Business English A
Course Description:
Business English, Semester A, is a single-semester course designed to strengthen your ability to read and write in the workplace. The first unit introduces the business writing process. In the second unit, you’ll learn about writing emails and instant messages, as well as examine the role that digital media plays in business. The third unit covers how to format and write specific types of business messages.
Course Details:
Course Title (District): |
Business English A |
Course Title (NCES SCED) : |
Communications |
Course Provider : |
Mancelona Public Schools |
Content Provided By : |
My Virtual Academy |
Online Instructor Provided By : |
My Virtual Academy |
Standards Addressed : |
Michigan Merit Curriculum |
Academic Terms : |
Semester, Trimester, Open Entry / Open Exit, Accelerated |
NCES SCED Code : 01155 |
Subject Area : |
English Language and Literature |
Course Identifier : |
Communications |
Course Level : |
High School (Secondary) |
Available Credit : |
0.5 |
Sequence : |
1 of 2 |
|
How To Enroll:
Students and Parents: It is important to work closely with your local school counselor or
registrar to follow the school's enrollment procedures. By clicking the "Start Registration
Request" button below, you will be able to notify the school of your interest in registering for
the online course. However, it is the responsibility of the district or school to review the
registration request and approve or deny the request. Please make a note to follow up with
your school after submitting a registration request.
Start Registration Request
Additional Course Information:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: 800-297-2119
Additional Cost Description:
None
By the end of this course, you will be able to do the following: ? Explain the characteristics of business writing. ? Explain the role that audience and purpose play in crafting business messages. ? Understand how to conduct research for business writing. ? Use the steps of the business writing process to create a business message. ? Explain how businesses use the internet to create content such as podcasts and web pages. ? Explain the professional standards for writing workplace emails and instant messages. ? Explain how businesses use blogs and social media to communicate with the public. ? Explain how to format and write business memos and letters. ? Explain how to organize and write positive, negative, and persuasive messages.
iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Courses
Academic Content Standards and Assessments |
Rating
|
Comments |
The goals and objectives clearly state what the participants will know or be able to do at the end of the course. The goals and objectives are measurable in multiple ways. |
Fully Met
|
Syllabus provided to students upon enrollment with standard alignment. All objectives are clearly stated in the course tutorial. |
The course content and assignments are aligned with the state’s content standards, Common Core curriculum, or other accepted content standards set for Advanced Placement® courses, technology, computer science, or other courses whose content is not included in the state standards. |
Fully Met
|
|
The course content and assignments are of sufficient rigor, depth and breadth to teach the standards being addressed. |
Fully Met
|
|
Information literacy and communication skills are incorporated and taught as an integral part of the curriculum. |
Fully Met
|
|
Multiple learning resources and materials to increase student success are available to students before the course begins. |
Fully Met
|
Assignments, videos, quizzes, etc. |
Course Overview and Introduction |
Rating
|
Comments |
Clear, complete course overview and syllabus are included in the course. |
Fully Met
|
Syllabus provided to students upon enrollment in the course. Units have specific objectives. |
Course requirements are consistent with course goals, are representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated. |
Fully Met
|
|
Information is provided to students, parents and mentors on how to communicate with the online instructor and course provider. |
Fully Met
|
Parents are provided a login for the parent portal of Edmentum. They are able to communicate and access student progress. Parents and students are also contacted by the instructor. |
Legal and Acceptable Use Policies |
Rating
|
Comments |
The course reflects multi-cultural education, and the content is accurate, current and free of bias or advertising. |
Fully Met
|
|
Expectations for academic integrity, use of copyrighted materials, plagiarism and netiquette (Internet etiquette) regarding lesson activities, discussions, and e-mail communications are clearly stated. |
Fully Met
|
All policies are presented, reviewed and signed with student at enrollment. |
Privacy policies are clearly stated. |
Fully Met
|
Privacy policy is presented, reviewed and signed with student at enrollment. |
Instructor Resources |
Rating
|
Comments |
Online instructor resources and notes are included. |
Fully Met
|
Resources are available for students in the software program and teachers upload notes for some individual assignments. |
Assessment and assignment answers and explanations are included. |
Fully Met
|
|
Instructional and Audience Analysis |
Rating
|
Comments |
Course design reflects a clear understanding of all students’ needs and incorporates varied ways to learn and master the curriculum. |
Fully Met
|
Courses have incorporated varied ways to learn and have multiple learning styles built in. All courses are provided with video instruction. Students have access to tools to help with reading as well. |
