Ever have problems with student group work? This session will explore specific strategies for managing group work and using project-based instruction. Student co-presenters will give their perspective about project-based learning and explain how project and collaboration skills contribute to success in school and beyond.

1. #NAFNext2014

2. To Group or Not To Group: What is
the Problem?
#NAFNext2014

3. Team leaders . . .
#NAFNext2014
Richard Molzer Fran Thew
• John I. Leonard High School
– Greenacres, Florida
– 41 years teaching Business Education
– Academy of Finance teacher for
juniors and seniors
– Internship Coordinator
• Curriculum Fellow for Business
Economics and Insurance courses
• John I. Leonard High School
– Greenacres, Florida
– 40 years teaching Spanish, Biology,
Computer Science
– Academy of Finance teacher for
Freshmen
– Department Chair for Business and
Computer Science
• Curriculum Fellow for Financial Services
course
• Curriculum Leader for Applied Finance
course

4. Team leaders . . .
Kimberly Henderson
• John I. Leonard High School
– Greenacres, Florida
– Senior
– Interned at: Island Hospitality
Management
– Industry Certifications: MOS for
Word, PowerPoint and Excel and
Quickbooks Pro
– 2nd place in the state in FBLA
Accounting II exam
– 2013-2014 FBLA Vice President
Noreydy Ortega
• John I. Leonard High School
– Greenacres, Florida
– Senior
– Interning at: J&A of Lake Worth
service station
– Industry Certifications: MOS for
Word, PowerPoint and Excel and
Quickbooks Pro
– 2013-2014 FBLA President
SKIP VIDEOS

5. Why did you want to be a teacher?

6. Wants to make a difference in the lives of the young people in
their classrooms.
Provides students with the tools they will need to be successful
in attaining their future collegiate and career goals.
Sees student diversity in the classroom as an exciting learning
tool rather than as a barrier to learning.
Challenges students to be the best that they can be.
A TEACHER . . .
What is a teacher?

7. Constantly updated by teams of professionals (no need for
expensive and soon outdated textbooks)
All resources provided from lesson plans to student and teacher
resources
Same strategies used in all courses
Courses springboard off one another
Courses include career exploration
Courses include extensions for interdisciplinary work or further
inquiry
Compliance with the NAF model
Why should I use the curriculum?
THE NAF CURRICULUM

8. Family/ Culture
POSSIBLE OBSTACLES

9. To promote cultural literacy
• Every lesson begins with anticipation guides
• Vocabulary enrichment
• Opportunities to explore topics in cooperative groups to take pressure off
ELL students
• Career exploration
NAF Curriculum
Provides teachers with tools . . .

10. Literacy
POSSIBLE OBSTACLES

11. To promote literacy
• Strategies embedded seamlessly within the curriculums
• Opportunities for reading and writing found in every lesson
• Students read and write a variety of different genre
NAF Curriculum
Provides teachers with tools . . .

12. Inability to solve problems – thinking outside the
box
POSSIBLE OBSTACLES

13. To develop higher order thinking skills
• Lessons developed around real-world theme
• Project based learning where skills are applied in new ways
• Extension lessons for deeper inquiry, interdisciplinary applications
NAF Curriculum
Provides teachers with tools . . .

14. What is the best way to teach
the youth of today?

15. Teaching today . . .
LECTURE

16. According to the National Careers Service employers often feel
that applicants who’ve left school, college or university lack the
‘soft skills’ they want.
Required skills . . .
What are the ‘soft skills’ employers
want?

17. Communicating
• Skilled communicators get along well with colleagues, listen
and understand instructions, and put their point across
without being aggressive.
• They can change their style of communication to suit the task
in hand – this can be invaluable in many different situations,
from handling conflict to trying to persuade a customer of
the benefits of buying your product.
• If you’ve got good communication skills you should be able
develop constructive working relationships with colleagues
and be able to learn from constructive criticism.
Required skills . . .
What are the ‘soft skills’ employers
want?

18. Making decisions
• Gathering all the important facts, seeking advice, looking at
the big picture, considering alternatives, being aware of
repercussions – these are all things that go into making a
good decision.
• Things to be wary of are indecision and making snap
decisions.
Required skills . . .
What are the ‘soft skills’ employers
want?

19. Showing commitment
• Employers want people who are dependable, reliable,
enthusiastic, and enjoy hard work.
• Employees that are committed need very little supervision or
motivation to do their best and get the job done.
Required skills . . .
What are the ‘soft skills’ employers
want?

20. Flexibility
• We live in rapidly changing times in the workplace, so if
you’re adaptable and flexible, you’ll be able to change with
the times.
• It’s a great asset if you are able to step outside your comfort
zone and try your hand at something you haven’t done
before.
• Employers like people who are positive, upbeat and have a
‘can-do’ attitude.
Required skills . . .
What are the ‘soft skills’ employers
want?

21. Time management
• When deadlines are looming, good time management is
about prioritising the most important tasks, and then
deciding which actions will produce the maximum output
with the minimum effort.
• Are you a good juggler - can you work on several different
projects at once?
Required skills . . .
What are the ‘soft skills’ employers
want?

22. Leadership skills
• Even if you’re not managing staff yet, leadership qualities are
valued by employers.
• They look for people who lead by example, constantly look to
improve, motivate themselves, are positive, and know when
to follow instructions and when to show initiative.
Required skills . . .
What are the ‘soft skills’ employers
want?

23. Creativity and problem-solving skills
• The ability to apply both logic and creativity to solve
problems is highly valued by employers.
• If you are the kind of person who tries to see the solution as
well as the problem, this will stand you in good stead.
Required skills . . .
What are the ‘soft skills’ employers
want?

