Monday - December 16, 2019

There is no bellwork this week. Let's take a break. It's exam week. Take a deep breath. In the words of Bob Marley....Every little thing is gonna be alright. 

Friday - December 13, 2019

RIDDLE FRIDAY!

Kind of an inside joke...

Wednesday - December 11, 2019 / Thursday - December 12, 2019

Read the article linked below. Then give your thoughts on the topic.

Facebook and Apple Spar With Lawmakers Over Encryption

Tuesday - December 10, 2019

All Classes

Here's another of the 13 virtues by which Ben tried to live his life. Copy and paste it into your bellwork document. Then, say how you think this virtue might serve you well.

Order: Let all your things have their places. Let each part of your business have its time.

Monday - December 9, 2019

ALL CLASSES

Read the article linked below and answer the questions that follow.

Amazon CEO Wants Closer Tech/Military Ties

1. How does Amazon's approach to cooperation with the US government differ from Google's approach?

2. Which approach do you agree with and why?

3. How might a company's approach to government cooperation impact its marketing efforts?

Friday - December 6, 2019

RIDDLE FRIDAY!

Three birds are sitting on a wire. One decides to fly away. How many birds remain on the wire?

Wednesday - December 4, 2019 / Thursday - December 5, 2019

ALL CLASSES

Here's a little review because I want to know if you were paying attention yesterday. And I want to emphasize the lesson.

Read THIS.

Why do stores push store credit cards? Give the reasons we discussed in class last time.

What would be the pros and cons of owning a store credit card?

What would you say to someone considering a store credit card?

Tuesday - December 3, 2019

ALL CLASSES

How are marketers trying to get you and your family to spend more money this holiday season? Name at least three ways.

What works on you? Which sales or advertising methods?

Finally, how can consumers resist the temptation to overspend during the holidays?

Let's discuss.

Monday - December 2, 2019

ALL CLASSES

Read the article linked below and answer the questions that follow.

Giving Thanks Can Make You Happier

1. How do they know that gratitude can make you happier?

2. Explain how you think this might work?

3. What is one way you could express gratitude more often?

Friday - November 22, 2019

ALL CLASSES

RIDDLE FRIDAY

There are 53 bicycles in a room. There is a man face down on the table with a bullet in his head. Why did he die?

Wednesday - November 20, 2019 / Thursday - November 21, 2019

MARKETING CLASSES

Read the article linked below and answer the questions that follow.

EasyJet to Begin Offsetting Fuel Emissions

1. What is carbon offsetting?

2. What is flygskam?

3. What is greenwashing?

CAREER PREP CLASSES

Read the article linked below then answer the questions that follow.

Google's Stadia Gaming Service Gets Dinged by Critics

1. What is a "beta" in terms of technology?

2. What makes Google's Stadia different than other gaming systems?

3. Are you interested in purchasing Stadia? Why or why not?

Tuesday - November 19, 2019

All Classes

Read the article linked below and opine. Good idea? Bad idea? Will impact you or not? Explain.

TikTok Tests Out Social Commerce

Monday - November 18, 2019

ALL CLASSES

Copy, paste, and respond to the following observation:

Success seems to be largely a matter of hanging on after others have let go. 

William Feather

Friday - November 15, 2019

ALL CLASSES

Riddle Friday - NO Googling, no blurting, no bloogling, no glurting!!!

Rearrange the letters of the word "stepparents" to spell two words that are opposites. 

Wednesday - November 13, 2019 / Thursday - November 14, 2019

CAREER PREP CLASSES

Go online. Research common uses of spreadsheets. List 10 that you think you might use some day.




MARKETING CLASSES

Read the Brew's take on the latest Nike move linked below. Then explain what you think was behind this decision. Does this impact you personally in any way?

Nike Will Stop Selling Directly on Amazon

Tuesday - November 12, 2019

All Classes

Ben Franklin topic was one of the most productive humans that ever lived. Here's one of the 13 virtues by which he tried to live his life. Copy and paste it into your bellwork document. Then, say how you think this virtue is or isn't needed in SPHS.

Silence: Speak not but what may benefit others or yourself. Avoid trifling conversation.

