Tag Archives: Fall 2017

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BOSS BATTLE! NetOp1 Semester Exam 2017

Objective:

Students will demonstrate their understanding of hardware and software basics through a summative quiz.

Link:

Topics Discussed:

  • Information Technology
  • The Internet & The World Wide Web
  • Software
  • Hardware – The CPU & Storage
  • Hardware – Input & Output
Assignment:

  1. Click the https://connect.mheducation.com link, log in and look for the “Boss Battle! Semester Exam Fall 2017” test.
  2. The exam consists of 100 multiple choice questions.
  3. Before starting the quiz, please put away all notes, study guides and other materials.
  4. Please close all other documents and webpages and do not open any new tabs or windows until after you have submitted the quiz.
  5. Please remain silent until everyone has completed the quiz.
  6. You have sixty-five minutes to complete the test. Be sure to submit your test answers before the end of the class period today, and be forewarned that the test will auto-submit itself at 9:05am, so work quickly!
  7. Congratulations on completing the first half of Networking and Operating Systems! I’ll see you in 2018 with a completely new set of projects focused on the fundamentals of networking and cybersecurity!

Have the Merriest of Christmases, the Happiest of New Years’, the Happiest of Hanukkahs, the most Peaceful of Kwanzaas – whatever you may celebrate, enjoy it to the fullest!

Assigned: December 20th, 2017
Due Date: December 20th, 2017
Networking and Operating Systems

Sharpening the Saw – Midterm Exam Review

Objective:

Students will review for the comprehensive midterm exam, covering material presented in chapters 1 through 5.

Link:

Topics Discussed:

  • Microchips
  • Transistors
  • Integrated circuits
  • Chips
  • Microprocessors
  • Machine language
  • System Unit
  • Power Supply
  • Motherboard
  • Central Processing Unit
  • The Machine Cycle
  • Memory
  • RAM
  • ROM
  • CMOS
  • Flash Memory
  • Expansion Cards
  • Bus Lines
  • Ports
  • Secondary Storage
  • Hard disks
  • Optical disks
  • Smart cards
  • Cloud storage

Assignment:

  1. Complete the “Sharpening the Saw” Practice quiz, due Monday of next week. The Practice quiz consists of 380 questions.
  2. Check your score afterwards, and if you got less than 80 percent, try, try again!
  3. Go for 100%! The more you retry, the better prepared you’ll be for the final quiz on Wednesday, December 20th!
  4. Bear in mind that the Midterm Quiz will consist of material from Chapters 1 through 5. This practice quiz contains all the questions from our previous four quizzes, plus questions from Chapter 5, any of which could appear on Wednesday’s Midterm Quiz.
  5. Use your class time to review the questions and refresh your memories of everything we’ve studied to maximize your potential for a high score on the Midterm!
Assigned: December 13th, 2017
Teacher Pacing Due Date: December 18th, 2017
Networking and Operating Systems

Chap. 5 – Hardware: Input and Output – LearnSmart

Objective:

The first half of this chapter describes input, the second half output. Students will be able to describe and explain the three categories of input hardware: keyboards, including terminals; pointing devices, including mice, touch screens, and pen-based devices; and source data-entry devices, ranging from scanners to bar-code readers, audio-input devices, image recognition, speech recognition, and sensors.

Students will be able to  describe various kinds of output hardware—softcopy output, including varieties of display screens; hardcopy output, covering all kinds of printers; and mixed output, describing sound, voice, and video output devices.

Students will also be able to discuss the importance of ergonomics—what to do to avoid the negative health effects of computers.

Link:

Topics Discussed:

  • Keyboards
  • Terminals
  • Pointing Devices
  • Mouse
  • Source Data-Entry Device
  • Softcopy
  • Output
  • Display Screens
  • Hardcopy
  • Printers
  • Mixed Output: Sound, Voice, & Video
  • Quality of Life
  • Ergonomics

Assignment:

  1. Complete the Chapter LearnSmart module, due Tuesday, December 12th. This Practice assignment consists of 80 questions.
  2. When you are finished with this LearnSmart assignment, you may work on any assignments that are past due (like the Ports and Connectors Scavenger Hunt Lab that many of you have not completed).
Assigned: December 7th, 2017
Teacher Pacing Due Date: December 12th, 2017
Networking and Operating Systems

Out Sick – December 4th, 2017

Aside

Good morning! Sorry I couldn’t be there with you today, but I’m feeling a little under the weather.

