Feel free to ask any questions that are not answered here and I will do my 
best to respond and post them in this area.

1. What is BIM?
2. What is this BIM course about?
3. How can a parent get involved?
4. What is my philosophy regarding education?
5. Who has responsibility for a student’s education?
6. What my attitude toward grades?
7. What is the penalt for completing work late?
8. How can I keep current on what my student is doing in your class?
9. How does this electronic class work?
10. How will testing and daily work be different in this class?
11. Does my student require a flash drive?
12. Should students have access to their grade folder online?

What is BIM?

BIM stands for Business Information Management.  This is 
sometimes referred to as BIS or Business Information Systems in 
the business world.  It is one of the fastest growing fields in 
business and college today and is actually a separate directorate 
in many larger corporations.  I think it was Bill Gates that 
said, "Information is power."  Well, the ability to produce, 
research, and access information is power.  

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What is this BIM course about?

BCIS taught at middle school is actually an High School credited 
couse and fulfills the requirement for BCIS1.  There is another 
level of BCIS and other related course available at the High 
School level.  This course will focus primarily on basic 
business, computer, HTML skills and the most used Microsoft 
Office suite programs:  Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Access and 
Publisher.  Check out the Course Outline tab for more information.

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How can a parent get involved?

I am eager to bring the "real" business world to these students.  
If you have experience in business, I would like to talk to you 
about speaking to my students.  As a parent/guardian, you can be 
involved in your charge's education and communicate with me 
frequently any concerns or praises you may have.

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What is my philosophy regarding education?

I know that education is hard work.  I am a struggling student 
myself and have been my whole life.  But, if I can do it, so can 
my students.  I can appreciate how hard some students have to 
work to make the grade.  But, it is worth it.  I truly believe 
that education is the single most powerful equalizer in our 
society today, regardless of ethnicity, creed or economic 
standing.  It is also the single most important protection you 
have for the future.  My dad always used to tell me, “No matter 
what they take away from you, they can’t take your education.”  
He understood that from the perspective of a hard working, 
successful businessman that did not have a college education.  He 
made sure that I and my brothers went to college.

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Who has responsibility for a student’s education?

This is a team effort – a team composed of the teacher, the 
student and the parents/guardians.  The teacher does carry the 
primary responsibilities to prepare lessons, present material, 
seek feedback, communicate, follow-up and make the learning 
environment as engaging as possible.  The student has the 
primary responsibilities to attend regularly, come prepared to 
learn, actively engage in lessons, and complete the assigned work 
in a timely manner.  The parents/guardians play a vital role in 
providing a nurturing and learning environment, feedback, 
communication, and positive motivation at all times.  This is the 
triad of a successful learning environoment.

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What my attitude toward grades?

I am not here to flunk students.  It is not all about grades, but 
it is about learning.  Grading is just one tool to assess 
learning.  I make this promise to all of my students, “If you do 
the work, you will pass.”  Of course, that implies that if 
they don’t do the work, they will be in trouble.  I try to give 
ample number of grades to overcome the “bad day” – the more 
grades, the less impact a bad day will have.  I also do not give 
zeros for attempted work.  I try my best to grade fairly and 
evenly across the board.  In my book, effort also counts for 
something.  In my experience, the person who puts forth the 
effort will win in the long haul – attitude does count.  So, 
there is a subjective and an objective component to my overall 
grade.  The ratio for the overall grade is 50/50 with major tests 
being 50% and daily/homework grades being 50%. To me the daily 
work is as important as the tests.  I do allow students to improve 
daily work to improve their grade and they will get the full score 
for their final work.  Students can also retake any test, 
regardless of their original grade, and I will average the two (or 
more) scores for the final score.

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What is the penalt for completing work late?

I have always given full credit for work completed, whenever it 
is completed.  I do not deduct points for late work.  I figure 
that if it is competed the desired learning has occurred.  If 
work is not done on time, I will enter a "zero" as the grade 
until it is completed.  If you check grades at home on the parent 
access, this gives you the parent immediate feedback on whether I 
am missing an assignemnt.  I will usually give a deadline for all 
late work a couple days before the end of the grading cycle to 
give me time to get the final grades completed. If it is not done 
by then, it goes in as a "zero."

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How can I keep current on what my student is doing in your class?

It is very simple.  There will be a basic agenda posted on my 
website.  Also, keep monitoring my website for changes.  In 
addition, I try to send out an email to every parent/guardian 
that has given me an email address every Monday.  So, please get 
me that email address as soon as you can.  The best way is to 
just send me an email.  

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How does this electronic class work?

This is a computer class, so I have endeavored to keep the paper 
to an absolute minimum in the class.  All tests will be done 
through my website and are sent automatically to my email.  I 
will keep those on file.  All of their other work will be kept in 
their own personal computer folders.  They are the only ones with 
access to those folders, except me and school administrators.  I 
grade the work in their folders.  If it is not in their folder, 
then they did not do it.  I am trying them to be responsible in 
filing and maintaining information just as they would have to if 
therre were in business.

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How will testing and daily work be different in this class?

I have endeavored to make this class as paperless as possible.  
Each student has a folder and all work will be stored in that 
folder.  Tests will be given through this website and then sent 
directly to my email.  They will stored electronically in a 
separate folder.  I started this system last year and it worked 
quite well. It is a big advantage to you also.  If you want to 
see what your student is doing, just have them copy their folder 
to a flash drive and bring it home to you.  If you would like to 
see a test, I can copy and email you.  You have your student's 
information at your fingertips.

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Does my student require a flash drive?

I highly encourage each student have their own personal flash 
drive.  First, it is aa convenient way for them to bring work 
home to you so you can see everything they are working on.  Also, 
it is responsible computing to always back up information, so the 
flash drives will help them get into that habit.  

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Should students have access to their grade folder online?

Of course, it is the final decision of the parent.  However, I 
believe the student should have access to their grades online.  
We are trying to teach them to become more mature and part of 
that is taking resonsibility for their own grads.  They can do 
this much better if they have complete access to their grades 
online.  I encourage them to check their grades and query me 
about any disagreements they have.  There have been occasions 
where they have caught me in errors.  It is a good check for me 
on documenting their performance.  

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