CLASSROOM STRATEGIES FOR… HANDS-ON SKILLS, EMPLOYABILITY, AND CERTIFICATION Jean Andrews Walt Jaqua jeanandrews@mindspring.com wjaqua@sbcsc.k12.in.us CompTIA’s LATEST EXAMS… © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 3 MAJOR GOALS Help the Student… • • Become an Excellent A+ Technician Earn Their A+ Certification © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org EXCELLENT GOOD AVERAGE 4 AN EXCELLENT TECHNICIAN… Soft Skills • Communication Skills • Critical Thinking & Problem Solving Skills • Self-Motivation, Work with Little Supervision Technical Knowledge • Based on Concepts, not Rote Memorization Hands-on Skills • Practical, Real-world © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 5 INDIVIDUAL LEARNING PATH Pre-Assessment (including Practical) Low Score Medium Score High Score Review & Activities Review & Activities Post-Assessment (including Practical) Post-Assessment (including Practical) Done (Move on) © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 6 SELF-PACED LEARNING © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 7 TEACH CONCEPTS, NOT ANSWERS A+ 901/902 Objectives Expect Conceptual Knowledge • “Given a scenario…” • “Compare and contrast…” • “Summarize and explain…” © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 8 TEACH CONCEPTS, NOT ANSWERS Typical Questions to Check for Factual Knowledge • What is the maximum segment length for a 100BaseTX cable? • What is the maximum speed of 100BaseTX Ethernet? • What is the maximum segment length for 100BaseFL multimode fiber? • What is the cause of attenuation in network cabling? © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 9 TEACH CONCEPTS EXAMPLE #1 Scenario Requiring Understanding of Multiple Concepts A client has contacted you to assist in resolving an issue with their network. The onsite technician has received numerous calls from users in the shipping department complaining that the network connection for all of the shipping computers is dropping intermittently. The technician has checked the CAT5e cable currently installed between the office space network closet and the switch in the shipping department and found it is wired correctly. The technician does not want to relocate any network hardware, is content with Fast Ethernet speeds, and has no plans for future network growth. Refer to the following floorplan and explain your recommendation to solve the network issue while being careful to meet the requirements of the client. Be sure to include detailed specifications for any changes you recommend. © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 10 TEACH CONCEPTS EXAMPLE #1 © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 11 TEACH CONCEPTS EXAMPLE #2 Use Diagram 1 to verify you have received valid IP configuration values. Do the values on your lab computer match the values on the diagram? © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 12 INVESTIGATE & DISCOVER Successful Discovery Learning Requires: • Resources and Tools for Student to Discover Solutions • Clear Objectives and Expectations • Instructor Assistance, One-on-One or Small Groups • Instructor Check for Understanding • Answer Students Questions with Probing Questions o o Drive the Student Back to Resources Help Student Connect Concepts © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 13 DISCOVERY LEARNING EXAMPLE #1 For this lab you will need: Step 1 The knowledge you gained from Labsim 8.2, textbook Ch 24 Notebook computer and power adapter (see your instructor) Antistatic precautions Jewelers screwdriver set Before beginning any type of upgrade or repair of a notebook computer several factors must be taken into consideration. a. What is the first step in repairing a notebook computer when you are unsure how to disassemble the computer? Why is this step important? b. You completed the first step as defined above. Before you take the first screw out of a notebook computer, what is the next step you should take after powering down the computer? © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 14 DISCOVERY LEARNING EXAMPLE #2 a. Remove the wireless NIC. - What expansion bus interface is used on this wireless NIC? - You should have disconnected a white and black wire from the wireless NIC. What do these wires connect to (opposite the NIC)? - What would be the outcome if you forgot to reattach these wires when you reassembled the computer? - Suppose this NIC has failed. Replacement NICs are not available for and no used NICs can be found anywhere. How might you get the computer connected to the wireless LAN so the user can continue working? © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 15 LABS, EXERCISES, & SCENARIOS