Please find below a list of all of the great business education courses offered at Alpha:
Business Education
ADST 8: DIGITAL LITERACY
This full-semester course allows students to experience, explore and develop the exciting topics of digital citizenship, computers, entrepreneurship and marketing. Students will examine the critical topics of:
- Explore Internet safety (cyberbullying), digital self-image, and research techniques.
- Computer skills that will benefit students throughout high school, including Office Suite, Photoshop, keyboarding techniques, basic coding, and building web pages.
- Display creativity by constructing a business plan for a product that students will prototype, test, make and share.
ADST 9: ENTREPRENEURSHIP & MARKETING
Are you the next Steve Jobs? In this course students will have the opportunity to develop and display their entrepreneurial and marketing skills by participating in a real business venture. In the creation of this venture students will:
- Evaluate the risks and benefits of entrepreneurship
- Develop marketing strategies
- Explore evolving consumer needs and wants
- Recognize the role of online technologies
- Reflect on financial performance and overall business success
- Work effectively both as individuals and as a group
ENTREPRENEURSHIP & MARKETING 10
In this course students will have the opportunity to realize and develop their entrepreneurial skills, by creating their own product/idea. Students will:
- Experience what it’s like to be an entrepreneur; whether they are inventing an idea/product from scratch or adding value to an existing idea/product.
- Explore barriers that various groups of entrepreneurs face and the factors that can contribute to their success.
DIGITAL COMMUNICATIONS 11: BUSINESS
In this course students will develop transferable skills that they will use in high school, post-secondary, and career pursuits. Students will learn how to use digital communication effectively in a variety of environments. Students will explore:
- Communication using digital tools- word processing, social media, and blogs
- Impact of social media and language- text based, instant messaging, emojis and memes
- Risks, ethics and legalities in digital communication
- Persuasive writing and critical evaluation of resources
- How to maintain a positive public (professional) profile
ACCOUNTING 11
Accounting 11 is a valuable course that will benefit students in learning how to manage and account for their personal finances. This introductory course is fundamental for any student wanting to pursue business after graduation. In Accounting 11 students will explore:
- The role of accounting in business
- Accounting principles and practice
- Accounting equation, debit and credit, accounting cycle
- Preparation process of financial documents
- Financial decision making
- Explore the variety of career paths in accounting, and hear from guest speakers
ACCOUNTING 12
In Accounting 12 students will build upon the concepts developed in Accounting 11 (although it is not a prerequisite). Topics include:
- Using real business case studies to read and analyze financial statements
- Increasing your opportunity to work in banks and accounting firms
- Financial reporting for different types of businesses
- Inventory systems
- Internal controls to protect assets and ensure accuracy
MARKETING & PROMOTION 11:
In this course students will have the opportunity to create and participate in a real business. Potential business ideas include; food items, Alpha clothing and merchandise, promotion of school events/performances, and more! This is a fun, collaborative, hands-on course that will allow students to see what marketing is all about. Course topics include:
- Create marketing and promotion strategies to persuade consumers to purchase
- Learn how to build and maintain both an online and physical store
- Target market and segmentation
- Evaluate existing company marketing strategies/campaigns
- Design different forms of advertising, including print ads & commercials
- Understand the risks associated with marketing a product: environmental, financial, and emotional
E-COMMERCE 12: MARKETING
This course introduces students to owning and operating an e-commerce business, while applying marketing fundamentals. Students will gain valuable future employability skills such as managing staff, communication and leadership, marketing goods and services, developing and implementing new and innovative ideas. Some of the main activities/topics include:
- Conduct market research and evaluate existing local and global competition
- Design and implement inventory, marketing, accounting, and personnel plans
- Gain hands-on experience with the evolution and nature of e-commerce
- Learn cyber-marketing strategies to direct traffic to websites
- Explore distribution channels for a digital business
- Create advertisements for print, radio, television and e-commerce
Information and Communications Technology
Computer Studies 10: Networking, Security, and Programming
Computer-literacy is a necessary skill for success in today’s digital world. This course allows for students to explore and develop their understanding of computers and build a foundation of digital literacy skills. Students will:
- Learn how to manage a computer by studying its hardware components, operating system, software selection, networking, and security.
- Learn basic algorithms used in processes for problem solving, an essential first step in writing computer programs.
This course does not require a prerequisite and is suitable for both beginner and intermediate computer users.
Computer Programming 11
Coding is becoming one of the most important skills for 21st century job seekers. In this introductory programming course, students will explore different types of computer languages. Students will:
- Learn to code in JavaScript, HTML, and CSS to build their own interactive webpages.
- Learn to code in Python, a widely used programming language in web development and app building, to create their own programs.
This course does not require a prerequisite and is suitable for both beginner and intermediate computer users.
Computer Programming 12
This course introduces students to Java, one of the most popular programming languages today. Students will:
- Learn how to analyze and solve problems using the principles of effective programming practices.
- Participate in inquiry based learning, in which they identify a problem or a need and develop solutions.
- Develop their own programs and create games.
- Computer Programming 11 is a recommended prerequisite for this course.