Course, Unit and Lesson Design |
Rating
|
Comments |
The course is organized by units and lessons that fall into a logical sequence. Each unit and lesson includes an overview describing objectives, activities, assignments, assessments, and resources to provide multiple learning opportunities for students to master the content. |
Fully Met
|
Each unit has an overview of objectives to be mastered by the student. |
Instructional Strategies and Activities |
Rating
|
Comments |
The course instruction includes activities that engage students in active learning. |
Fully Met
|
Written response and discussion questions allow students to be actively engaged. |
The course and course instructor provide students with multiple learning paths, based on student needs that engage students in a variety of ways. |
Fully Met
|
Course provides a learning path that includes both short answer and and multiple choice questions. |
The course provides opportunities for students to engage in higher-order thinking, critical reasoning activities and thinking in increasingly complex ways. |
Fully Met
|
|
The course provides options for the instructor to adapt learning activities to accommodate students’ needs. |
Fully Met
|
Instructor can upload enrichment activities as needed. |
Readability levels, written language assignments and mathematical requirements are appropriate for the course content and grade-level expectations. |
Fully Met
|
|
Communication and Interaction |
Rating
|
Comments |
The course design provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student interaction, including opportunities for timely and frequent feedback about student progress. |
Fully Met
|
Students can interact with their instructor via phone, email, text, instant message, and or video message. |
The course design includes explicit communication/activities (both before and during the first week of the course) that confirms whether students are engaged and are progressing through the course. The instructor will follow program guidelines to address non-responsive students. |
Fully Met
|
MVA policy states that students will communicate with their instructor multiple times during a week to ensure engagement and learning within the course. |
The course provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student and student-student interaction to foster mastery and application of the material. |
Fully Met
|
Teacher to student interaction is available. Student to student interaction consists of daily posts, colloboration and discussion boards. |
Resources and Materials |
Rating
|
Comments |
Students have access to resources that enrich the course content. |
Fully Met
|
Students have access to translator, dictionary, reader tools, notebook etc. |
Evaluation Strategies |
Rating
|
Comments |
Student evaluation strategies are consistent with course goals and objectives, are representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated. |
Fully Met
|
|
The course structure includes adequate and appropriate methods and procedures to assess students’ mastery of content. |
Fully Met
|
|
Feedback |
Rating
|
Comments |
Ongoing, varied, and frequent assessments are conducted throughout the course to inform instruction. |
Fully Met
|
|
Assessment strategies and tools make the student continuously aware of his/her progress in class and mastery of the content. |
Fully Met
|
Student can view their progress within the program and through communication with the instructor. |
Assessment Resources and Materials |
Rating
|
Comments |
Assessment materials provide the instructor with the flexibility to assess students in a variety of ways. |
Fully Met
|
Short answer, quizzes and mastery tests allow instructors to assess students understanding. |
Grading rubrics are provided to the instructor and may be shared with students. |
Fully Met
|
Student written responses include a grading rubric at start of assignment. |
The grading policy and practices are easy to understand. |
Fully Met
|
Students are able to see a progress report throughout the course. |
Course Architecture |
Rating
|
Comments |
The course architecture permits the online instructor to add content, activities and assessments to extend learning opportunities. |
Fully Met
|
Teachers are able to flex assignements, add projects, outside links, etc. to course materials. |
The course accommodates multiple school calendars; e.g., block, 4X4 and traditional schedules. |
Fully Met
|
Courseware is available at any time throughout the set school calendar. |
User Interface |
Rating
|
Comments |
Clear and consistent navigation is present throughout the course. |
Fully Met
|
Students are provided with an orientation for every course. |
Rich media are provided in multiple formats for ease of use and access in order to address diverse student needs. |
Fully Met
|
|
Technology Requirements and Interoperability |
Rating
|
Comments |
All technology requirements (including hardware, browser, software, etc...) are specified. |
Fully Met
|
Technology requirements are outlined in the syllabus for each course. |
Prerequisite skills in the use of technology are identified. |
Fully Met
|
|
The course uses content-specific tools and software appropriately. |
Fully Met
|
|
The course is designed to meet internationally recognized interoperability standards. |
Fully Met
|
|
Copyright and licensing status, including permission to share where applicable, is clearly stated and easily found. |
Fully Met
|
|
Accessibility |
Rating
|
Comments |
