Planning My Route

Think little goals and expect little achievements. Think big goals and win big success.
David J. Schwartz

The first step towards getting the things you want is to decide what it is you want and visualize yourself having it. Set goals, and then imagine yourself achieving them. Think of the joy you will feel when you reach your goal, and you will feel even more driven to success.

A. Think about 3 goals you have for this school year. (For Example: Do you want to make all A’s? Do you want to get the starring role in choir or in a play? Do you want to play first string in your sport? Do you want to make a new friend or find a significant other?) List 3 goals you would like to accomplish by the end of the school year.

B. Then think about 3 goals you have for your life. (For Example: Would you like to have a certain career? Would you like to get married and have children? When? Would you like to own your own business? Would you like to go to college? Get your Masters degree? Get your PhD?!)  List 3 goals you hope to accomplish in this lifetime.

Please use complete sentences and correct punctuation and spelling.

Spelling

If you aren't sure how to spell a word, an easy option is to go to Google and try to type it in as best you can in the Search Box.  It will auto-fill the words in a drop-down list, so you can usually find the word you were looking for that way.  If you don't see your word in the list, type it in as well as you can, and hit Google Search.  A message will appear that asks, "Did you mean _____?"  If that does not give you the word you are looking for, then you may ask Ms. Davis.

Accurate

Free from error or defect; consistent with a standard, rule, or model; precise; exact.

BIM 1 - Exams

In Ms. Davis's BIM1 class, we will not have any traditional exams.  By 'traditional', I mean the kind of exams you are used to, such as multiple choice tests or fill-in-the-blank tests.  We will have assignments mean to test your knowledge over the program we are studying, and I will grade you based on your mastery of the program's tools.

We will complete these assignments on 6-weeks test days, in lieu of exams.

2010/2011 6-Weeks Test Days
9/30 - 10/1
11/4 - 11/5
12/16 - 12/17
2/10 - 2/11
3/31 - 4/1
5/19 - 5/20

BIM 1 Assignment 1 - Memo

Your memos should be completed and saved in your network folder by the end of class on Wednesday, September 8.

Student Instructions

Writing Memos

Memo Example

Daily Class Schedule

This is how you can expect our class to go each day:

1. Travelog (15 min)
2. Announcements (10 min)
3. Daily Assignment Walk-Through and Explanation (25 min)
4. Work Time (30 min)
5. Wrap-Up (10 min)

Ms. Davis's Class Schedule

A Day:
1A - BIM 1
2A - Conference Period
3A - BIM 1
4A - Banking and Financial Services

B Day:
1B - BIM 1
2B - BIM 1
3B - Conference Period (4th lunch duty)
4B - Banking and Financial Services

There, Their, and They're

There - use when talking about a place.

Your homework is over there by the printer.  My friend Angela lives there.

Their - use when talking about how a group of people have possession of something.

Did all of 1A have their homework?  Their class is a lot of fun.

They're = They Are

They're going to come over here for dinner.  They are going to come over here for dinner.

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-There,-Their-and-They're

According

Agreeing.

Finding the Class Folder on the Network

To find Your Class Folder on the Network: 

1. Go to the Start Menu.  On the dark grey part along the right side, click Computer.
2. You will see several drives show up in the right part of the window.  Double-click on the JDavis2 folder, then click your class folder (either BIM1 or BFS). 

Exploring Blogger

Dashboard: It’s the Control Panel for your blog (or blogs).  This is the first page you see when you sign into Blogger.  You can create a New Post or Edit an Existing Post, or you can change your Settings or your Design, or you can just View your blog.

Posting: From the Dashboard, click the blue button that says New Post.  Enter the title of your post, write your blog, and press Publish Post, or you can Save Now if you have not completed your post.  In order to get back to a saved post, you can go to Edit Posts, and you will see your saved post there with the label Draft.  You can also preview your post before publishing it to see how it will look.