Today you should continue working on your Ports and Connectors Scavenger Hunt. Remember that all the ports and connectors can be found either in the bins at the front of the room, or on devices scattered throughout my classroom. Hunt high and low (mostly low – some of them are on the floor or under desks!) Collect all your pictures, label them correctly, and upload them all to the most recent Assignment Post in our Google Classroom.

No one has turned in a winning entry for the lunchtime prize contest yet! A couple of people turned in their documents on Friday, but many of their answers were incorrect. Don’t forget the difference between a connector and a port, and use Google Image Search to confirm that what you took a picture of is the correct port or connector before handing your list in. Only the first to get them all correct will win!

I’ll be with you tomorrow for our last McGraw-Hill chapter of the year, and then we start preparing for the mid-year Final Exam.

Thanks for all your hard work, and I’ll see you tomorrow.

-mm

Networking and Operating Systems

Chap. 4 Lab – Ports and Connectors Scavenger Hunt

Objective

  • I can demonstrate my understanding of modern and legacy ports and connectors by producing a document identifying each port visually.

Links:

Topics Discussed:

  • System Unit
  • Expansion Cards
  • Modern vs. Legacy
  • Ports
  • Connectors
  • Male / Female Ports & Connectors
  • Serial Communications
  • Parallel Communications

Assignment:

  1. Today, we will be working on a Ports and Connectors Scavenger Hunt activity, where you will be tasked with identifying 27 different expansion ports and connectors common to PC workstations.
  2. Using the list below, and the Internet for research, you will hunt all around my room to find each of the 27 ports on the hardware devices located throughout Room 225. Hunt high and low, and dig through the provided hardware bins to find them all!
  3. Use your cell phone, the iSight camera on your iMac, or ask for a digital camera to take pictures of each port. You must provide original photos of each port (No borrowing from the Internet!).
  4. Produce a document (Word, Google Doc, InDesign, PowerPoint, etc.) and place your pictures in the document. Use text labels to identify each of the 27 ports.
  5. Submit your completed Ports and Connectors Scavenger Hunt document with all the required pictures to the Google Classroom assignment labeled “Chap. 4 Lab – Ports and Connectors Scavenger Hunt” by Friday, December 1st.
  6. The first to successfully provide the document containing all 27 ports accurately pictured and labeled will win a free lunch (entree and drink), ordered in from the restaurant of their choice on Tuesday of next week!
  7. Good luck, and happy hunting!

Ports and Connectors Scavenger Hunt List:

Legacy Multifunction Ports

D-Sub Ports:

25-pin serial port (male)
9-pin serial port (male)
25-pin parallel port (female)
36-pin IEEE 1284B Centronics connector (male)

Standard Single-Function Ports

PS/2 6-pin mini-DIN keyboard port (purple)
PS/2 6-pin mini-DIN mouse port (green)

Video Ports

15-pin D-Sub VGA port (female)
DVI port (female)
RGB Component ports (female)
Composite Video port (female)
Mini DisplayPort port (female)

Audio Ports

1/8-inch mini-audio port (female)
S/PDIF coaxial audio port (female)

Multimedia Ports

RG-6 coaxial port (female)
S-Video port (female)
Composite Audio port (female)

MIDI/Joystick Ports

DB-15 Joystick/Game port

Modem Ports

RJ-11 modem port (female)

Network Interface Ports

RJ-45 network port (female)
BNC Port (female)

Modern Multifunction Ports

USB A port(female)

USB 3.0 A port (female)
USB B port (female)
USB mini port(female)
Firewire 400 IEEE 1394a port (female)
Firewire 800 IEEE 1394b port (female)
SCSI Ultra 320 port (female)

Assigned: November 30th, 2017
Due Date: December 1st, 2017

Networking and Operating Systems

Chap. 4 – Hardware: The CPU and Storage – Sharpening the Saw

Objective:

Students will be able to describe how a computer operates in processing data. We will discuss transistors and microchips, show how data is represented electronically in the computer, explore the inside of the system unit—including the power supply, the motherboard, and microprocessors—and outline the operations of the central processing unit and the machine cycle. We will then discuss the different kinds of main memory and conclude this unit by showing how expansion cards, bus lines, and ports give a computer more versatility.

Students will also be able to describe the various devices used to store data before and after it is processed—hard disks, optical disks (CD, DVD, Blu-ray), flash and solid-state memory, smart cards, and cloud-based (online) storage.

