ITE 5 - Case Study: Taking the Initiative

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Mr. Bates, Pam's customer, has just told her about a new project designed to improve communication among educational agencies. The goal is to use the new broadband capabilities in their town to help the schools, libraries, and government educational offices to communicate better.

Pam worked in a mill that installed broadband shortly before the mill's parent company closed the facility. She helped create a network that used broadband technology to enable process control equipment vendors to monitor the machinery, perform diagnostics, and make repairs from remote locations. She acquired skills that would help those involved in the new project understand and coordinate the network development. However, the way the mill used the broadband technology was not exactly the same as the project being developed, and Pam is unsure how her experience can transfer from one job to the next.

Join Pam as she learns:

- How to use social media as a research, marketing, and sales tool.

- How skills acquired through previous employment or education can be valuable to new employers.

- What is involved in establishing a consulting business.

How to fund and operate a consulting business.

Key Vocabulary

Blogs - A blog is an online journal that is usually updated by an individual on a regular basis. Bloggers write about a topic of interest to them and invite readers to interact by posting comments. Bloggers often enhance their journals with links to other blogs, web pages, images, and other media that offer more information on the chosen topic.

Wikis - A wiki is a website, usually dedicated to a specific topic that allows the participant to enter information, edit existing information, or comment on other readers' postings. The idea behind a wiki is that a group of individuals want to share their knowledge about a specific topic. They will self-manage the site and act quickly to correct misinformation.

RSS feeds - RSS feeds automatically notify users when new information is posted to their favorite sites. To receive RSS feeds, a user first downloads RSS reader software and then subscribes to sites of interest that offer RSS updates.

Podcasts - Podcasts are video or audio files that the author uploads to an Internet site. Users are then permitted to download the files to their personal computers or portable players.

Assignment Tasks

Note: These questions are in chronological order with the Case Study

Complete these responses in a document and place these in your web portfolio by end of day on Wednesday

In a paragraph, summarize your experiences with Blogs, Wikis, RSS Feeds, and Podcasts.

Summarize some key rules to keep in mind when navigating Social Networks .

Describe some examples of offline social networking

Describe some ways that businesses use Social Media.

How does Social Media help businesses establish their identities?

How does an intranet compare to the internet?

What are some advantages to using an intranet?

When would a company want to hire an outside consultant? (4.2.1)

Describe the difference between a consultant and contractor?

List the 4 disadvantages to being a consultant

A skill set is a combination of skills that enable a person to do a job.

Answer these questions in point form in relation to yourself

What certifications or degrees do I have?

What awards have I won?

What training do I have?

What work experience do I have?

What do I do at home?

What do I do at school?

What do other people tell me I do well?

What do I like to do?

Read through the Hands-On Lab but you do not have to complete it.

List the 5 key sections to a business plan. (4.2.3)

What are reasons that you would want to separate your business and personal identities?

Make a table listing the pros to traditional and non-traditional funding sources.

Complete the "Funding Scenario" Check box activity

Describe 3 of the 7 described ways to build a credit history for your company.

Describe the benefits to having a good business credit rating.

List the 5 sections of a funding proposal

What 5 items must insurance policies state? (4.4.1)

What are the 5 main categories of insurance?

What does business liability insurance protect you from?

List 5 items that fall under the category of business intellectual property.

Complete these responses in a document and place these in your web portfolio by end of day on Wednesday