Friday - November 8, 2019

ALL CLASSES

This is called a rebus puzzle; I will be challenging you with more of these in the future: 

What phrase does the illustration below represent?

Wednesday - November 6, 2019 / Thursday - November 7, 2019

CAREER PREP

Read the article linked below. Then respond to the prompt that follows.

Surprise! The skills of the future aren’t technical

List the skills that will be needed in the future according to this article. List all that are mentioned.


MARKETING CLASSES

Read the article linked below. Answer the questions that follow.

Starbucks’ Holiday Cups Are Coming Back On Thursday. Hopefully, You’ll Get One

1. Where does this kind of thing fall in the Promotional Mix? Is it...

• Personal Selling?
• Advertising?
• Sales Promotion?
• Public Relations?

2. What issues have plagued this activity in previous years? 

3. How might the company determine if this is something worth repeating in the future?

Tuesday - November 5, 2019

MARKETING CLASSES

Read the article linked below. Answer the questions that follow.

Airbnb bans ‘party houses’ following Orinda shooting

1. Which part of the promotional mix is the focus here? Advertising, sales promotion, public relations, or personal selling?

2. Why did Airbnb decide to add and announce new policies regarding house parties?

CAREER PREP CLASSES

Think of the best My Life presentations you've seen so far. List three things that made these presentations better or more professional than the others.

Monday - November 4, 2019

ALL CLASSES

For your Monday motivational, copy and respond to the following advice. Do you believe it? Explain. And name a thing you need to believe in this week!

Friday - November 1, 2019

RIDDLE FRIDAY

A man rode out of town on Sunday, he stayed a whole night at a hotel and rode back to town the next day on Sunday. How is this possible?

 

Wednesday - October 30, 2019 / Thursday - October 31, 2019

ALL CLASSES

Read through the article linked below and answer the questions that follow. I'll play the LG commercial in class.

Marketing Halloween

1. Where does Halloween rank among the holidays as far as money spent by consumers? Which holidays result in MORE spending than Halloween?

2. How much money do you think your family spends on Halloween?

Tuesday - October 29, 2019

MARKETING CLASSES

Read the very short article from MB linked below. Answer the questions that follow.

Google Earnings Overshadowed by Reported Fitbit Offer

1. If we were to create a company life cycle with the same stages as the product life cycle, where would you put Google and why? Base your response on the details in the article.

2. Name one thing Google is doing to keep the revenues flowing. And what function of marketing is this (remember any of the 7 functions?)




CAREER PREP CLASSES

Do a search for most annoying PowerPoint or general slide presentation mistakes. List 3 that we have not already discussed in class.

1.

2.

3.

Friday - October 25, 2019

ALL CLASSES

Riddle Friday!!!! No googling!!!!

David's father has three sons : Snap, Crackle and _____ ?

Wednesday - October 23, 2019 / Thursday - October 24, 2019

MARKETING CLASSES

Read the article linked below. Then answer the questions that follow.

Why your company should turn services into experiences 

1. What is the "experience economy"?

2. Why do you think this trend exists?

CAREER PREP CLASSES

List THREE terrible, unforgivable mistakes people make when creating and presenting slides. 

Tuesday - October 22, 2019

ALL CLASSES

Copy and respond to the following quote from Poor Richard's Almanac. Try to go beyond literal interpretation. What's the lesson in this?

A full belly makes a dull brain.

Monday - October 21, 2019

MARKETING CLASSES

Read this entry from today's Morning Brew. Then, answer the questions that follow.
_________________________________________________________________________

