Business, Marketing & Information Tech Newsletter - From Dean Breuer

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Business, Marketing & Information Technology Update: March 2019


Important Dates

  • March 31: Early-bird registration ends for the MNCodes Summit, to be held on May 16, 8:30 a.m. - 4 p.m., at the Coffman Memorial Union on the campus of the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities. The Summit will be a day of hands-on sessions that explore ways to empower learners by integrating computer science, coding and computational thinking into a variety of curricular areas. The cost is $95 and participants will earn six CEUs. Contact organizers at Code Savvy (612-963-3344) for more information and register for the MNCodes Summit.
  • April 15: BestPrep’s Spring Essay Competition for students in grades 9-11 is back! Essay submissions will be accepted through April 15. The contest is sponsored by Thomson Reuters with the top 20 essay winners and their teachers winning valuable prizes and attending BestPrep’s Educational Forum on October 7, 2019, at the Saint Paul RiverCentre. The Forum will feature a keynote address by speaker, journalist, author, and three-time Pulitzer Prize winner Thomas Friedman. In addition to attending the dinner event, winners will attend a private reception with Mr. Friedman. Register for the Essay Competition, download the Essay Competition packet, or contact Jenna Gale for more details. 
  • April 22: Registration is NOW CLOSED for the "Hospitality and Tourism Day at MOA" sponsored by Normandale Community College and Mall of America. Over 800 students from around the state have registered for this event! If you are interested in future opportunities to learn more about developing Hospitality and Tourism programs and curriculum to align with high demand areas in Minnesota, contact Hospitality Minnesota Board member and Normandale Community College Business Department Co-chair Brandon Supernault.
  • July 7-12 (at University of St. Thomas) and July 21-26 (at St. John's University): Dates for BestPrep's Minnesota Business Venture (MBV) program. Details about camp can be found on this MVB Brochure and the MBV Frequently Asked Questions sheet. Contact Jonathan Filzen for more information and encourage students to Register for MBV!

New Leadership for Minnesota Business Teacher Professional Organization

MBITE Logo

At its February 2019 meeting, the Minnesota Marketing, Business and Information Technology Educators (MBITE) association announced new leaders for 2019-2020. They include:

The four pillars of the organization are: (1) Networking for business, marketing and technology teachers; (2) Legislative advocacy for business and Career Technical Education (CTE) programs; (3) Resource and lesson sharing; and (4) Professional development.

MBITE is currently in the process of updating its website, preparing 2019-20 membership forms, creating a process and digital storage for resource/lesson sharing, and planning a fall conference that may include opportunities to earn professional certification!

If you have questions, or want to know how you can get involved, contact President Justin Wittrock.

Congratulations to BPA and DECA State Competitors!

Congratulations to Executive Director Jackie Schiller and the many outstanding Business Professionals of America (BPA) and DECA advisors whose students recently competed in the BPA Spring Leadership Conference and DECA State Career Development Conference! Once again this year your students represented the high-quality instruction and career development opportunities you provide in your classrooms and through your student organizations. Good luck to those students who will be competing in national competitions this spring for BPA in Anaheim and for DECA in Orlando!

Irondale DECA Highlighted in National Publication

The February 2019 edition of Techniques magazine, published by the Association for Career Technical Education (ACTE), ran a feature section on the impacts of career and technical student organizations (CTSOs). The DECA article featured the work of Diane Waite, Irondale Senior High School DECA advisor, and the work of her students in the development of the "Knight Grounds" coffee shop as part of their 2018 national champion Learn and Earn event project. Thank you Diane for representing Minnesota student organizations so well!!

BestPrep Opportunities for Students and Teachers

  • Financial Matters: April is Financial Literacy Month and Distracted Driving Awareness Month and BestPrep speakers are ready to come talk with your students! Consider participating in National Teach Your Children to Save Day in April by requesting a classroom speaker on credit, budgeting, or money. Car Insurance Matters speakers are also available to share the importance of good driving practices for both safety and affordability. Contact Jonathan Filzen for more information or request Financial Matters speakers online.
  • Technology Integration Workshop: This highly rated and affordable four-day professional development workshop (July 29-August 1) provides educators with new insights on how to use educational technology. A variety of tech tools, apps, and websites will be introduced and highlighted through breakout and keynote sessions. Attendees will also be paired with a volunteer from business for a half-day job shadow to witness today’s workplace. Additionally, time will be given to modify a unit plan by adding new tech making it ready for the coming school year. More information is available including a short Technology Integration Workshop video featuring past attendees and the Technology Integration Workshop online registration form. Contact Jonathan Filzen to inquire about financial assistance that may be available for schools without professional development funds.

Summer Frameworks Development Opportunities!

This summer, the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) will once again be contracting with Business, Marketing and Technology teachers for assistance with the development of new course frameworks. Areas of focus this summer include Business Math and Business Communications, Hospitality and Tourism, and Accounting. If you are interested in this paid summer opportunity, contact MDE Business and Marketing Specialist Dean Breuer.

Supplemental Materials from New Minnesota Education Company

Glacier Peak Education is a local Minnesota company that works to empower educators to help their students learn differently through an engaging and immersive business simulation platform. The Glacier Peak platform is supplemental curriculum that increases student engagement and learning on core content, provides personalized learning experiences, and produces business-world-ready students. Learn about the features and opportunities of this simulation platform.

Helpful Links

Bright Future for Students Who Study Business and Marketing: Career data for Business and Marketing students

It's Time We Talk About Career-Tech: Branding Career and Technology Education Pathways to Parents and Administrators

The Economic Status of Minnesotans: A chartbook with data for Minnesota's largest cultural groups

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Career Technical Education @ MDE

Career and Technical Education (CTE), as part of the Office of Career and College Success (OCCS) division, promotes the vision that "Every learner is prepared for post-high school education, training and careers."

Our mission is to partner with educational stakeholders to provide leadership and assistance to achieve that vision. 

[If you have questions about this newsletter or ideas for future content, please forward your ideas to MDE Business and Marketing Specialist Dean Breuer.]