Link:

Topics Discussed:

  • Microchips
  • Transistors
  • Integrated circuits
  • Chips
  • Microprocessors
  • Machine language
  • System Unit
  • Power Supply
  • Motherboard
  • Central Processing Unit
  • The Machine Cycle
  • Memory
  • RAM
  • ROM
  • CMOS
  • Flash Memory
  • Expansion Cards
  • Bus Lines
  • Ports
  • Secondary Storage
  • Hard disks
  • Optical disks
  • Smart cards
  • Cloud storage

Assignment:

  1. Complete the Chapter 4 “Sharpening the Saw” Practice quiz, due Friday of this week. The Practice quiz consists of 50 questions.
  2. Check your score afterwards, and if you got less than 80 percent, try, try again!
  3. Go for 100%! The more you retry, the better prepared you’ll be for the final Chapter 4 quiz next Tuesday!
  4. Bear in mind that the Chapter 4 Quiz will consist of material from Chapters 1 through 4, and use any spare time after completing this practice quiz to study accordingly.
Assigned: November 20th, 2017
Teacher Pacing Due Date: November 23rd, 2017
Networking and Operating Systems

Chap. 4 – Hardware: The CPU and Storage – LearnSmart

Objective:

Students will be able to describe how a computer operates in processing data. We will discuss transistors and microchips, show how data is represented electronically in the computer, explore the inside of the system unit—including the power supply, the motherboard, and microprocessors—and outline the operations of the central processing unit and the machine cycle. We will then discuss the different kinds of main memory and conclude this unit by showing how expansion cards, bus lines, and ports give a computer more versatility.

Students will also be able to describe the various devices used to store data before and after it is processed—hard disks, optical disks (CD, DVD, Blu-ray), flash and solid-state memory, smart cards, and cloud-based (online) storage.

Link:

Topics Discussed:

  • Microchips
  • Transistors
  • Integrated circuits
  • Chips
  • Microprocessors
  • Machine language
  • System Unit
  • Power Supply
  • Motherboard
  • Central Processing Unit
  • The Machine Cycle
  • Memory
  • RAM
  • ROM
  • CMOS
  • Flash Memory
  • Expansion Cards
  • Bus Lines
  • Ports
  • Secondary Storage
  • Hard disks
  • Optical disks
  • Smart cards
  • Cloud storage

Assignment:

  1. Complete the Chapter LearnSmart module, due Friday, November 17th. This Practice assignment consists of 138 questions.
  2. When you are finished with this LearnSmart assignment, you may work on any assignments that are past due or study for the practice test.
Assigned: November 14th, 2017
Teacher Pacing Due Date: November 17th, 2017
Networking and Operating Systems

Chap. 3 Lab Part 2 – Operating System Installation – Kali Linux

Objective:

Students will install and configure a specialized desktop operating system in a Dual-Boot configuration alongside Windows 7.

Link:

Topics Discussed:

  • Software
  • System Software
  • Operating Systems
  • Device Drivers
  • Utility Programs
  • GUI Install
  • Specialized OS
  • Live Boot
  • Dual Boot
  • Partition Management

Assignment:

  1. This week we will be working in the lab with a specialized Operating System installation. We will be repartitioning the hard drives of our lab PCs to prepare for a Dual Boot configuration, and installing a specialized OS (Kali Linux) that we will use in the second half of our course.
  2. Use the link to the Kali Documentation: Making a Kali Bootable USB website to discover the process for producing a Live Boot USB for Kali Linux. Note the differences, advantages and disadvantages of a Live Boot OS versus a Hard Disk installation. You will be provided with a USB in class, and we will walk through the steps of producing a Live Boot USB drive that we will use to complete the Kali installation.
  3. Next, visit the Kali Documentation: Dual Boot Kali with Windows to get an overview of how we will use our newly created Kali USB to perform a hard drive installation of Kali alongside Windows 7.
  4. You will be directed in class how to Live Boot from the Kali USB installation, and use the gparted utility software to repartition and format a 30 GB secondary partition on your hard drive. Once the hard drive is prepared with this second partition, you may proceed with the installation process.
  5. Reboot from the Kali USB, and select the GUI Installer.
  6. Follow the installation process as outlined in the Kali Documentation Dual Boot Installation Procedure, paying close attention to all instructions and prompts.
  7. Use the information provided by the instructor for the username and password. Make sure you set the time zone correctly (no DST), use the information on the board for the Host name and Domain, and choose “no” when asked to use a network mirror.
  8. Remove the Kali USB and reboot to test your installation. Your installation is complete when the PC automatically reboots to the GRUB loader and boots into Kali without prompting.
Assigned: November 6th, 2017
Due Date: November 13th, 2017
Networking and Operating Systems

Chap. 3 Lab – Operating System Installation – Windows 7

Objective:

Students will install and configure a common desktop operating system.

