirt sales are estimated to have gone up 137% in Beckhams time in Madrid. Ronaldo and Kaka will also be encouraged to develop their individual commercial activities to expand their profiles globally, which will have a positive effect for Real Madrid.

With endorsements added to his his contract at Real, as well as good advice off-the-field, could see Ronaldo worth £175 million by the time he is 34. 

Two sides to the finances of football.....

Two stories about the finance of football caught my eye this week...for very different reasons.

The haves...

Liverpool Football Club have supported the opening of a soccer academy in India as they try to get a foothold in one of the world's largest markets. Previously clubs like Man Utd, Chelsea and Arsenal had tried to maximise their brands by exploring Africa, the Middle East, Canada and Australia to maximise their brands but India hadn't been touched because of the popularity of cricket. With a population of 1.5 billion people, 325 million of whom are between 20-35, and a growing interest in the Premier League, the financial opportunities for the biggest clubs are endless.

The have nots....

The possible collapse of Setanta could have a terrible effect on Scottish football. Last week the company failed to pay the SPL £3m which the SPL themselves had to find to pay the clubs. With Setanta considering going into administration, the SPL may have to find another company to broadcast matches and their desperation to do so would mean a reduced financial deal. With many reliant on the TV money to keep them afloat, the reality is that some football clubs may go bust in the near future.

The financial gulf between the rich and the poor gets bigger everyday!

And then there were 2.....

Unfortunately I missed the Wednesday night edition of The Apprentice but caught it on iPlayer last night. It was the interview episode and as expected, some candidates folded under the pressure. 

As someone who used to do interviews in a previous job, I know that The Apprentice style of interviewing is guaranteed to make good TV but it did show up some interesting and relevant points. Why did James decide to be silly and immature on his application form? Why did Yasmina not understand her own accounts or even the basic terminology used? Why did Lorraine get her dates of employment wrong by a whole year? And why did Deborah give references of people that she obviously couldn't trust to be nice about her?

It all made for great viewing - and it did help Sir Alan get a new government post as Enterprise Tsar.