SPONSORED TOGETHER WITH MONDAY.COM There Is No Ad Dear reader, I was supposed to write an ad today. Writing ads is my job. But today, in an unprecedented breach of my contract, I did not write an ad. I wanted to write an ad. The problem was that I didn’t know what to write about. You see, typically, I am told about what I should write–shoes, credit cards, etc. And, typically, I find that information on monday.com. But today, reader, I forgot my monday.com password. I cannot overstate how useless I am to my company without my monday.com password. monday.com is the project management tool that organizes my entire professional existence. monday.com organizes my work visually, manages my long-term projects, and informs me of my daily to-do’s. Hear me: Without monday.com’s workflow organization, I am nothing. I apologize to you all. A forgetful copywriter who wishes he could login to monday.com like you can, Henry ____________________________________________________________ 1. What type of advertising is this? (It's something we've defined before) 2. Do you think this will be effective? Why or why not? 3. Do you like this approach? Why or why not? CAREER PREP CLASSES Read the article linked below. Answer the questions that follow.  Teenagers are less likely to work today than any generation before them, and some say school is to blame 1. Why are teens less likely to have jobs these days? Give multiple reasons mentioned in the article.  2. Do you think this will have a positive or negative impact on your generation? Explain your answer.

Friday - October 18, 2019

RIDDLE FRIDAY!!!

Two men and a boy started a never ending race. One of the men can run super fast while the other man can run way faster than the boy. The boy is the slowest runner. What are they?

Hurry up and solve....we don't have much time today.

Wednesday - October 16, 2019

CAREER PREP CLASSES

Read the article linked below. Then, list three things from the list that we work on in this class. Also, tell me which ONE skill you need to work on most.

The 10 Vital Skills You Will Need For The Future Of Work

MARKETING CLASSES

Read the article linked below. Then, tell me if you think product launch events are worthwhile for companies. Explain your answer and be prepared to share.

The real reason Apple and Google still hold big launch events

Tuesday - October 15, 2019

ALL CLASSES



Have you ever heard the above expression? Please don't take it literally. What does it mean? Apply it to something big you've done or plan to do...something so big it seems impossible.

Friday - October 11, 2019

ALL CLASSES - RIDDLE FRIDAY
No googling, no blurting, no bloogling, no glurting!

A man and his son are in a car crash. The father is killed and the child is taken to the hospital in critical condition. When he gets there, the surgeon says, "I can't operate on this boy - he is my son!" How can this be?

Wednesday - October 9, 2019 / Thursday - October 10, 2019

CAREER PREP CLASSES

Skim the article linked below and respond to the questions that follow.

How to buy a college paper online, and how schools are fighting back against plagiarism

1. Why do so many college students plagiarize? List as many reasons as you can.

2. List reasons NOT to plagiarize. Again, as many as you can.




MARKETING CLASSES

Read the article linked below and respond to questions that follow.

McDonald’s enters the plant-based burger wars, setting up a showdown with Burger King

1. Why is McDonald's considering this?

2. Who are the two biggest alternative burger producers?

3. Which is McDonald's likely to choose and why?

4. What did the article say about supply chain and how it impacts McDonald's plan for this possible rollout?

Tuesday - October 8, 2019

ALL CLASSES

Let's read the article below together. Then, respond to the questions that follow.

The NBA Chooses China’s 

Money Over Hong Kong’s Human Rights

1. When, if ever, should a business express political opinions? Explain your answer. 

2. Should an individual's social media posts impact his or her employment? Why or why not?

Monday - October 7, 2019

Copy and respond to the following quote:

Do something every day that you don't want to do; this is the golden rule for acquiring the habit of doing your duty without pain.

Mark Twain

Also, what is Mark Twain's real name?

Friday - October 4, 2019

Riddle Friday....

You know I always have a lesson in mind. The lesson here is sometimes things are not as they may appear at first. Try to to see things from another perspective.

What do you see below? Write what you see. Then talk with those around you. What do they see?

Wednesday - October 2, 2019 / Thursday - October 3, 2019

ALL CLASSES

On Monday, we talked about Habit #7, Sharpen the Saw. Take a look at the graphic organizer below. What's an area you think you need to focus on? Explain why. Write down a few steps you could take this week.

Monday - September 30, 2019

It's finally here...what you've been waiting for...the final habit...(and homecoming week, too...I guess)

Habit #7 is SHARPEN THE SAW!

Excerpt from Sean Covey's 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens...

Do you ever feel imbalanced, stressed-out, or empty inside? If so you're going to love Habit #7 because it was specially designed to help you deal with these problems. Why do we call it "Sharpen the Saw"? Well, imagine that you're going for a walk in the forest when you come upon a guy furiously sawing down a tree.

