Leadership
Computer Technician Practicum
Lesson Plan
Performance Objective
Upon completion of this lesson, each student will identify with successful leadership traits, and will
determine the characteristics necessary for successful leaders.
Specific Objectives
 Students will explain what people look for in a leader.
 Students will evaluate leadership roles.
 Students will determine the type of leader they want to be or want to follow.
 Students will demonstrate skills necessary for leadership by working in groups to design a
computer for a given scenario.
This lesson should take six to seven class days to complete.
Preparation
TEKS Correlations
This lesson, as published, correlates to the following TEKS. Any changes or alterations to the activities
may result in the elimination of any or all of the TEKS listed.
130.275. Computer Technician Practicum
(c) Knowledge and skills.
(1) The student demonstrates professional standards/employability skills as required by business
and industry. The student is expected to:
(A) identify and demonstrate positive work behaviors that enhance employability and job
advancement such as regular attendance, promptness, attention to proper attire, maintenance
of a clean and safe work environment, appropriate voice, and pride in work;
(B) identify and demonstrate positive personal qualities such as flexibility, open-mindedness,
initiative, listening attentively to speakers, and willingness to learn new knowledge and skills;
(C) employ effective reading and writing skills;
(D) employ effective verbal and nonverbal communication skills;
(E) solve problems and think critically;
(F) demonstrate leadership skills and function effectively as a team member;
(I) demonstrate planning and time-management skills such as project management and
storyboarding.
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(3) The student applies academic knowledge and skills to research and develop projects. The student
is expected to:
(A) demonstrate proper use of written, verbal, and visual communication techniques consistent
with information technology industry standards;
(5) The student creates a technological solution for a problem in the field of information technology.
The student is expected to:
(A) apply critical-thinking strategies to develop a solution using appropriate technologies and
resources, information technology concepts, and industry standards;
(B) apply decision-making techniques to the selection of technological solutions; and
(C) explain how the proposed technological solution will resolve the problem.
(6) The student designs, creates, and implements a product or service that addresses a problem in
the field of information technology and incorporates the solution. The student is expected to:
(B) develop a product or service that meets a specified need following a problem-solving strategy;
(C) identify areas where quality, reliability, and safety can be designed into a product or service;
(E) develop a sustainability plan for the product or service;
(F) develop an evaluation method for analyzing the effect of the product or service on client
satisfaction and problem resolution;
(G) develop a project portfolio that documents the research and development process;
(7) The student applies the essential knowledge and skills for computer technologies to career
preparation, job shadowing, mentoring, or apprenticeship training in simulated and actual work
situations. The student is expected to:
(A) identify a problem relating to information technology;
(B) develop a solution using appropriate technologies, information technology concepts, and
information technology industry standards;
(C) explain how the proposed technological solution will resolve the problem and the
methodologies involved;
(D) apply decision-making techniques to the selection of technological solutions;
(F) apply critical-thinking strategies to the analysis and evaluation of the proposed technological
solution;
(H) select and use the appropriate technological resources to conduct research, design, and
development activities;
(I) develop the documentation of the research and development process;
Interdisciplinary Correlations
English
110.42(b) Knowledge and skills.
(6) Reading/word identification/vocabulary development. The student uses a variety of strategies to
read unfamiliar words and to build vocabulary. The student is expected to:
(A) expand vocabulary through wide reading, listening, and discussing; and
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(B) rely on context to determine meanings of words and phrases such as figurative language,
idioms, multiple meaning words, and technical vocabulary.
(7) Reading/comprehension. The student comprehends selections using a variety of strategies. The
student is expected to:
(F) identify main ideas and their supporting details;
(G) summarize texts; and
(J) read silently with comprehension for a sustained period of time.
Speech
110.56 (b) Knowledge and skills.
(1)(A) explain the importance of communication in daily interaction;
(2)(E) participate appropriately in conversations for a variety of purposes;
(3)(A) The student uses appropriate communication in group settings;
(E) use appropriate verbal, non-verbal, and listening strategies to communicate effectively in
groups;
(5)(B) use language clearly and appropriately;
Tasks
 Students will complete all note sheets per the multimedia presentations.
 Students will complete assigned activities.
 Students will participate in group discussions and class activities.
