MARKETING

Welcome to the Marketing Program online support page. This page is intended to provide best practices and online resources to support CTE Marketing instructors in their online instruction. The page is supported by Jenna Naymik, Marketing Instructor at Strongsville High School. Jenna can be reached via email for questions or additions.

About the Contributor: Hello! My name is Jenna Naymik and I am a Marketing Instructor at Strongsville High School. I teach Marketing Principles, Integrated Marketing Communications Honors, Digital Communication and Design, and Financial Accounting. I am also the DECA program advisor for the marketing students. I am currently pursuing my master's degree in Career and Technical Education at Kent State University.

Tips for Effective Online Instruction

Being abruptly forced into remote learning was a challenge for us all. I have developed a list of best practices and resources that helped me navigate online instruction. View them below or watch this video.

Jenna's Top 5 Online Resources

You do not have to figure out remote learning and online instruction on your own! Use the resources around you to provide the best experience for your student and to save yourself a lot of headache. The five resources listed below are what I found the most beneficial while crafting my online lessons.

#1: Business Educators Facebook Group

This is a private Facebook group specifically for business, marketing, and finance teachers. Teachers from around the country share ideas, resources, and ask questions of their fellow members. If you're having an issue, chances are someone else in the group has experienced it too. If you are stumped for how to incorporate something into your lesson, someone on there has an idea to help you out. 6,739 minds are certainly better than one.

Interested in joining? Click this link.

#2: Google Forms

This may seem like a simple tool, but it can be used for so many different purposes. Google Forms was my go-to method for assessments, feedback, and engagement. I'm sure you discovered how quickly your inbox got flooded with emails during online instruction. Instead of getting 100+ emails from students submitting assignments, you can check students submissions on your Google Form link. If you would like to view an example of how I used Google Forms in my online instruction, click here.

If you've never used Google Forms before, I would highly recommend trying it out. They are easy to create, edit, and duplicate. Click this link to get started.

#3: MBA Research & Curriculum Center

MBA Research & Curriculum Center is a not-for-profit consortium. State departments of education pool their resources to efficiently develop business-based national standards and resources for business and marketing educators. This approach means that everything we develop is done for you based on direction received from you. The result is products, services, and support all available at a much lower price than could otherwise be offered.

Before online instruction I used the MBA Research & Curriculum Center, but even more so once I began online instruction. Their e-newsletters provided ideas for effectively teaching remotely. Since they are already geared towards supporting business and marketing teachers, everything they shared was helpful for my classes. Check out their website to see if the resources they provide are something you might find useful.

#4: DECA Direct

This was another e-newsletter that I relied on during online instruction. DECA Direct sends weekly email updates with resources and news. During this time, they provided great ideas for keeping marketing students engaged and provided DECA challenges for them to complete. They also provided free online resources for instructors to use to enhance their remote teaching lessons. From tips for using Zoom, to interact games to share with your students, there was always something new you could try. Subscribe to the newsletter or click here to view the website.

#5: Pear Deck

Pear Deck is a tool that allows you to transform presentations into classroom conversations. With this Google add-on, you can add formative assessments, interactive questions, and so much more to your presentations. You can use this tool live or allow students to do participate at their own pace. You can review student responses in real time to gauge understanding.

You can continue to engage students and even increase participation while teaching remotely by using this free tool. Click this link to learn more or watch the quick video below about how Pear Deck works.

Best Practices

#1: Provide choices

Online learning can be challenging for students and many aren't motivated to do their work. So, provide them with choices for how they complete their assignment. I asked my students to pick assignments off of a bingo board. I received great feedback from students on this and I saw an improvement in the quality of work I was receiving.

Click here to view the bingo board.

#2: Take your lesson idea and cut it in half

This was some of the best advice I received from my mentor. It is not possible to replicate the classroom environment virtually. Students won't be able to focus and dedicate 50 minutes to your class every day on top of all their other classes. Plus, they might be sharing a computer with a sibling or not have access to WiFi at home. We need to change our mindset and our expectation to fit this new norm. Whatever you were planning on doing in the classroom, cut it in half so that everyone's expectations are more realistic.

#3: Connect with the real world

A global pandemic can be particularly confusing or upsetting for students. Use this opportunity to teach and explain what is going on in the world around them. Try adapting your assignment and connect them to what it happening. It can give your students a different perspective and help them build more awareness of global issues.

Click here for an example of how I related marketing promotions to COVID-19.

#4: Provide opportunities for wellness

We can't expect students to be fully engaged with our content all the time. They need opportunities for breaks and stress relief. I frequently gave my students assignments that had nothing to do with marketing, but instead with improving their physical, mental, or emotional wellbeing. For example, I asked my students to choose between exercise, mindful coloring, kindness check-ins or meditation once a week.

#5: Make yourself visible

Very early on I received feedback from students that they were struggling to understand assignments. It was too difficult from them to just read my instructions, they need to hear me explain it. Record audio, or preferably, video of yourself checking in with students and walking them through assignments and expectations for the week. We can't recreate the classroom environment, but we can make ourselves visible through video and audio so students know you are still there for them. That human connection is so important when students are already feeling isolated and alone. Offer times for video class meetings so that students can visually with you and their classmates.

Engaging With Stakeholders

Just like everything else that comes with online instruction, it can be a challenge to keep up with stakeholders when you have to do it virtually. Here are some ideas for how you can engage your stakeholders remotely.

How to work with DECA students:

Engage, engage, engage! The DECA state competition was cancelled right before remote learning began. For many DECA students, this is the highlight of their school year. If you can't physically bring your CTSO together, find other ways to engage them. There were a few things that worked for me. First, engage with them on social media. Each week I would feature DECA members on our social media accounts. I would give them a little shoutout and write something nice about them. I would post about what students were up to and the great things they were achieving. Second, see what resources your CTSO is putting out. DECA posted challenges that were another great way to keep students engaged. DECA is a bright spot for a lot of my students, so keeping them involved benefits both them and the program.

How to work with Advisory Members:

Check in with advisory members to see how virtual life is impacting their business or industry. Ask them if they would be willing to speak virtually with your students. Again, it is so important for students to see a bigger picture. They need to know how a global crisis is impacting the world around them and not just the bubble they are in. The advisory members insight and advice could have a lasting impression on the students.

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