"What are you doing?" you ask.
"I'm sawing down a tree," comes the curt reply.
"How long have you been at it?"
"Four hours so far, but I'm really making progress," he says, sweat dripping from his chin.
"Your saw looks really dull," you say. "Why don't you take a break and sharpen it?"
"I can't, you idiot. I'm too busy sawing!"

We all know who the real idiot here is, now, don't we? If the guy were to take fifteen minutes to sharpen the saw, he'd probably finish three times faster.

So what do you think this habit is all about? Have some thoughts and then I'll tell you what the author says.

Friday - September 27, 2019

RIDDLE FRIDAY!!!!
No googling, no blurting, no bloogling, no glurting (you know who you are)!

What flies when it's born, lies when it's alive, and runs when it's dead?

Wednesday - September 25, 2019 / Thursday - September 26, 2019

CAREER PREP CLASSES

Read the article linked below and respond to the prompts that follow.

Science Confirms It: Social Media Hours Are Majorly Bad for Teens

1. Copy and paste the most concerning statement from the article.

2. After reading this article, will you change your social media habits? Why or why not?

3. Overall, do you believe that social media apps improve the lives of teenagers? Explain.

MARKETING CLASSES

Read the article linked below and respond to the prompts that follow.

Here’s what email marketers can learn from Morning Brew’s expansion

1. Copy and paste a sentence or two that explain how Morning Brew's marketing approach is uniquely effective. 

2. What are native ads? Why do native ads on MB work so well?

Tuesday - September 24, 2019

MARKETING CLASSES

Read the article linked below. Give your thoughts and tell me how you might incorporate this information into a SWOT analysis of Facebook.

CAREER PREP CLASSES

Read the article linked below and answer the questions that follow. 

Avoiding College Scams

1. What three scams were identified in the article?

2. Why do you think even tech-savvy young people might fall victim to scams like these?

Monday - September 23, 2019

Habit #6 (that's right, we are almost finished) is SYNERGIZE.

Synergy is about celebrating differences, teamwork, open-mindedness, and finding new and better ways of doing things. When it comes to differences, are you a shunner, a tolerator, or a celebrator?Wait for me to define those classifications. Then, assess your openness on the table below. Be honest.

	SHUNNER	TOLERATOR	CELEBRATOR
Race
Gender
Religion
Age
Dress

Now, how can you become a "celebrator" in each category?

Friday - September 20, 2019

RIDDLE FRIDAY!!!

Thirty men and only two women, but they hold the most power.

Dressed in black and white, they could fight for hours.

Who are they?

Wednesday - September 18, 2019 / Thursday - September 19, 2019

ALL CLASSES
I feel like most of you are "over" the habits already. But I'm not letting you off the hook that easily. These are game-changers. Even if you only make one change, adopt one new habit, it can have an important and substantial impact on your life. Look back over the habits we've covered so far.

Which one do you NEED in your life more than the others?

Have you done ANYTHING to adopt this new habit? If so, what? If not, why not?

What will you do going forward? Is there a second habit you need to adopt? Really think about it.

7 Habits Recap:

1. Be proactive (don't make excuses; don't blame others; take control of your life)
2. Begin with an end in mind (envision who you want to be, what you want to accomplish, where you want to go)
3. Put first things first (set priorities; eliminate time-wasters, earn your play time by getting things done first)
4. Think Win-Win (it's not all about beating others; sometimes we can support each other, enjoy the success of others, etc)
5. Seek first to understand (be a better listener!)

Tuesday - September 17, 2019

MARKETING CLASSES

Read the short Morning Brew story linked below. Also follow the link to the Ed Sheeran story at the bottom. Read that one, too. Then answer the question that follow.

For Latest Tour, Madonna Wants More for Less

So a question for musicians is should I play to smaller crowds and charge more, OR should I play for larger crowds and charge less. What factors need to be considered? How would you make such a decision. 

CAREER PREP CLASSES

.

Read the article linked below. Then respond to the prompt that follows. 

Job interview fast approaching? Try these 6 preparation tips

Make a bulleted list of all the tips given in this article. 