Accommodations for Learning Differences
Lessons must accommodate the needs of every learner. These lessons may be modified to
accommodate your students with learning differences by referring to the files found on the Special
Populations page of this website (cte.unt.edu).
Preparation
 Secure computer lab if one is not readily available.
 Copy the handout sheets.
 Have materials ready to go prior to the start of the lesson.
 Have incentives ready, if specified in the activity.
 Have a list of leaders handy to refer to during lecture.
 Identify a personality test from the Internet, or another source, for students to take before
completing activities.
Instructional Aids
 Student handouts
 Multi-media presentations
Materials Needed
 Copies of all activities in this unit
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
Incentives (individually packaged candies)
Equipment Needed
 Teacher computer
 Projector (for digital presentation)
Introduction
Learner Preparation
 Ask students what they look for in a leader.
 Ask what positive skills and negative skills attract or sway them from others.
 Ask students if they have held leadership positions and if so, which type?
 Hand out Student Notes sheets.
Lesson Introduction
 Have students write a leader’s name that comes to mind on the top of their handout sheet.
 Present multi-media, “How to be a Team Player “, and lead the class in discussion.
(Take about 15-20 min.)
 Present multi-media, “Leadership Play Book”, and have students take notes.
(About 15 min.)
 Show “Leaders in the World”.
 Go around the room and ask students to share the leader’s name they wrote down and tell why
they chose that person. How many students chose the same person?
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Outline
MI
OUTLINE
I. How to be a Team Player
II. Are you sensitive when your friend
has personal problems?
III. Are you on time when you are
supposed to meet friends?
IV. Do you offer support or offer to find
someone who can help?
V. Do you accept your friends as they
are?
VI. Are you excited for your friends when
something good happens to them?
VII. Do you eagerly lend a helping
hand?
VIII. If you answered, “Yes” to the
questions then you are on your way
to being a great teammate!
Leadership Play Book
NOTES TO TEACHER
The purpose of this activity
is to demonstrate to
students that compassion
is a necessary quality of a
great leader. Often,
students choose their
school or team leaders by
how popular or smart they
are, without considering
that anyone with the
qualities in this
presentation would make a
good leader.
1. Together Everyone Achieves More
a. What makes a good team?
i. Knowledge
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Every member within the group has
important information or skills to share
Learning is a life-long process. We grow
as we learn
ii. Cooperation
1. All team members must work
together in harmony. Everyone
has a job to do to keep the
team operating smoothly,
iii. Flexibility
1. It is important for all team
members to be able to adjust
their ideas and to be able to
set their opinions aside in
order to achieve the goal the
team is pursuing.
This lesson is to give
introspective thought to
each student, in order to
prepare them for the rest
of the activities in this unit.
This presentation explains
qualities of leaders.
Students should write
down the notes from the
slides to keep in their
folders for reference.
Multiple Intelligences Guide
Interpersonal
Existentialist
Intrapersonal
Kinesthetic/Bodily
Logical/Mathematical
Musical/Rhythmic
Naturalist
Verbal/Linguistic
Visual/Spatial
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Application
Guided Practice
The teacher will present the multimedia presentations and lead a class discussion during each one.
Students will take the Personality test and will self-grade to get the results. The teacher will lead the
class in a debriefing to talk about what students discovered about themselves.
There are numerous activities in this unit. The order in which the activities are completed is up to the
discretion of the teacher. It is suggested that the activities be broken up so that they are all completed
within the recommended time frame.
Note: there are a couple of activities that may be used as sponge activities. It is suggested these forms
and the activities be kept in the students’ folders for later evaluation and to be used in the event a
student should decide to run for club office.
Independent Practice
 Students will research current computer hardware standards.
 Students will build a computer given a specific scenario and create a multi-media presentation
for the class.
 Students will research an influential leader and write a 500-word essay on this person.
Summary
Review
 There are different personality categories, and everyone fits into at least one of them.
 It is helpful to know what type personality a person has in order for them to work with others on
a team.
 Personality surveys are helpful for use in clubs and other organizations.
 Leaders play a dual role when faced with responsibility.
 Everyone possesses some element of leadership qualities.
Evaluation
Informal Assessment
 Teacher monitors during activities to check for understanding.
Formal Assessment
 Daily grades on class participation, completed activities, presentation, and essay.
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Name____________________________
Date______________________
Class____________
Leadership Word Search
Directions
Find all 15 leadership words by circling words that are either horizontal or vertical.
