Thursday, May 2, 2019

Introducing Kids To The Global Marketplace Through Online Blended Entrepreneurship Education

By Linda Cook


Technology has opened up a whole world of academic opportunities for educators and their students. As business models, and the entrepreneurial goals of young students, change, teachers are beginning to introduce the idea of global entrepreneurship into the classroom. This gives middle schools an opportunity to see how global marketing is evolving through online blended entrepreneurship education for 6th grade through 8.

Online lessons can be successfully blended with the interaction of business volunteers and teaching staff. Students can participate in programs designed to introduce the basics of global marketing. They are introduced to business ethics and how it relates to customers. What constitutes ethical behavior in the workplace is defined. Students are given examples of certain situations and asked to discuss whether the decisions made were, or were not, ethical.

Culture and business is the subject of one lesson. Students watch a video that introduces them to the different ways people greet each other around the world. Terminology is discussed. There is some discussion about how international businesses adjust their messages to adapt to different cultures as a way of providing service to customers while still making a profit.

There is a lesson on global trade and why countries decide it is in their interest to trade with other countries instead of making all their own products. Kids learn about how technology has affected global trade. Students have a chance to play trading games and use this information to try and convince other students to buy their products.

Not every country has the necessary resources to supply citizens with all their needs. Specialization can create a more stable economy. Students are encouraged to participate in games that demonstrate the ways this benefits a country. Teachers lead discussions about how the business decisions of one country affects customers in the global marketplace.

Trade barriers is an important concept that is the subject of a lesson. Students watch a video discussing tariffs. They see real life examples of the ways tariffs affect the balance of trade. The ways trade barriers affect countries around the world, and the different ways employees, customers, and businesses suffer is discussed.

Kids love the international currency portion of this course. They learn about the different currencies and what the rate of exchange means. They are taught why currencies have different values. Students are given currency calculators and taught how to use them and how to calculate exchange rates. They learn about the ways exchange rates affect buying power.

The global workforce is the subject of one lesson. Students learn how businesses use technology to find the most qualified applicants for their companies. The value of learning a second language is discussed. Kids discuss what steps they would have to take to obtain employment in a foreign country. These lessons incorporate technology, language, math, science, and social skill sets along with an introduction to the opportunities entrepreneurship presents. Students who have a chance to participant is these courses are given information that will be invaluable to them in the future.




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