Monday - September 16, 2019

ALL CLASSES

Habit #5 is SEEK FIRST TO UNDERSTAND, THEN TO BE UNDERSTOOD.

Ask yourself, "Which of the five poor listening styles do I have the biggest problem with?"

1-spacing out?
2-pretend listening?
3-selective listening?
4-word listening?
5-self-centered listening (judging, advising, probing)

Which one did you choose? Why do you think you do that?

Now try to go one day without doing it.

Friday - September 13, 2019

RIDDLE FRIDAY!

Fill in the blank....

1 3 5
2 4 _

I bet this one drives you crazy!

Wednesday - September 11, 2019 / Thursday - September 12, 2019

CAREER PREP CLASSES
Read the article linked below and respond to the prompt that follows:

Now Hiring: Walmart Targets Teen Workers With Expanded College Benefits Program

List FIVE benefits to participation in Walmart's Live Better U program.

1.

2. 

3.

4.

5.

MARKETING CLASSES

Read the article linked below and respond to the prompt that follows.

McDonald’s Would Like Robots With That

Talk about this decision by McDonald's in terms of the 7 functions of marketing. Which function is at work here? Also, explain what McDonald's is trying to do relative to its competition.

Tuesday - September 10, 2019

MARKETING CLASSES
Read the article linked below and answer the questions that follow.

VW's Got a New Look...and New Cars

1. Which function of marketing is this article talking about? Explain. 

2. Why did Volkswagon redesign it's logo? Thoughts on the new look?

CAREER PREP CLASSES

Read the article linked below and answer the questions that follow.

4 Resume Blunders That Could Be Costing You a New Job

1. Which one of the errors listed do you think is the most egregious (look it up)? Explain.

2. Should your resume look the same for every job to which you apply? Explain.

 

Monday - September 9, 2019

ALL CLASSES

Habit #4 is THINK WIN-WIN

You are NOT doing it right if you engage in any of the following "think win-LOSE" behaviors:

1. Using others emotionally or physically for your own selfish purposes
2. Trying to get ahead at the expense of another
3. Spreading rumors about someone else
4. Insisting on getting your way without concerning yourself with the feelings of others
5. Becoming jealous and envious when something good happens to someone close to you

Choose one of the below steps to becoming more of a WIN-WIN type of person and explain why you chose that step:

1. Pinpoint an area of your life where you most struggle with comparisons. Perhaps it's with clothes, physical features, friends, or talents. Work to let it go. Realize we all have strengths. Appreciate and respect those strengths in others without comparing or competing!
2. If you play sports, show sportsmanship. Compliment someone from the opposing team and mean it.
3. Form a study group ahead of a challenging test and work together to bring everyone's grade up.
4. The next time someone close to you succeeds, be genuinely happy for them instead of feeling jealous or threatened.
5. Think of a person you think is a model of WIN-WIN. What is it about this person that you admire?

Friday - September 6, 2019

It's riddle Friday.  As always, no discussing, NO GOOGLING. and if you've seen this riddle before, zip it!

A team of scientists discover a body which has been frozen in ice for thousands of years.  They are able to remove a large section of ice containing the body, and they bring it back to a laboratory for closer inspection.  As they remove ice and are able to examine the remains, it is clear that this is the body of a man.  And further, one scientist exclaimed, "Oh my God, this is the body of Adam, the world's first man!"

How did he know?

Wednesday - September 4, 2019 / Thursday - September 5, 2019

MARKETING CLASSES
Read the article linked below. Write a couple of sentences to sum it up and a couple of sentences giving your opinion. Be ready to share.

NatGeo’s ‘Activate’ wants to inspire global activism—and reinvent P&G marketing—with Pharrell, Common

CAREER PREP CLASSES

Read the article linked below. List your favorite three ideas for making money. What would you do with an extra $500 per month?

9 ways to make money as a teenager, from summer jobs to online work

Tuesday - September 3, 2019

ALL CLASSES

Habit #3 is PUT FIRST THINGS FIRST.

This one is easily the hardest habit to live. It's all about prioritizing. Each week you have to decide which are the most important things for you to accomplish. Don't neglect any important area of your life (family, friends, academics, extra-curriculars, etc.). Plan to do the most important things in all of those areas. Once you knock those off, you can do some of the silly things we do to occupy ourselves.