L
V
I
X
M
C
O
N
T
R
O
L
L
E
A
D
E
R
L
I
V
T
M
M
O
N
X
E
N
B
X
I
B
O
N
A
G
U
R
U
T
I
V
Y
X
I
O
N
U
O
L
L
O
F
F
I
C
E
R
A
I
C
H
A
R
A
C
T
E
R
G
G
D
A
D
V
I
S
O
R
B
E
A
E
E
I
B
C
U
Q
C
C
H
O
N
R
O
N
W
S
L
C
H
I
E
F
I
O
M
D
I
R
E
C
T
U
A
B
Z
S
P
U
N
C
T
U
A
L
D
W
E
L
B
O
S
S
N
N
I
O
T
E
R
E
Leader
Character
Officer
Advisor
Organizer
Chief
Boss
Guide
Direct
Punctual
Manager
Mentor
Guru
Head
Control
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Name:
DIRECTIONS
Make as many words as you can from the word, “LEADERSHIP” below. You may use a letter more than
once ONLY IF it appears more than once.
LEADERSHIP
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__________________
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IN-CLASS ACTIVITIES
To be used with the Leadership Unit
You may choose to do all or some of the suggested activities below. Since these are just suggestions, by
all means feel free to add your own “spin” to customize the activities for your students.
Leadership Activity #1
1. “Who Did It?”
a. Make a list of things teenagers may have had the opportunity to do from birth to their current
age. (Answers will vary, but here are a few to get you started: played a team sport; played an
individual sport; travelled to another country; planted a tree; rode an elephant; rode on a hot
air balloon; etc.) The number of opportunities should match the number of students in your
class. Give each student a copy of this list and have them go about the room, getting signatures
on each activity as it applies to members of the class. Allow about 10 minutes, and then see if
anyone was able to get all the blanks filled.
b. MATERIALS NEEDED
Pre-determined list designed by teacher, paper and pencil.
c. DISCUSSION: Explain that many people share similar likes and dislikes. This is how groups are
established. Ask if anyone found out something about a classmate they did not know before
taking part in this activity. Also ask the group if they had trouble getting their list filled out in
10 minutes. Discuss how this could be changed if a team effort were to be used when getting
signatures.
NOTES:
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2. “Marooned”
Intended to be used after the Multimedia presentations in the Leadership unit.
a. Divide the class into teams (by drawing numbers, colors, TV shows, etc.)
b. Students are marooned on a deserted island. Depending on how many students are on each
team, have each team member list an item they would bring with them if they knew there was
a chance they would be stranded. They must then discuss the items and select ONE ITEM per
team.
c. Team leaders then write their choices on the board.
d. Have each team leader explain the entire team’s suggestions and how they arrived at the ONE
ITEM.
e. EXTENSION: have students hypothesize how life would be different with only the items the
entire group brought with them to the island. Point out that the key to a successful operation
is COMMUNICATION! If all groups were allowed to communicate with each other, the items
could have been coordinated in a more efficient manner.
f. MATERIALS NEEDED: paper, pencil and whiteboard or poster board and markers.
NOTES:
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3. “Take Me to Your Leader”
This activity helps students to recall, brainstorm and identify various leaders in business and
industry.
a. DIRECTIONS:
i. Form teams.
ii. Instruct the leader of each team to estimate the number of candies their group will need. (DO
NOT disclose the objective of this lesson yet!) The leaders will need to get the amount they think
they will need and take the candies to their groups. DO NOT LET THEM EAT THE CANDY! When
all teams are ready, decide how much time you want to allow, and then give them the Student
directions.
b. MATERIALS NEEDED: Paper/pencil, Internet, assorted candy (miniature bars, individual packages,
etc.)
