Travel Agency* Teacher Overview

Transcription

1 Travel Agency* Teacher Overview This project is designed as a culminating activity to incorporate and reinforce state core standards and objectives previously explored in Business Intro.. This project includes a reinforcement of: CTE Word Processing Internet Multi-media Presentations Desktop Publishing Human Resources Careers Marketing Requirement The Travel Agency Project meets and exceeds State Core Curriculum requirements for all 5 days of Marketing. Two days specifically focused on What is Marketing?, Products, and the 4 P s. After teaching What is Marketing, the focus narrows to a Travel Product which is a service. Introduce and discuss target markets. Strong emphasis on promotion: projects include an advertising flyer, newsletter, and multi-media presentation. Time Requirements The time teachers have to spend in the Travel Agency will vary from school to school, and rotation to rotation. Schools with limited number of computers will have less time to work on the Travel Agency. Also, a student s ability to grasp and move through the Travel Agency will vary based on past computer experience and learning styles. Teachers may decide to pick and choose from assignments available and customize to meet classroom and student needs. There ample activities with instructions provided, as well as additional suggested activities, for a 3-4 week time frame. Student Activity Booklet The Student Activity Booklet is designed to let students read and work at their own pace. This allows the teacher to set a minimum expectation and customize requirements for individual students, if needed. For example: resource students may be required to complete less projects. Activity booklets are written for Word The instructions refer to the menu bar at the top of the

2 screen instead of icons. Historically, menu bar choices remain the same or similar. After completing the task through the menu bar, students quickly find the shortcuts themselves without instruction. Personalizing the Student Activity Booklet There are certain items in the activity booklet that need to be personalized for your school. For example: the booklet gives step-by-step instructions for selecting the company logo. Attraction Internet Search The student booklet suggests attractions be searched and identified. This is a high expectation. The average student will complete 8 in the 3-4 search days given. It is better to have enough to keep the fastest student focused and allow others sufficient time to complete the minimum requirement. Students must have a description of at least five tourist attractions to successfully complete the Travel Agency activities. Students who have more attraction descriptions will have a larger variety and more latitude for creativity. Offering bonus KASH can help motivate students to complete more attractions. Students should realize that hotels and restaurants are not attractions.

3 Limit Destination Choices Limit the number of destination cities students may choose. As a teacher, it is important to visit the web addresses suggested in the student booklet each rotation before you begin the Travel Agency to make sure that they are still available and appropriate. Web Masters have an annoying habit of frequently updating and modifying Web Sites. Limiting destination choices gives the teacher more control of the student searches and appropriateness of materials available. Students struggle finding a variety of attractions in some cities. For example: Students who choose Cairo, Egypt often struggle to find enough attractions that would interest teenagers and young adults. They easily identify 3-4 attractions and then they begin listing lots of museums because they cannot find other appropriate material. Example of Attraction Description Discussing an example of an attraction description is very important. Help students understand that the description should be informative and persuasive. It should answer the questions: What is it? What will I see? and Why should I visit? The description should show that the student found the information from the Internet. The next page can be made into an overhead transparency with examples of two descriptions written by 7 th grade students. The first description, a bad example, does not indicate any facts the student picked up from the Internet. The second example clearly indicates the student has visited the Internet to learn about the attraction.

4 EIFFEL TOWER It is a tower. It is shaped like an A. You will see lots of landscape. You should visit because it looks interesting. OR The Eiffel Tower is the most recognizable structure in the world. It weighs 7,000 tons but exerts about the same pressure on the ground as an average person sitting in a chair. The tower was created for an exhibition and was never meant to be permanent. It was built in It is 1,056 feet high. On a clear day you can see 40 miles in all directions.

5 Attraction raphics As students search for attractions on the Internet, they often come across pictures/graphics of the attraction. Encourage students to download one good graphic for each attraction. Help students recognize that some attractions and/or landmarks do not have graphics but most major attractions do. A realistic expectation requires students to save five graphics for 10 attractions. In addition, encourage students to record any admission fees, operating hours, closures, etc. as they come across the information. This saves time and effort: all information is gathered in one search and doesn t require a second or third search later. The Attraction Search worksheet (Travel Agency Activity 2) asks students to record the web address when the attraction information is found. Students also identify the file name they give each graphic when they download. Take the time to talk about saving the graphic using a related filename and the importance of writing it on the worksheet to help them in future assignments. Emphasize the web name assigned to a graphic is not always recognizable and can be changed. Newsletters, flyers, and multi-media presentations are much more interesting with relevant graphics. The quality and thoroughness of the Internet search in Activity 2 will determine student success on the activities to come! What is a shared important and how is directory? Why is it it used?

