Bright Future Academy 4433 Sheppard Avenue East, 2nd Floor, Room 202 Toronto, Ontario M1S 1V3 CIA4U – Analyzing Current Economic Issues COURSE OUTLINE Course Title: Analyzing Current Economic Issues Text: Economics Now, Oxford University Press Canada © 2002. ISBN: 0195414454 ISBN-13: 9780195414455 Department: Business Course Description: This course investigates the nature of the competitive global economy and explores how individuals and societies can gain the information they need to make appropriate economic decisions. Students will learn about the principles of microeconomics and macroeconomics, apply economic models and concepts to interpret economic information, assess the validity of statistics, and investigate marketplace dynamics. Students will use economic inquiry and communication skills to analyze current economic issues, make informed judgments and present their findings. Overall Expectations: CIA4U By the end of this course, students will:
Unit details:
Teaching / Learning Strategies: Students learn best when they are engaged in a variety of ways of learning. Business studies courses lend themselves to a wide range of approaches in that they require students to discuss issues, solve problems using applications software, participate in business simulations, conduct research, think critically, work cooperatively, and make business decisions. When students are engaged in active and experiential learning strategies, they tend to retain knowledge for longer periods and to develop meaningful skills. Active and experiential learning strategies also enable students to apply their knowledge and skills to real-life issues and situations. Some of the teaching and learning strategies that are suitable to material taught in business studies are the use of case studies and simulations, teamwork, brainstorming, mind mapping, problem solving, decision making, independent research, personal reflection, seminar presentations, direct instruction, portfolios, and hands-on applications. In combination, such approaches promote the acquisition of knowledge, foster positive attitudes towards learning, and encourage students to become lifelong learners. Since the over-riding aim of this course is to develop an accounting literacy in all students, a wide variety of instructional strategies are used to provide learning opportunities to accommodate a variety of learning styles, interests and ability levels. These include:
Other strategies used include; Guided Exploration, Problem Solving, Graphing, Visuals, Direct Instruction, Independent Reading, Independent Study, Ideal Problem Solving, Model analysis, Logical Mathematical Intelligence, Graphing Applications, and Problem Posing. Assessment and Evaluation Strategies of Student Performance: Assessment is the process of gathering information that accurately reflects how well a student is achieving the curriculum expectations in a subject or course. The primary purpose of assessment is to improve student learning. Assessment for the purpose of improving student learning is seen as both “assessment for learning” and “assessment as learning”. As part of assessment for learning, teachers provide students with descriptive feedback and coaching for improvement. Teachers engage in assessment as learning by helping all students develop their capacity to be independent, autonomous learners who are able to set individual goals, monitor their own progress, determine next steps, and reflect on their thinking and learning.
Teachers will obtain assessment information through a variety of means, which may include formal and informal observations, discussions, learning conversations, questioning, conferences, homework, tasks done in groups, demonstrations, projects, portfolios, developmental continua, performances, peer and self-assessments, self-reflections, essays, and tests.
As essential steps in assessment for learning and as learning, teachers need to: • plan assessment concurrently and integrate it seamlessly with instruction; • share learning goals and success criteria with students at the outset of learning to ensure that students and teachers have a common and shared understanding of these goals and criteria as learning progresses; • gather information about student learning before, during, and at or near the end of a period of instruction, using a variety of assessment strategies and tools; • use assessment to inform instruction, guide next steps, and help students monitor their progress towards achieving their learning goals; • analyse and interpret evidence of learning; • give and receive specific and timely descriptive feedback about student learning; • help students to develop skills of peer and self-assessment.
Teachers will also ensure that they assess students’ development of learning skills and work habits, using the assessment approaches described above to gather information and provide feedback to students. The Final Grade: The evaluation for this course is based on the student's achievement of curriculum expectations and the demonstrated skills required for effective learning. The percentage grade represents the quality of the student's overall achievement of the expectations for the course and reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart for the discipline. A credit is granted and recorded for this course if the student's grade is 50% or higher. The final grade for this course will be determined as follows:
Evaluation: Assessment of Learning through the course: Unit tests 35% + Assignments/Projects 25% = 70 % Final Evaluation: Final examination 15% + final assignment/project 15% = 30%
The Report Card: The report card will focus on two distinct but related aspects of student achievement; the achievement of curriculum expectations and the development of learning skills. The report card will contain separate sections for the reporting of these two aspects.