Here are five of Covey's suggestions for you. Choose ONE of them. Copy and paste it into your bellringer document. Then explain why you chose that step.

• Set a goal to use a planner for a month. Stick to your plan.
• Identify your biggest time-waster (games, Netflix, social media?) Commit to cutting back.
• Are you always being asked to volunteer, and you ALWAYS say yes? Next time, say no when it's the right thing to do.
• Study a little each day for an upcoming test INSTEAD of waiting until the night before.
• Think of something you've been needing to do for a long time, but have procrastinated. Get it done.

Friday - August 30, 2019

ALL CLASSES

It's riddle Friday.  As always, no blurting and no googling!

Two men are in a desert. They both have packs on. One is dead. The guy who is alive has his pack open, the guy who is dead has his pack closed. What is in the pack?

Wednesday - August 28, 2019 / Thursday - August 29, 2019

CAREER PREP CLASSES

A 2020 high school graduate has 50% chance of living to be over 100 years old. How does this impact one's career, career choices, career opportunities? And how might it change how one prepares for careers? How does one adjust to an ever-changing technological environment? Write down some thoughts, and we will discuss.





MARKETING CLASSES

Read the article linked below and answer the questions that follow.

Johnson & Johnson Ordered to Pay $572 Million in Landmark Opioid Trial

1. How much money was Oklahoma seeking in this lawsuit, and what expenses was the state hoping to get covered?

2. What did the findings say about Johnson & Johnson's marketing campaign for its prescription painkillers?

3. Since 2000, how many people in Oklahoma have died from opioid overdoses? Do you believe Johnson & Johnson bears any of the blame?

Tuesday - August 27, 2019

ALL CLASSES

To drive home yesterday's habit, think of ONE thing you'd like to accomplish this school year. Just one. Find a picture that illustrates that goal. Copy and paste the picture into your bellwork document.

Mine is to earn some kind of sailing certification, then sail at least three times this year on my own. Here's the pic I'm going to post somewhere I see it everyday. If you'd like yours printed, just send it to me via email: chwood@hoover.k12.al.us

Monday - August 26, 2019

ALL CLASSES

Quickly review Habit #1. Let's keep that in mind as we move forward in this life-changing book!

Habit #2 is "Begin with the End in Mind". So it's all about visualizing where you want to be in the future, focusing on the specifics, and never losing that focus. Covey's suggestions for ways to begin this kind of thinking include the following:

1. List three skills you'll need to improve upon to be successful in your career.
2. Write a personal mission statement.
3. Look in the mirror, and ask, "Would I want to marry someone like me?" If not sure, then begin working on the qualities you may be lacking.
4. Think about your life goals. Write them down. Illustrate them somehow. Post pictures around your room.
5. Identify a negative label you think some people may have given you. List a few things you can do to change that label.

Choose ONE of the above and write about it for today's bellringer.

Friday - August 23, 2019

RIDDLE FRIDAY - AS ALWAYS, NO GOOGLING!!!

How would you measure 4 gallons if all you have are a 3-gallon container and a 5-gallon container? You have an unlimited supply of water.

Wednesday - August 21, 2019 / Thursday - August 22, 2019

CAREER PREP CLASSES ONLY
Read the article linked below and answer the questions that follow.

The 10 highest-paying college majors of 2019, according to PayScale

1. List the 3 careers from the Top 10 here that you find most interesting.

2. Will you choose a career solely based on potential earnings? If not, what other factors might you consider?

MARKETING CLASSES ONLY
Read the article linked below and respond to the prompts that follow.

The Popeyes Chicken Sandwich Reveals Important Business Trends

1. Copy and paste the sentence that best summarizes the article.

2. Copy and paste the sentence that went over your head.

3. Try to explain the correlation between the economy and new menu items at fast food restaurants. 

Tuesday - August 20, 2019

ALL CLASSES

Okay so I'm stuck on this "proactive" thing. Choose your favorite of these proactive messages. Copy and paste it into your bellwork document and explain why you chose it.