24. Being a team player
• A good team player has the team goals clear in their mind
and works with others to achieve them.
• They are open and honest, and offer constructive suggestions
and listen to others.
Required skills . . .
What are the ‘soft skills’ employers
want?

25. Accepting responsibility
• Employers are on the lookout for people who take pride in
their work, and are confident enough to put their name to it.
• They also respect people who can hold their hands up when
things go wrong, and don’t pass the buck.
• Everyone makes mistakes - it’s how you react and learn from
them that counts.
Required skills . . .
What are the ‘soft skills’ employers
want?

26. Ability to work under pressure
• Whether you’re trying to hit a challenging deadline or an
urgent job has just landed in your lap, employers want to
know you can put the stress to one side and focus on the job
in hand.
• Can you decide quickly which approach will achieve the
maximum results in a short period of time, and then get the
job done?
Required skills . . .
What are the ‘soft skills’ employers
want?

27. When you look at that list and how valuable these skills can be
to organisations, it’s a wonder they call them ‘soft skills’,
because they are very important and hard to learn!
Many of these skills begin with learning to work in groups to
accomplish a task.
Required skills . . .
TEAMWORK

28. Teamwork is . . .
• A major soft skill required by business and industry settings
• Many heads together can find solutions to unique problems
• Each individual has his or her own expertise to contribute to
the project
Required skills . . .
TEAMWORK

29. Apollo 13

30. Think – Pair – Share
• What are some ways to divide students into groups?
• What are some disadvantages of group work?
• What are some advantages?
Gallery Walk
Teacher perspective . . .
Working in Groups

31. What do students think about working in cooperative groups
• Advantages
• Disadvantages
• What do they want from the teacher?
Student perspective . . .

32. Culminating Project
Overview:
• Groups of two to four
• Students role-play company representatives making a
pitch to a group of investors about the financial benefits of
investing in their chosen company.
• Goal: Encourage the audience to invest in their company
based on the overview that they present.
Driving Question: How can we, as company representatives,
best encourage investors to invest in our company?”
Applied Finance

33. • Main skill & content objectives: Each student will
demonstrate the ability to:
o Work cooperatively with culminating project groups
o Comprehensively research a company
o Plan and create an effective PowerPoint presentation
Applied Finance
Culminating project . . .
Applied Finance

34. • Final product: Students, acting as representatives of the
company they researched, give their presentations to an
invited audience. Each group presentation is assessed using a
rubric.
Applied Finance
Culminating project . . .
Applied Finance

35. Students will design a presentation that will contain the
following information:
o The company overview,
o Historical performance,
o Financial analysis/profitability,
o General stockholder’s data,
o Ethics/social responsibility, and
o Expected growth/future.
Culminating project …
Project Components
Business Economics

36. What did you like about working on the project?
What would you like to be changed if you had to do it again?
Coca-Cola
Student perspective
Culminating Project

37. Develop a viable business idea
• Evaluate 5 products used in own lives
• Are there any problems with the products?
• Is there a feature that could be added or improved?
• Is there a service that could be built around
problems or deficiencies associated with the
product?
Elevator pitch . . .
The Lesson

38. Analyze case studies of entrepreneurs as a
source of inspiration, for innovating, thinking
creatively, and identifying new business ideas.
• Bill Gates, Steve Wozniak, Steve Jobs, Donald
Trump, Sam Walton, Walt Disney
Elevator pitch . . .
The Lesson

39. Define elevator pitch as an opportunity to
discuss an idea during a short elevator ride
with a potential business partner or investor.
Elevator pitch . . .
The Lesson

40. Show examples of elevator pitches
• The CBC's business reality series, Dragons' Den, is
where contestants pitch their business ideas to 5
multimillionaire investors in an effort to acquire
the funding they need to make their business
come to life. The way to suceed is to master the
"elevator pitch." Mentor Capitalist, Sean Wise
explains how.
• The winner
• Student videos
• Student presentation
Elevator pitch . . .
The Lesson

41. Activity Name – Elevator Pitch
• Course: Entrepreneurship
• Unit # 2: Creating The Business Idea And Analyzing
The Opportunity
• Lesson #3: Identifying and Evaluating Your Ideas
Skill or concept objective:
• Help students better understand what it means to be
an entrepreneur and what it takes to start a business.
Elevator pitch . . .
The Lesson

42. 2-3 Minute Elevator Pitch
Innovative Product or Service
Roles:
Recorder
Presenters
Timer
Foley Artist
Elevator pitch . . .
Group /Cooperative Learning

43. Share your innovative product or service idea with the other
groups
Elevator pitch . . .
Group /Cooperative Learning

44. What are the advantages?
Elevator pitch . . .
Group /Cooperative Learning

45. What are the disadvantages?
Elevator pitch . . .
Group /Cooperative Learning

46. Positive Interdependence (sink/swim together):
Requires each group member’s effort.
Group member makes unique contribution through:
• His/her resources.
• His/her role.
• His/her responsibilities.
Elevator pitch . . .
Group /Cooperative Learning

47. Contact Information
• Introduction to Personal
Finance, Applied Finance,
Financial Services:
Fran Thew
John I. Leonard High School
4701 10th Ave N.
Greenacres, FL 33463
(561)641-1257
Fran.Thew@PalmBeachSchools.org
Business Economics, Financial
Services, Insurance, Personal
Financial Planning, Applied
Finance, Entrepreneurship:
Richard Molzer
John I. Leonard High School
4701 10th Ave N.
Greenacres, FL 33463
(561)641-1241
Richard.Molzer@PalmBeachSchools.
org