Welcome to CNT115: Network + Spring 2014

We have a busy semester ahead of us, so I hope you are all ready to dive in. We have 15 chapters to cover in sixteen weeks, so we will be moving at a fairly steady pace one chapter each week. Between the reading, the review questions, hands-on projects, and discussion boards, I hope to have you all ready to take the next step and move on to our more advanced classes next semester. Here is what you need for class: The textbook: Network+ Guide to Networks, Sixth Edition by Tamara Dean A computer with internet access and Windows operating system which must be Vista or later. To get started: Log in to your YC Portal. If you dont know how to do this, there are tutorials at http://www.yc.edu/v4content/teaching-and-elearning-support/students/blackboard.htm Click on the Blackboard icon at the top right of the portal window. You will then see a list of classes you are enrolled in. Click on CNT115 PRE100 Network+: Networking Tech Cert. Prior to the beginning of classes, it will say unavailable. Once I open the course, it will become clickable. You are now at my Announcements page. From here, you can see the latest announcements and instructions, including this document. Read through ALL the material. Read the Syllabus. This is the basic instruction/info/contract for this course. It is important to understand and follow the requirements for the course. The Course Calendar is available through the Calendar button on the menu to your left please review it as well. Go to the Discussion Board (on the menu/list to your left). Post a thread stating that you have read and agree to the syllabus (required). Go to Weekly Assignments and open Week 1 to begin working on the first weeks assignments. How the class works: The work you will do is located under Weekly Assignments (from the menu on the left). Lessons are arranged by week. There are due dates and assignments will disappear. You will complete a chapter each week. If you plan to be away from more than a week and need access to a future week or weeks, then please email so we can make other arrangements. Click on a Week X folder to open it. Within you will find a series of items. One chapter to read. Power point presentation to review. Review Questions to complete and submit online.

Chapter Hands-On Projects to submit through Blackboard. Please do not email your assignments to me. You will either attach a file to the assignment or include your answers in the submission text box for the assignment. Discussion Board you will include your own initial post and then respond to at least two others. Chapter Exams at the end of every three chapters. Anything else I might have including videos and additional information to help you understand the material. Thats it. Do all the required work and you are in great shape for this class. A word about virtualization Virtualization is becoming a large part of the information technology world. Some of you may have no experience using it while some of the others may use it every day. We will be using a virtualization solution to complete some of our hands-on projects. We refer to it as the VMM Portal, but you will see that it is called App Controller when you log into our portal (which is not to be confused with the myYC Portal or Blackboard portal). Your first lab will be to access your own personal workstation and to complete a simple task rename your computer. There is a step-by-step guide that you will download to help you and there are others guides available under the Course Documents section, under VMM Information (VMM stands for Virtual Machine Manager). If you encounter any issues, please contact me immediately so we can work through the issue and find the solution for you. If, after the first lab, you would like to complete the rest of the labs on your own equipment, just let me know. Lab Hours I will be at the college every Saturday from 11am 3pm in building 19 room 209. You are welcome to come in and complete your hands-on projects in the classroom in you wish or if you have any issues, we can discuss them. I would like to invite everyone to come in on Saturday, January 18 for an informal class meeting this is not mandatory in any way, just a get to know you session. Certification The goal of this class is to teach you the basic knowledge that you need to work in the networking field as well as to pass the Network+ certification exam. If you plan to take the exam before the end of class, a passing score on the exam will exempt you from taking the final exam in our course. Also, if you plan to take the exam, we have testing software available in our classrooms that can help you to study for it. Final Thoughts I will be sending out your virtual machine assignments. Please do not try to access the VMM portal until you now your individual workstation number. In the meantime, if you have any questions please email me at Jennifer.riley@yc.edu . Need more help?

 If this is your first online course, I highly recommend taking an orientation workshop for online learning success. There are several in-person workshops or you can take it online anytime (even today!). Please see the link below for details on the free workshop: http://www.yc.edu/v4content/teaching-and-elearning-support/students/live-orientationschedule.htm Cant Log in: Call the help desk at 928-776-2168. Click on the following link it will take you to Blackboard support for students, which includes a video on how to login in to Blackboard: http://www.yc.edu/v4content/teaching-and-elearningsupport/students/blackboard.htm Click on the following link it will take you to Things Every Online Student Ought to Know: http://www.yc.edu/v4content/learning-center/docs/what-online-stdsts-shld-know.pdf Another video on Blackboard login and how to navigate: http://portalinfo.yc.edu/vids/bootcamp/index.html