DIRECTIONS TO STUDENTS: The objective of this lesson is to identify as many leaders in business
and industry as possible. Your team will need to brainstorm and identify one leader in business
or industry for each piece of candy at your table. You will need to list the company and leader
associated with it. At the end of the allotted time, your team will have to forfeit any candy that
does not correspond to a name on your list!
c. After the time allotted has expired, (suggested: 15-20 min) have each team share their answers
with the class. Discuss. Eat the candy as a reward!
d. ALTERNATIVE INSTRUCTIONS:
i. The business leader MUST be the current leader and he or she must still be alive. (This makes it
a little tougher)
ii. Divide the requirements into categories, such as: Retail, Sports, Technology, Entertainment,
Food, and Transportation. (You may want to allow more time, but it is your option)
NOTES:
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4. “Building a Computer”
a. Divide the class into teams, using your chosen method.
b. Team members will work together to ‘build’ a computer for a given scenario. (This may take
the better part of a class period, but allow time to discuss the results.)
i. You may use the scenarios listed below or create your own.
c. Each team will create a presentation for the class justifying their choices.
d. MATERIALS NEEDED: Computer with internet access, printer, digital camera, craft supplies.
Possible scenario examples:
1. Holy Mackerel Fishing has contracted you to build them a new computer. They are
interested in using it to build a new web-site and host a database of sales transactions.
2. Totes Ma-Gotes Advertising has contracted you to build them a new computer. Timothy is
their graphic artist and frequently works with 3D modeling for the web-site as well as
developing logos for various customers.
3. Area 53 Industries is an internet sales firm. They need a new computer for Sydney. She is a
sales rep who works mostly in the field creating new business, uploading and downloading
files to and from the company server.
4. Full Throttle Racing has contacted you about training their new pit crew members. They
need a computer that will allow them to train people in a variety of locations as they can
never predict where they may conduct a class. The software is a combination of
presentation slides and multimedia animation.
DIRECTIONS TO STUDENTS: Your team will research and design a computer. You will each be given a
specific scenario. You are to design a custom computer to meet your customers’ needs. This project
challenges you to customize a computer to the specific needs of a customer and develop a
presentation for your class. In the presentation you should address the following:
1. What basic components do all computers share?
2. Why did you choose the specific components (setup) for your client (e.g. price, availability,
customer needs etc.)? Please be specific.
DISCUSSION: Each team will present their computer design, explain its purpose, and tell why they chose
their specific components. Ask students to relay the steps they took, problems encountered, etc.
NOTES:
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Influential Leaders Report
ASSIGNMENT
Research a leader in the IT industry that you admire.
Type a report with a minimum of 500 words, and include the following:
 Accomplishments this person has made
 Contributions he or she has made to society on the local, national or international level
 Background
 Personal triumphs
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CHARACTER TRAITS OF A GOOD LEADER
DIRECTIONS
Brainstorm with your partner and develop a list of traits, then be ready to share with the class.
Positive Traits
Negative Traits
What traits did others share that were not on your list?
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Suggested Club Activities
This list is compiled from various teachers across Texas
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Organize an alumni chapter
Show movies, films, videos, etc. during lunch
Present awards to students who deserve
recognition at an assembly on campus
Be responsible for an entire assembly at
school
Set up a student ethics committee
Work for improved school attendance
Hold an Achievement Day
Present a Teacher of the Month award
Recognize teachers on their birthdays
Build a student lounge our of unused space
Improve the school library
Paint the hall
Serve on principal’s advisory committee
Clean trophy cases and polish trophies
Conduct tours of the school for incoming
freshmen
Plan activities for Crime Prevention Week
Host an awards breakfast or luncheon each
quarter/semester during the year
Host a birthday breakfast for teachers once
a month
Plan an activity to welcome new teachers in
the fall
Plan a Yearbook Signing Party
Host a father and daughter or mother and
son lunch, tea, brunch, etc.
Senior breakfast
Pizza party
Chili cooking contest
Progressive dinner
Scavenger hunt; include food for a local
pantry on the list and donate what is
collected
Sponsor a Career Day
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Invite a guest speaker each month to talk
about careers during lunch
Sponsor tours of local college campuses
Arrange tours of major businesses in the
area
Plant a tree to honor a community leader,
veterans, or distinguished citizen
Participate in a toys for tots campaign
Spend time with children at a shelter or
orphanage
Entertain children while parents vote
Entertain children during open house at your
school
Maintain a community bulletin board
Visit senior citizens in their homes or nursing
homes
Clean up roadsides and parks
Collect books, magazines, etc. for a senior
citizens’ home
Set up a clothing drive for those less
fortunate
Plan a food drive at Thanksgiving, Christmas,
or Easter
Walk dogs for the animal shelter
Sponsor a baby picture contest at your
school. Great for football or basketball team.
Have students enter the contest to guess the
baby picture “match
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