Link:

Topics Discussed:

  • Software
  • System Software
  • Application Software
  • Operating Systems
  • Device Drivers
  • Utility Programs
  • GUI
  • Desktop OS

Assignment:

  1. This week we will be working in the lab with Operating Systems installation. We will be wiping and repartitioning the hard drives of our lab PCs, performing a basic operating system installation (Windows 7), and installing a specialized OS (Kali Linux) that we will use in the second half of our course.
  2. Collect your PC from the storage shelf and assemble it on the tables in Lab 212. Connect all peripherals and test it to ensure that it still boots to the desktop login window. You  do not need to log in.
  3. Windows 7 installation disks will be distributed. Boot from the Windows 7 installation disk to begin the installation process.
  4. You will be directed in class how to partition and format your hard drive. Once the hard drive is formatted to a single active partition, you may proceed with the installation process.
  5. Follow the installation process, paying close attention to all instructions and prompts.
  6. The required Account Name, Password and Machine Name naming convention will be written on the whiteboard in front of the room. Please make sure you type the Account Name and Password correctly, using capitals where indicated. Also, please take care to follow the correct Machine Name convention. DO NOT MAKE UP YOUR OWN INFORMATION FOR THESE STEPS.
  7. Your Windows 7 installation is nearly complete when your machine boots to the desktop, and you have successfully logged into the Admin account. You should then browse to the Dell Support page, where you will download and install all required device drivers and support software. You will also be required to install the Microsoft Security Essentials virus and malware protection utility from the Microsoft website.
  8. Once all device drivers and the Microsoft Security Essentials application is installed, proceed to the Windows Control Panel, and click System and Security to access the Windows Update settings. Click the Check for Updates button to search for updates and service packs. Install all require service packs and updates that are available.
  9. Your Windows 7 installation is complete when all required device drivers, security software, service packs and system updates are complete. Next week, we will install a specialized OS called Kali Linux, that is specifically designed for offensive security and penetration testing
Assigned: October 31st, 2017
Due Date: November 3rd, 2017
Networking and Operating Systems

Test Your Might – Chap. 3 – Software

Objective:

Students will be able to identify and describe system software and application software, discuss the operating system and its principal functions, the characteristics of device drivers and utility programs, common features of the graphical software environment and how they relate to the keyboard and the mouse. Students will also be able to identify and describe common desktop, network, and portable (embedded) operating systems.

Students will also be able to describe the seven ways of obtaining application software and the tools to help learn it, as well as data files, program files, filename extensions, the purposes served by export/import, and data compression. Students will be able to identify and discuss several kinds of application software: word processing, spreadsheet, database, office suites, integrated packages, and specialty application software.

Link:

Topics Discussed:

  • Software
  • System Software
  • Application Software
  • Operating Systems
  • Device Drivers
  • Utility Programs
  • GUI
  • Desktop OS
  • Network OS
  • Embedded OS
  • Files
  • Import/Export
  • Data Compression
  • Word Processing
  • Spreadsheet
  • Database
  • Office Suite
  • Integrated Packages
  • Specialty Applications

Assignment:

  1. Click the https://connect.mheducation.com/ link to connect to the online testing website. Log in with your credentials that we set up in the second week of class.
  2. Navigate to the “Test Your Might – Chap. 3 Quiz”.
  3. The quiz is 100 questions, all multiple choice, and includes questions from Chapters 1, 2 and 3.
  4. Please put away all notes, study guides and other materials before starting the quiz.
  5. Please close all other documents and webpages and do not open any new tabs or windows until after you have submitted the quiz.
  6. Please remain silent until everyone has completed the quiz.
  7. Submit your test answers before the end of the class period today.
  8. When you have completed your quiz,  you may begin reading Chapter 4 in the online textbook.
Assigned: October 27th, 2017
Due Date: October 27th, 2017