Computer Architecture and Repair (StRUT)
One year course preparing students for certification in computer repair. This six-week unit is the introduction to a complete 36 week course that can prepare students for A+ computer repair certification. Introductory lessons are based on the course text, The Complete Computer Repair Textbook, by Cheryl Schmidt, 3rd Edition.
Week 1 Summary: This week introduces students to computer technology (Text Ch. 1)
Week: 1 Day: 1
Teachers will explain the purpose of the course and prepare the students for the curriculum
Attention grabber and activities
- Administer quiz to emphasize following directions
- School forms and permits to sign (local requirements)
- Explain syllabus
- Describe journal outline and student expectations
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Week: 1 Day: 2
Continue introduction to computers and technology from Text, Chapter 1. Discuss various safety issues using safety learning objectives and references
Activities
- Safety Topics
- Discussion of ethics
- Computer technology attributes
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Week: 1 Day: 3
Computer parts and how to handle them safely. Preventing electrostatic discharge. Assign vocabulary lists.
Topics
- Explain and demonstrate safe parts handling
- Explain learning theory
- Discuss computer technology timeline
- Explain Moore's Law
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Week: 1 Day: 4
Continue work on Text Chapter 1. The student show and tell procedures may be developed by the teacher using vocabulary lists and computer parts or pictures
Topics
- Continue student show and tell
- Begin work orders
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Week: 1 Day: 5
Administer open-book quiz No. 1 on Text Chapter 1 and safety. Collect and grade student journals.
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Week 2 Summary: Continue technical vocabulary and introduce binary, hexidecimal, decimal conversions.
Week: 2 Day: 1
Review Quiz 1 as a class game. Recommendation: use a game show or baseball format.
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Week: 2 Day: 2
Begin Text Chapter 2. View Videotape, Computer Vocabulary for the Classroom.
Activities
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Week: 2 Day: 3
Continue Text Chapter 2.vocabulary presentations
Activities
- Drill for vocabulary from Chapters 1,2 and video
- Consider using game format for the drill
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Week: 2 Day: 4
Present lecture on binary, decimal, and hexidecimal notation.
Activities
- Demonstrate conversion math
- Students practice conversions in their journals
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Week: 2 Day: 5
Students plan to create an oral report on a technical topic of their interest.
Activities
- Grade Journals
- Assign first oral technical reports
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Week 3 Summary: Review journals and begin presenting first series of Oral Tech Reports on topics of interest
Week: 3 Day: 1
Select topics and begin technical report research. These are short topics to be presented this week.
Activities
- Review journals as a team game-reprint and prize to best journals
- Begin technical topic research
- Consider web based research in class or at home
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Week: 3 Day: 2
Students present oral reports to class. 5-10 minutes each. Reports continue following classes.
Oral Report Procedures
- Each student makes 5-10 min. presentation to class (selected topics)
- Rehearse before class, do not read reports
- Encourage visual aids, props
- Class take notes, ask questions
- Use a presentation rubric for grading
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Week: 3 Day: 3
Students present oral reports to class. 5-10 minutes each. Reports continue following classes. Repeat lecture on Binary, Hexidecimal, and Decimal notation.
Additional activities
- Deliver 2nd Lecture on Binary-Hexidecimal-Decimal notation
- Show videotape, How Computers Work
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Week: 3 Day: 4
Students present oral reports to class. 5-10 minutes each.
Reviews
- Review Chapters 1-2
- Review math
Week: 3 Day: 5
Open book quiz No. 2. Covers Text Chapter 1,2 and mathematics.
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Week 4 Summary: Finish oral technical reports and continue vocabulary studies from Text Chapter 3.
Week: 4 Day: 1
Complete student oral technical reports and vocabulary (from Text Chapter 3). Student groups will present team reports on assigned pages from Text Chapter 3.
Activities
- Review Quiz 2 as a class game. Recommendation: use a game show or baseball format.
- Continue student oral technical reports
- Start Text Chapter 3 vocabulary
- Assign pages to student groups
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Week: 4 Day: 2
Complete individual oral technical reports. Begin 2nd round of presentions. Students grade each other using presentation rubric.
Activities
- Complete 1st round oral technical reports
- Collect presentation rubrics
- Start group presentations on Chapter 3
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Week: 4 Day: 3
Complete team reports on Text Chapter 3. Collect presentation rubrics.
Week: 4 Day: 4
Review using game show or baseball format
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Week: 4 Day: 5
Open book quiz No. 3. Covers Text Chapters 1-3 and oral reports.
Other evaluation
- Collect and grade journals
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Week 5 Summary: Interpret computer schematics and dissasemble computers
Week: 5 Day: 1
Review Quiz 3 and prepare for computer dissassembly
Preparation
- Set up tables with 1-4 students/computer, monitors, keyboards, tools
- Start computers to ensure they work
- Draw detailed schematic of computer outsides
- Start Chapter 4 vocabulary terms
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Week: 5 Day: 2
Form student teams of 2-4 and follow guidelines in Text Chapter 4 to disassemble and reassemble computers
Teaching Points
- Practice techniques to prevent ESD
- Draw and label inside computer schematic
- Remove extra parts
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Week: 5 Day: 3
Discuss problems encountered. Demonstarte minimum configuration and beep codes.
Steps
- Reassemble computer using Chapter 4 guidelines
- Turn on power. Does it work?
- Troubleshoot assembly
- Teams report problems and solutions
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Week: 5 Day: 4
Follow Tuesday procedures after rearranging teams.
Instructions
- Instruct Students to take notes on their processes
- Have each team describe their process and what they learned
Week: 5 Day: 5
Grade team presentations and collect Journals to grade.
Week 6 Summary: Reassemble, test and troubleshoot computers using minimum configuration and beep codes.
Week: 6 Day: 1
Attention Grabber. Conduct a troubleshooting contest. Teacher puts bugs in each computer.
Troubleshooting contest
- Round 1, Teacher introduces bugs in each computer
- Round 2, Students introduce bugs and rotate among computers
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Week: 6 Day: 2
Continue Assembly
Activities
- Take detail journal notes on visual and audible observations
- Learn minimum configuration, beep codes and error messages
Week: 6 Day: 3
Continue Assembly
Activities
- Look at CMOS setup menu
- Try Check-It Pro for system information
- Remove battery and clear passwords
Week: 6 Day: 4
Clean up and prepare for final exam. Review Text Chapters 1-4
Clean up Steps
- All computers working and labeled
- Put computers on racks
- Clean tables
- Review Chapters 1-4
Week: 6 Day: 5
Module final exam on Text Chapters 1-4
Additional evaluation
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