Artifact 87 - document presentations about program for other groups

The Computer Information Systems program is the backbone to our Business Education Department. Many of our students get started in business education by enrolling in the Economics and Personal Finance class or the Information Technology Fundamentals class. From there, the students have the opportunity to enroll and take part of the two year course offered in Computer information systems.

Recruitment is our best strategy in our business education enrollment. Some of the ideas and focus points of the program are listed below.

The best seller of the Computer Information Systems Program is the dual credit option that we receive from Mountain Empire Community College. Once a student has completed Information Technology Fundamentals, Computer Information Systems and Advanced Computer Information System with dual credit options, the student has received 9 college credit hours and completed a sequence course of electives at the community college.

We host school tours for our upcoming 9^th grade students each year. Students from our feeder middle schools tour the Career Center and meet instructors from all the Career & Technical Departments. Business Education teachers give all upcoming 9^th grade students brochures on all the business course offerings and explain to them that at the end of a sequence course, they will have an opportunity to become Microsoft Certified.

Guidance counselors at all the feeder middle schools have been given PowerPoint presentations on all programs at the Lee County Career and Technical Center. Brochures of all course offerings have also been given to guidance counselors to pass along to students and their parents.

During our 9^th grade open house, students get to meet with all business teachers. Our  FBLA club sets a table up during open house to inform students and parents about our co-curricular club. We also serve small snacks during this time.

A PowerPoint presentation is presented to our advisory council each year about our programs, and we also have students throughout the school to join in our advisory council and give updates on our programs and co-curricular clubs.

In our school hallway, we have a large LCD screen that runs PowerPoints and video clips on students in career and technical programs. This is used as a recruitment activity for all programs.

Artifact 88 - 1-page narrative about best practices of program

We are especially proud of the Computer Information Systems Program at the Lee County Career and Technical Center.  The instructors and the students of the program excel each year and remain knowledgeable about the everyday changing trends in technology.

Instructors in the Computer Information Systems program are fully certified in their teaching area and hold multiple industry certifications. With multiple industry certifications, students are given the opportunity to obtain multiple industry certifications in Microsoft Office and IC³ certifications.  

The computer labs of the Computer Information System Program are updated with the change in technology. Students are using Dell Computers with Windows 07 operating systems and currently using the Office 2007 suite, which we will be replacing with Windows Office 2010 within the next several months.  Upgrading to Office 2010 would already be implemented, but we must delay due to our Industry Certification partnership is not ready for Office 2010 certification at this time.  The computer lab is also Certiport Certified so we do not have to travel to other schools to test our students.

Participation with Mountain Empire Community College allows all Computer Information Systems Students to have the opportunity to receive dual enrollment for the course. The past two years, students have also been given an opportunity to receive scholarship funds for their dual credit courses, so money is no object in taking the course as a dual credit option.

The Computer Information Systems Program encourages all students to participate at the Regional and State level of Future Business Leaders of America. All students participate at the local level; however, we would like to see more students compete at the upper levels.

I feel, as the computer information systems instructor, that professionalism should be the top priority in the classroom. Professionalism should be based on the instructor and the student as well.  Professionalism should not be based just on the instruction of the teacher, but the respect that the teacher gives and the respect that the students give and receive. Instructors need to be knowledgeable in their content area and be able to work with all students on course content. Teachers who are excited about teaching have students who are excited about learning. Positive attitudes can be contagious.

Teacher-student rapport should be developed throughout the school year. Teachers and students both need to learn from each others. Mistakes will be made, and learning from those mistakes is a process of the academic learning process. Teachers and students need to build on their relationship throughout the school year. Respect and learning go hand in hand. Motivation and active engagement in the classroom lead to a fulfilled learning classroom experience