6 Network Systems Operators have the ability to create a drive specifically for CTE Intro. This drive can be selected just like you choose the A:\ drive, C:\ drive, etc. A logical name for the drive is the CTE T:\ drive. Students are given READ ONLY access: students may retrieve anything from this drive but do not have rights to save. In other words, students may call up files from the T: drive but must Save As: to their home directory. Some benefits and/or justifications for having a shared drive created on your network: Allows student to retrieve a new copy of assignments and save over the old assignment in their student directory to easily start over when a mistake has been made Provides teacher flexibility to modify activities daily, if need be Allows teachers to save and share files with other teachers Provides a place for teachers to create and customize or limit graphics folders focused on curriculum units. Most software graphics are too massive for 7 th graders. Students often spend more time trying to choose a graphic than completing the assignment. raphics folders available on the T: drive allows you, the teacher, to limit the number of graphics available. Students need only have topic-related graphics to choose from not 150! Examples of graphic folder titles: Junk Foods Word Processing Unit Hobbies and Talents Multi-media Presentations Holidays DeskTop Publishing Travel Travel Agency Project The possibilities and flexibility of a shared drive are endless!!! raphic Problems:! Because students are relatively inexperienced with graphics they run into the following problems. You should frequently emphasize these points as students are working on the Travel Agency: Do not use the 3-D option in Text Art. It locks the computer. The 2-D option responds and functions fine to change text color, font, shadows, etc. Students forget to click away from a graphic or text box before trying to insert another graphic or text box. Have a brief discussion about handles or the black dots around a graphic or text box when it has been selected. Help students realize that the computer will try to put a graphic inside a text box if it is selected (handles displayed) when they insert a graphic. Very often this locks classroom computers. Suggest students save often. Students sometimes get error messages (not often) because they lack experience in using graphics and text boxes. When error messages have occurred, they are most generally related to handles. In other words, the task the students were trying to perform was done while a graphic or text box was selected..

7 Scanned Photo of Student The activity booklet refers to a student photo. It is fun to have students scan their photo and use it in activities throughout Business CTE Intro. Consider having students use their photo in Word Processing, Desktop Publishing, and/or Multi-media Presentations. It would even be fun to let students create a business identification tag to wear around their necks as used in the business world. Students are asked to insert their photo as the Travel Agent on the Advertising Flyer, Newsletter and Multi-media Presentation. Students should have previously scanned their photo, saved it to their directory, and inserted it into an assignment. Remember, students should have completed each of these actions in previous assignments. This is a culminating project!! Templates Word has templates already created. If your software does not have templates, you can create your own templates and put them on the shared drive or student activity disk. A template is nothing more than a partially created file. It is similar to a pattern for a dressmaker. The template file is simply the skeleton. The students then have the opportunity to open the template and personalize it to meet assignment specifications. Assignments that students retrieve from a student activity disk and manipulate are nothing more than templates! Rubrics The Travel Agency is an end of class project and step-by-step directions for the projects are not detailed. The use of RUBRICS makes students aware of the minimum expectations for each activity before they begin. Student checklists and teacher RUBRICS (basically the same except for the person using them ) are included for all three major projects in the travel agency. Teachers should modify them to meet their own classroom needs. The checklists give students an opportunity to be as creative as they wish within the guidelines, of course. Consider copying the student checklists on colored paper and requiring students to attach to the back of the flyer and newsletter. Also, ask students to turn in the slide show checklist when they have completed the project. Two reasons: 1) informs teacher they have completed the activity; and 2) prevents students from claiming they were unaware of requirements! It s difficult for student or parent to legitimately claim the requirements were unknown! Just some food for thought. The RUBRIC for the Travel Slide Show, Activity 6, indicates students are to create one slide for each attraction: spaces to grade 12 slides on country attractions. Very, very few students will accomplish this task! Remember: some students will not have time to find information for 12 attractions in the time provided. However, the Rubric is designed to allow teacher discretion. It s easier to delete than to create! Right?

8 Teacher Discretion or Questions to Ponder Before introducing the Travel Slide Show, think through your expectations: Do you want an individual slide created for each country attraction found? Is there a minimum requirement? Will students be allowed to change the background? If so, may each slide have a different background or must the selected background be consistent? What font faces are acceptable: all available in the software or are there restrictions? Are there to be restrictions on font appearance: shadow, outline, ALL CAPS, etc.? Should the same two or three fonts be used consistently or may students vary the fonts and appearance from slide to slide? Will students be allowed to change slide transitions (template file has transitions identified)? Will students use bullets layout and bullet animation? What about bouncing bullets? Students love to do slide shows because of all the changes and fun they can have with shaded boxes, fonts, colors, bouncing bullets, transitions, etc. They will spend hours on the extras; yet, often skip over or give a superficial effort on the information and project requirements. Consider a policy of no enhancements until the message or intent of the activity is completed. Keep them centered on the message. ONLY AFTER THE MESSAE AND THE RAPHICS ARE COMPLETED SHOULD STUDENTS BE ALLOWED TO ADD ENHANCEMENTS!!!