Course materials and activities are designed to provide appropriate access to all students. The course, developed with universal design principles in mind, conforms to the U.S. Section 504 and Section 508 provisions for electronic and information technology as well as the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility guidelines (WCAg 2.0). |
Fully Met
|
|
Data Security |
Rating
|
Comments |
Student information remains confidential, as required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). |
Fully Met
|
Student work is kept confidential within the school database system and courseware. |
Accessing Course Effectiveness |
Rating
|
Comments |
The course provider uses multiple ways of assessing course effectiveness. |
Fully Met
|
|
The course is evaluated using a continuous improvement cycle for effectiveness and the findings used as a basis for improvement. |
Fully Met
|
The course is evaluated for effectiveness by provider and software developer continuously. |
Course Updates |
Rating
|
Comments |
The course is updated periodically to ensure that the content is current. |
Fully Met
|
|
Certification |
Rating
|
Comments |
Course instructors, whether faceto-face or virtual, are certificated and “highly qualified.” The online course teacher possesses a teaching credential from a state-licensing agency and is “highly qualified” as defined under ESEA. |
Fully Met
|
|
Instructor and Student Support |
Rating
|
Comments |
Professional development about the online course delivery system is offered by the provider to assure effective use of the courseware and various instructional media available. |
Fully Met
|
|
The course provider offers technical support and course management assistance to students, the course instructor, and the school coordinator. |
Fully Met
|
Support is available from the course provider as well as the school. |
Course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, have been provided professional development in the behavioral, social, and when necessary, emotional, aspects of the learning environment. |
Fully Met
|
All staff attend ongoing professional development sessions throughout the year to remain current with students and families needs. |
Course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, receive instructor professional development, which includes the support and use of a variety of communication modes to stimulate student engagement online. |
Fully Met
|
|
The provider assures that course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, are provided support, as needed, to ensure their effectiveness and success in meeting the needs of online students. |
Fully Met
|
|
Students are offered an orientation for taking an online course before starting the coursework. |
Fully Met
|
|
Review Conducted By: My Virtual Academy
Date of Review:
05/01/2019
iNACOL National Standards for Quality Online Courses
Academic Content Standards and Assessments |
Rating
|
Comments |
The goals and objectives clearly state what the participants will know or be able to do at the end of the course. The goals and objectives are measurable in multiple ways. |
Fully Met
|
Syllabus provided to students upon enrollment with standard alignment. |
The course content and assignments are aligned with the state’s content standards, Common Core curriculum, or other accepted content standards set for Advanced Placement® courses, technology, computer science, or other courses whose content is not included in the state standards. |
Fully Met
|
All standards are met by the curriculum. |
The course content and assignments are of sufficient rigor, depth and breadth to teach the standards being addressed. |
Fully Met
|
|
Information literacy and communication skills are incorporated and taught as an integral part of the curriculum. |
Fully Met
|
Multiple learning resources and materials to increase student success are available to students before the course begins. |
Multiple learning resources and materials to increase student success are available to students before the course begins. |
Fully Met
|
Assignments, discussions, videos, quizzes, etc. |
Course Overview and Introduction |
Rating
|
Comments |
Clear, complete course overview and syllabus are included in the course. |
Fully Met
|
Syllabus and course goals are provided to students upon enrollment in course |
Course requirements are consistent with course goals, are representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated. |
Fully Met
|
All course goals are explained in the syllabus. |
Information is provided to students, parents and mentors on how to communicate with the online instructor and course provider. |
Fully Met
|
Contact information is provided to students, parents, and mentor which includes email and a Zoom telephone number (phone, text, Zoom)to reach the online instructor and course provider. |
Legal and Acceptable Use Policies |
Rating
|
Comments |
The course reflects multi-cultural education, and the content is accurate, current and free of bias or advertising. |
Fully Met
|
|
Expectations for academic integrity, use of copyrighted materials, plagiarism and netiquette (Internet etiquette) regarding lesson activities, discussions, and e-mail communications are clearly stated. |
Fully Met
|
Documents on Academic Integrity and Plagiarism are within each courses Syllabus for students to view. Course expectations are available to the student with 24/7 access. |
Privacy policies are clearly stated. |
Fully Met
|
Privacy policy is uploaded into Edmentum for 24/7 access. |
Instructor Resources |
Rating
|
Comments |
Online instructor resources and notes are included. |
Fully Met
|
Resources are available for students in the software program and teachers can upload notes in individual assignments. |