Hands-on Learning Must: • Be Practical & Applicable to Real-World • Be Challenging & Comprehensive • Follow the Same Investigate & Discover Principles (not stepby-step) • Promote Collaboration & Teamwork • Have Multiple Instructor Sign-off Points o Check for Understanding © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 16 HANDS-ON EXAMPLE #1 Using Diagram 1, manually configure your lab computer’s IP configuration settings to connect to the lab network without using DHCP. If the IP configuration parameters are configured correctly, you should be able to open a Web browser and navigate to http://mailserver.local Try it. Can you reach this URL? © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 17 HANDS-ON EXAMPLE #1 If you do not have access to a physical or virtual machine, use a screenshot for the student to fill-in. Using Diagram 1 and the following screenshot, manually configure the lab computer’s IP configuration settings to connect to the lab network without using DHCP. © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 18 HANDS-ON EXAMPLE #2 Configure the host with the parameters that meet the following requirements. Subnet: 10.0.0.0 IP address: Last valid address in subnet Subnet mask: Default class subnet mask Default gateway: First valid address in subnet Preferred DNS server: Last valid address in the 192.11.2.0 subnet Alternate DNS server: First valid address in the 199.255.0.0 subnet © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 19 HANDS-ON EXAMPLE #3 Step 2 Many times, when a computer is infected with malware or while you are in the process of cleaning a computer of malware, the explorer.exe process gets halted. This can cause some rather ugly things to happen. Let’s make something ugly happen and then make things beautiful again. a. Using the tool you documented in Step 1, kill the explorer.exe process. Close the tool you documented in Step 1. Write your observations of what happened. © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 20 HANDS-ON EXAMPLE #3 b. Now that’s ugly. The Start orb or Start Menu button is gone. The tool you documented in Step 1 is gone. The screen is blank. Now what? How can we resolve this issue without restarting the computer? Resolve this issue using the tool you documented in Step 1. Write your observations of what happened. Be prepared to show these steps to your instructor. © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 21 HANDS-ON EXAMPLE #4 STOP: You must show this lab and your configuration to your instructor before continuing. Have your instructor sign here.____________ © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 22 TROUBLESHOOTING EXAMPLE #1 Step 1 A user is complaining about the print quality of their inkjet printer. When you arrive at the customer’s location to check the printer, you print a page that looks similar to the following figure. © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 23 TROUBLESHOOTING EXAMPLE #1 a. Using the Canon Inkjet printer you installed while doing Lab 7.2.1, locate the process you would use to print this page. b. What test print did you select to print this test page? c. What is the first thing you should do to the printer to attempt to clean-up this test print? d. If this first process did not resolve the issue, what would you do next? e. If the first and second process did not resolve the issue, what would you do next? © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 24 TROUBLESHOOTING DECISION TREE Number Problem Next Step 1.0 Problems with the monitor 1.1 Monitor is turned off Check the LED light on front of monitor. 1.2 No power to monitor Plug power to monitor into a different outlet. 1.3 Monitor needs adjusting Adjust buttons on front of monitor. 1.4 Hardware problem with monitor Exchange monitor for a known good one. 1.5 For CRT monitor, EMI interference Press degauss button or remove interference. © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org 25 TROUBLESHOOTING DECISION TREE Number Problem Next Step 10.0 Problems with Windows system files and device drivers 10.1 NIC drivers are corrupted or out of date Update the NIC drivers 10.2 System files are corrupted, but can still boot to Windows desktop Run the System File Checker utility 10.3 10.4 Recent changes to the system are causing a problem Corrupted system files; unable to boot to desktop Apply a restore point. Boot from a DVD and repair the system. 10.5 Windows is locked or generally giving trouble Restart Windows 10.6 Video drivers are corrupted Enable low-resolution video (640x480) 10.7 © 2016 CompTIA Properties, LLC. All Rights Reserved. | CompTIA.org Windows errors resulted in the BSOD View logs available in Event Viewer 26