Program Planning Considerations for Canadian and World Studies: Teachers who are planning a program in Canadian and World Studies must take into account considerations in a number of important areas. Essential information that pertains to all disciplines is provided in the companion piece to this document. The areas of concern to all teachers that are outlined include the following:
Considerations relating to the areas listed above that have particular relevance for program planning in Canadian and World Studies are noted here. The Role of Technology in the Curriculum. Information and communications technology provides a range of tools that can significantly extend and enrich teachers' instructional strategies and support students' learning in Canadian and world studies. These tools include simulations, multimedia resources, databases, and this online course. ICT can be used to bring the global community into the local classroom. Through Internet websites and CD-ROM technology, students can now access primary resources held in museums, libraries, archives, and public institutions across the country and around the world. ICT resources allow secondary students to conduct more far-ranging and authentic research than ever before. Applications such as databases, spreadsheets, word processors, and presentation software can be used to support various methods of inquiry. The technology also makes possible simulations of complex systems that are useful for problem-solving purposes or when field studies on a particular topic are not feasible. English As a Second Language and English Literacy Development (ESL/ELD). Young people whose first language is not English enter Ontario secondary schools with diverse linguistic and cultural backgrounds. Some may have experience of highly sophisticated educational systems, while others may have had limited formal schooling. All of these students bring a rich array of background knowledge and experience to the classroom, and all teachers must share in the responsibility for their English-language development. Students who come to Ontario from other countries will find the study of the subjects within Canadian and world studies particularly useful. Through this study, they can develop an understanding of Canadian economics, geography, history, law, and politics that will help them to become well-informed Canadian citizens. Antidiscrimination Education in Canadian and World Studies. The Canadian and world studies curriculum is designed to help students acquire the "habits of mind" essential for citizens in a complex democratic society characterized by rapid technological change, economic, political, and social change. Students are expected to demonstrate an understanding of the rights, privileges, and responsibilities of citizenship, as well as willingness to show respect, tolerance and understanding towards individuals, groups, and cultures in the global community and respect and responsibility towards the environment .They are also expected to understand that protecting human rights and taking a stand against racism and other expressions of hatred and discrimination are basic requirements of responsible citizenship. In Canadian and world studies, students learn about the contributions of a variety of peoples, in the past and the present, to the development of Canada and the world. The critical thinking and research skills acquired in Canadian and world studies courses will strengthen students' ability to recognize bias and stereotypes in contemporary as well as historical portrayals, viewpoints, representations, and images. Learning activities and resources used to implement the curriculum should be inclusive in nature, reflecting diverse points of view and experiences, including Aboriginal perspectives. They should enable students to become more sensitive to the experiences and perceptions of others. Literacy, Numeracy, and Inquiry/Research Skills. Success in Canadian and world studies courses depends in large part on strong literacy skills. Many of the activities and tasks students undertake in Canadian and world studies courses involve the use of written, oral, and visual communication skills. For example, students use language to record their observations, to describe their inquiries in both informal and formal contexts, and to present their findings in oral presentations and written reports. The language of Canadian and world studies courses includes special terms associated with the subjects that the program encompasses. The study of these subjects will thus encourage students to use language with greater care and precision and will enhance their ability to communicate effectively. The Canadian and world studies curriculum also builds on and reinforces certain aspects of the mathematics curriculum. For example, clear, concise communication may involve the use of various diagrams, charts, tables, and graphs to organize, interpret, and present information. In all courses in Canadian and world studies, students will develop their ability to ask questions and to plan investigations to answer those questions. They need to learn a variety of research methods in order to carry out their investigations; they also need to know which methods to use in a particular inquiry. Students will learn how to locate relevant information from a variety of sources, such as books, newspapers, field studies and interviews, climate maps, aerial photographs and satellite images, diagrams and charts, and electronic sources. Career Education. The knowledge and skills students acquire in Canadian and world studies courses will be useful in a variety of careers. For example, the study of economics increases students' awareness of the ways in which local and global events and trends affect not only the economy but also their own career opportunities. A background in geography, history, politics, or law can lead to employment in fields such as law, politics, resource management, information technology, teaching, recreation, hospitality and tourism, and journalism. Students should be made aware of these possibilities and encouraged to explore areas of interest to them.
Resources: Economics Now, Oxford University Press Canada © 2002. ISBN: 0195414454 ISBN-13: 9780195414455
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