Assessment and assignment answers and explanations are included. |
Fully Met
|
|
Instructional and Audience Analysis |
Rating
|
Comments |
Course design reflects a clear understanding of all students’ needs and incorporates varied ways to learn and master the curriculum. |
Fully Met
|
There are a variety of materials to expose students to content (projects, videos, interactive games, tutorials, problems, quizzes, etc.). |
Course, Unit and Lesson Design |
Rating
|
Comments |
The course is organized by units and lessons that fall into a logical sequence. Each unit and lesson includes an overview describing objectives, activities, assignments, assessments, and resources to provide multiple learning opportunities for students to master the content. |
Fully Met
|
The course is organized into Units that have Tutorials, Mastery Tests, Unit Activities/Discussions and Unit Post Tests. Each unit has an overview of objectives to be mastered by the student in the syllabus. |
Instructional Strategies and Activities |
Rating
|
Comments |
The course instruction includes activities that engage students in active learning. |
Fully Met
|
The course includes activities/discussions that involve two-way communication with the instructor. |
The course and course instructor provide students with multiple learning paths, based on student needs that engage students in a variety of ways. |
Fully Met
|
The course and course instructor provide students with multiple learning paths, based on student needs that engage students in a variety of ways. |
The course provides opportunities for students to engage in higher-order thinking, critical reasoning activities and thinking in increasingly complex ways. |
Fully Met
|
|
The course provides options for the instructor to adapt learning activities to accommodate students’ needs. |
Fully Met
|
Course instructors have the ability to adapt the course to each student's individual learning requirements. |
Readability levels, written language assignments and mathematical requirements are appropriate for the course content and grade-level expectations. |
Fully Met
|
|
Communication and Interaction |
Rating
|
Comments |
The course design provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student interaction, including opportunities for timely and frequent feedback about student progress. |
Fully Met
|
Students can interact with their instructor via phone, email, text, instant message, and/or Zoom video message. |
The course design includes explicit communication/activities (both before and during the first week of the course) that confirms whether students are engaged and are progressing through the course. The instructor will follow program guidelines to address non-responsive students. |
Fully Met
|
MVA policy states that students will communicate with their instructor multiple times during a week to ensure engagement and learning within the course. |
The course provides opportunities for appropriate instructor-student and student-student interaction to foster mastery and application of the material. |
Fully Met
|
Students interact with the instructor to aid in mastery of the material. |
Resources and Materials |
Rating
|
Comments |
Students have access to resources that enrich the course content. |
Fully Met
|
Students have access to translator, dictionary, reader tools, notebook etc. |
Evaluation Strategies |
Rating
|
Comments |
Student evaluation strategies are consistent with course goals and objectives, are representative of the scope of the course and are clearly stated. |
Fully Met
|
|
The course structure includes adequate and appropriate methods and procedures to assess students’ mastery of content. |
Fully Met
|
Student's mastery of content is shown in activities during the tutorials, Mastery Tests on specific skills, the Unit Post Tests, Course Activities/Discussions and on the End of Semester Test (Final Exam). |
Feedback |
Rating
|
Comments |
Ongoing, varied, and frequent assessments are conducted throughout the course to inform instruction. |
Fully Met
|
Mastery tests, teacher graded activities, unit tests all aid in and inform instruction. |
Assessment strategies and tools make the student continuously aware of his/her progress in class and mastery of the content. |
Fully Met
|
Students are able to see their progress in Edmentum 24/7 through the home dashboard, and through a learner progress report. |
Assessment Resources and Materials |
Rating
|
Comments |
Assessment materials provide the instructor with the flexibility to assess students in a variety of ways. |
Fully Met
|
|
Grading rubrics are provided to the instructor and may be shared with students. |
Fully Met
|
|
The grading policy and practices are easy to understand. |
Fully Met
|
Students are able to see a learner progress report in Edmentum 24/7. |
Course Architecture |
Rating
|
Comments |
The course architecture permits the online instructor to add content, activities and assessments to extend learning opportunities. |
Fully Met
|
Teachers are able to add projects, outside links, etc. to course materials. |
The course accommodates multiple school calendars; e.g., block, 4X4 and traditional schedules. |
Fully Met
|
Courseware is available 24/7. The course has flexible due dates. |
User Interface |
Rating
|
Comments |
Clear and consistent navigation is present throughout the course. |
Fully Met
|
Students are provided with an orientation for every course. |
Rich media are provided in multiple formats for ease of use and access in order to address diverse student needs. |
Fully Met
|
Text, video, and audio files are included in the course to address diverse student needs. |