9 Newsletter Template A Travel Agency newsletter template is included with an introduction paragraph which students simply personalize for their destination. Attraction/landmark identifying text box placement is illustrated, graphic placement is prompted. Experiment: find your comfort zone! Pricing the Tour Travel Agencies are able to offer lower travel prices, in part, because they make and pay in advance for bulk airline seats and hotel accommodations. Obviously, students will not have access to bulk pricing options. To get around this legitimate obstacle, have students Internet search the cost of flights, accommodations, and some meals. When students have determined a total cost for airfare and hotels, assign the final price as 50% of their total. Suggested Optional Activities (if time permits) Invitation to an Open House Travel Passport Internet search for attraction costs, hours of operation, city walking maps Currency conversion from US Dollars to country currency Hotel, restaurant and airfare searches Day trips Travel window poster, etc. etc. etc.

10 Seat# Name Period# Seat# Name Period# RUBRIC Advertising Flyer Activity 4 Your flyer should include the following information. Check off each requirement below as you complete it. Company Name and Logo City and/or City/Country Name One large photo that depicts your destination Second graphic or clipart also required Power Words or Phrases (At least 2 required) Travel Dates Travel Agent name, photo, phone # No more than 2 pieces of information in text art (ie. Country name and 1 power word) Company address and WEB address (Use school address: 150 S. 200 W. Farmington, UT Student checklist attached Comments: RUBRIC Advertising Flyer Activity 4 Your flyer should include the following information. Check off each requirement below as you complete it. Company Name and Logo City and/or City/Country Name One large photo that depicts your destination Second graphic or clipart also required Power Words or Phrases (At least 2 required) Travel Dates Travel Agent name, photo, phone # No more than 2 pieces of information in text Art (i.e. Country name and 1 power word) Company address and WEB address (Use school address: 150 S. 200 W. Farmington, UT Student checklist attached Comments:

11 Seat # Name Period RUBRIC TRAVEL NEWSLETTER Activity 5 All identified information required Column 1 Column 2 Column 3 Used Times New Roman font, 12 pt. for ALL descriptions Correct spelling Destination typed in ALL CAPS and in color at top of page Destination identified and all requested information inserted in introduction paragraph (Leftover red letters deleted) Attraction/activity identified by full name in text box (Font and color of your choice.) Attraction briefly described with valid and motivating information gathered from Internet What will be seen and why it should be seen? Allotted information space used appropriately without large, empty white space Internet graphic or TLC clipart inserted (Request box deleted in col 1) Average and expected weather conditions identified for travel time Packing suggestions included Travel agent name, photo, phone #, WEB address identified Student Checklist Attached TOTALS Comments:

12 Seat# Name Period# RUBRIC TRAVEL AENCY--SLIDE SHOW Slide 1: Slide 2: Slide 3: TITLE typed in ALL CAPS, and bolded Strong color contrast between font and background Company name and logo included At least one related graphic TITLE typed in ALL CAPS, and bolded Strong color contrast between font and background Destination city and/or city/ country name included Power word or words used At least one related graphic TITLE typed in ALL CAPS, and bolded Strong color contrast between font and background Information filled in raphic of Travel Agent included TOTAL TOTAL TOTAL Attraction Slides: Attraction # Full attraction name typed as the title in ALL CAPS, and bolded Used complete sentences for description Description answers What is it?, Why should I visit? and What will I see? At least one related graphic TOTALS Final Slides: (May be divided into two or three slides, if desired, to help all information fit and look nice.) TOTALS Slide TITLE typed in ALL CAPS, and bolded Strong color contrast between font and background Includes invitation to join the fun Includes company name and logo Expected weather conditions and packing suggestions Includes tour costs and deposit dates Includes travel agent name, phone #, web address, and photo Includes travel dates

13 Dearest Travel Leisure Co. travel agent As you complete your slide show, please remember the Message is King! The message should be your main concern. Stimulate others to read your message with strong color contrast between the background and font color, interesting information, related graphics, and smooth transitions. Too much glitz and dazzle will only distract from the message and frustrate your audience (your teacher being one!). Happy employers, or teachers, give higher marks and more smiles than frustrated employers do! Sincerely Your employer