Labels: These help you put your posts into categories.  If you wanted to post things to your blog other than just for our class this year, you might want to label each post for class.  I use the labels on my class website very often.

Edit HTML / Compose: Some HTML programmers might be able to type their own code, but most of us will just use the Compose mode, where Blogger gives you the text formatting toolbar and options for uploading videos and pictures.

Design: With Page Elements you can move around the basic parts of your blog, such as the Title, number of columns, and Gadgets, which we will learn about later.  Edit HTML is again for those computer programmers who really want to customize their blogs.  And Template Designer is an awesome tool for making every aspect of your blog beautiful.  Go for it!

Reading the Instructions

Practice reading instructions all the way through before beginning an assignment.  This will help you avoid unexpected obstacles while completing your task.  You will also be prepared and equipped for what is expected.

Access

The ability, right, or permission to approach, enter, speak with, or use.

Explorer Agenda - BIM1 Syllabus

Click Here for the Explorer Agenda

Your and You're

You're = You are

You're a doll.  You are a doll.

Your is possessive.

I love your hair.  Your dog is cute.

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-You're-and-Your

Abundance

An extremely plentiful or over-sufficient quantity or supply.

Abandon

To leave completely; to give up.

Your Moral Compass - Class Rules

Expedition Leader Profile – About the Teacher

Jennifer Davis is the leader of this expedition.

Ms. Davis grew up in Mesquite schools and graduated from North Mesquite High School in 2000. She is the oldest of four children, and has always been a natural leader. Ms. Davis attended college at Texas A&M University and was granted the Terry Foundation Scholarship for an undergraduate degree in Accounting. She then went on to complete her Masters degree in Finance, graduating in May of 2005.

After college, Ms. Davis accepted a position with the prestigious Big 4 accounting firm KPMG. After working as a Tax Analyst at KPMG, TXU, and finally McAfee Inc., the anti-virus software giant, Ms. Davis decided to travel the world and to become a teacher.

In May 2009, Ms. Davis moved to Barcelona, Spain, where she completed her TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification. After a summer of traveling Europe, in September of 2009 Ms. Davis began teaching English at an all-boys middle school in Busan, South Korea. She taught in Korea for 9 months, returning home in summer 2010 to seek a position teaching Math, but when the Business position became available at West Mesquite, it was a perfect fit.  Ms. Davis is a member of American Mensa and Toastmasters International.

Ms. Davis is incredibly excited to lead this group of explorers to success in her class this year.

Ms. Davis with her best friend Angela, backpacking in Europe, 2009.

Ms. Davis at the Magic Fountains of Mont Juic, Barcelona, 2009.

The entire Davis clan.  Clockwise from left: Tyler, Dad, Mom, Jennifer, Carly, and Valerie.

Expedition Leader Contact Information – Teacher Contact

Full Name: Jennifer Davis

Email: jdavis2@mesquiteisd.org

Phone: 972-882-7600

School Website: http://www.mesquiteisd.org/wmhs/

School Address:
West Mesquite High School
2500 Memorial Blvd.
Mesquite, TX 75149

Why Be World Explorers?

Here's a better question: Why NOT be World Explorers?
A well-rounded person spends his or her whole life on a quest to learn new things. They realize that nobody will ever know everything, but that they might as well try to get as close as they can.

By exploring new environments, programs, and ideas, our class will become more marketable in the 'real world' and more successful in relationships, from family, to friends, to colleagues in the workplace. We will learn and practice interpersonal skills, time-management, marketing ourselves, leadership tools, and organization. Many of the projects our class produces can be used in life situations outside of school, e.g. resumes, cover letters, slideshow presentations, household budgets, etc.

I chose this theme because it is important to me that students broaden their horizons at every opportunity. I want my students to know something other than the world outside their door. I am dedicated to equipping my students with skills and tools that will take them far past my classroom into successful lives and careers.

~Ms. Davis

Signpost in Boracay, Philippines, where I visited in February 2010.