Technology Requirements and Interoperability |
Rating
|
Comments |
All technology requirements (including hardware, browser, software, etc...) are specified. |
Fully Met
|
All technology requirements for the course are specified in the Syllabus. |
Prerequisite skills in the use of technology are identified. |
Fully Met
|
|
The course uses content-specific tools and software appropriately. |
Fully Met
|
|
The course is designed to meet internationally recognized interoperability standards. |
Fully Met
|
|
Copyright and licensing status, including permission to share where applicable, is clearly stated and easily found. |
Fully Met
|
Copyright and licensing information is linked at the bottom of the screen in Edmentum. |
Accessibility |
Rating
|
Comments |
Course materials and activities are designed to provide appropriate access to all students. The course, developed with universal design principles in mind, conforms to the U.S. Section 504 and Section 508 provisions for electronic and information technology as well as the W3C’s Web Content Accessibility guidelines (WCAg 2.0). |
Fully Met
|
|
Data Security |
Rating
|
Comments |
Student information remains confidential, as required by the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA). |
Fully Met
|
Student work is kept confidential within the school database system and courseware. |
Accessing Course Effectiveness |
Rating
|
Comments |
The course provider uses multiple ways of assessing course effectiveness. |
Fully Met
|
|
The course is evaluated using a continuous improvement cycle for effectiveness and the findings used as a basis for improvement. |
Fully Met
|
|
Course Updates |
Rating
|
Comments |
The course is updated periodically to ensure that the content is current. |
Fully Met
|
Courses are reviewed and updated by MVA and Edmentum annually. |
Certification |
Rating
|
Comments |
Course instructors, whether faceto-face or virtual, are certificated and “highly qualified.” The online course teacher possesses a teaching credential from a state-licensing agency and is “highly qualified” as defined under ESEA. |
Fully Met
|
All MVA instructors are licensed in the state of Michigan and are considered "Highly Qualified". |
Instructor and Student Support |
Rating
|
Comments |
Professional development about the online course delivery system is offered by the provider to assure effective use of the courseware and various instructional media available. |
Fully Met
|
|
The course provider offers technical support and course management assistance to students, the course instructor, and the school coordinator. |
Fully Met
|
Support is available from the course provider. |
Course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, have been provided professional development in the behavioral, social, and when necessary, emotional, aspects of the learning environment. |
Fully Met
|
All staff attend ongoing professional development sessions throughout the year to remain current with students and families needs. |
Course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, receive instructor professional development, which includes the support and use of a variety of communication modes to stimulate student engagement online. |
Fully Met
|
|
The provider assures that course instructors, whether face-to-face or virtual, are provided support, as needed, to ensure their effectiveness and success in meeting the needs of online students. |
Fully Met
|
|
Students are offered an orientation for taking an online course before starting the coursework. |
Fully Met
|
There is an orientation at the beginning of every class in Edmentum. |
Review Conducted By: My Virtual Academy
Date of Review:
07/24/2023
Unit 1: Writing for Business Unit 2: Electronic Correspondence and Digital Media Unit 3: Types of Business Correspondence
Term Type |
Enrollment Opens |
Enrollment Ends |
Random Draw Date |
Enrollment Drop Date |
Course Starts |
Course Ends |
# of Seats |
Course Fee |
Potential Additional Costs |
Open Entry / Open Exit |
04/02/2024 |
12/02/2024 |
|
|
|
|
500 |
$400 |
|
Drop Policy |
Completion Policy |
Term Type |
Enrollment Opens |
Enrollment Ends |
|
Must pass course with D- (60%) or higher. |
Open Entry / Open Exit |
04/02/2024 |
12/02/2024 |
In order to be successful in our program, it is important for the student to remain in constant communication with the online instructor. The online instructor will be communicating with the student 1-2 times per week. Communication between the student and online instructor will be phone, email, texting, and/or discussion boards. Online instructors provide families with their weekly office hours and My Virtual Academy is open Monday – Thursday from 8 AM – 8 PM, Friday from 8 AM – 4 PM and Saturday from 8 AM – 2 PM with staff available to answer questions/concerns. Messages received after hours will be returned the next school day. Parents/Guardians/Students will have access to the curriculum and grade book 24 hours per day, 7 days per week.
My Virtual Academy Tech Support is available Monday - Thursday, 8 AM - 8 PM, Friday 8 AM - 4 PM, and Saturday 8 AM - 2PM. Browser: Edge (latest), Internet Explorer® 11, Chrome (latest), Firefox (latest), and Safari (latest). Plug-Ins: Adobe Flash®, Java, Office compatible software. For a small percentage of our legacy content, you may need the following plug-ins: Shockwave® and/or Plato® Xtras. Pop-Up Blockers: How to turn off pop-up blockers Mobile Browser Support: We support the following tablet configurations: OS - Android; Browser- Chrome (Latest version) OS - iOS; Browser - Safari (Latest version) Please note, voice recorder for World Languages works with Flash.