Newsletter October 2011
Brought to you by RMRoberts.com
(Back to School Edition)
Welcome back! You’ve gotten your year started, and now that you have settled in let’s share a few new developments in technology that may help you. To view this letter in PDF Format select the following link:
RMRobertscomNewsletterOctober2011
We provide you with this newsletter in a continuing effort to provide you with the very latest updates to your teaching materials - free of charge. You are free to download and use any and all materials to use as part of your classroom instruction. These materials are designed to keep your textbooks, by Richard M. Roberts, up-to-date in a rapidly -changing technology. Because many of you are using different editions of our textbooks, you will see on some of the website pages references to which edition of the textbook(s) the materials have been developed for. For example, Computer Service and Repair will have a 3rd edition as well as a, new, 4th edition section on the practice test page. The same will follow for Networking Fundamentals. This will make it easier for you to correlate the free materials will the appropriate edition of the textbook.
Computer Service and Repair
As a service to our instructors and students, this back to school newsletter will focus on updates to the Computer Service and Repair textbook(s).
There have been several changes to the CompTIA A+ Certification examination and a new set of CompTIA A+ test questions are being written at this time. A new CompTIA test should be out between now and next spring. As a result we have had several inquiries about which test objectives are currently covered by the existing textbook and workbook. We are currently creating a correlation matrix comparing CompTIA test objectives and the current 3rd edition of Computer Service and Repair textbook and laboratory manual. As soon as the matrix is complete we will post it on our Website for you.
To keep your 3rd edition up-to-date, we will provide information and lab activities for objectives not presently covered by the textbook. Most of the changes are related to Windows 7 installation and basic operating system. Most of these changes will appear in the new, 4th edition of Computer Service and Repair.
In this newsletter edition you will see links to Windows 7 installation laboratory activity, information about the new partitioning system, and the first of a series of brand new practice tests, based on the latest CompTIA A+ test objectives. All new materials for practice test and handouts will be listed under the 4th edition section of the website page.
New Practice test for the CompTIA A+ 220-701
A new lab activity (Installing Windows 7) is available for your use in your course at the following link.
New Lab Activity for Windows 7 (this takes a minute to download)
In the upcoming weeks we will be providing several more new lab activities to include upgrading Windows XP to Windows 7, Upgrading Vista to Windows 7, and many of the Windows 7 utilities and Wizards, as well as classroom handout materials. As always, you will first be notified by our newsletter. Please feel free to pass our newsletter along to colleagues.
Check out the link to the educators section of the Microsoft Windows 7 website. There are a lot of free materials that you can use in your course. Look at the “Step by step guide for Windows 7” This is an excellent classroom resource that presents all the basic functions needed for students new to Windows7.
http://www.microsoft.com/education/en-us/teachers/guides/Pages/windows-7.aspx
Intel has a series of videos covering the basics of computers. The videos are very basic but you might like to use them as a starting point for your students. The link is located at
http://www.intel.com/support/tech101.htm
Networking Fundamentals
The latest Study guide and set of practice questions for the CompTIA Network+ Domain 1 will be listed under the 2nd edition section of the Networking fundamentals practice test page.
Newest CompTIA Network+ Study Guide Domain 1
Newest CompTIA Network+ Practice Test for Domain 1
Novell has a wonderful network primer available for download that would make a great additional reference for your students.
The networking primer explains basic computer networking concepts and technology, and also introduces computer networking terminology.
Look at the table of contents of the Novell network primer listed below to get an idea of what it contains.
What are the Benefits of Computer Networking?
Application Software
Desktop Operating Systems
Data Transmission
Hardware Technology
The Network Operating System
Network Topologies
Internetworking
Real World Networking
Important LAN and WAN High-Speed Technologies
Internet Technology
Network Management
The link at Novell is as follows.
http://www.novell.com/info/primer/primer.html
A complete copy in PDF format consists of a 102 illustrated pages.
Thanks Novell!
Another great resource reference for CompTIA Network+ and studying network protocols, protocol analyzers, and a vocabulary listing available at
Also check out the must have IPv6 white paper located at the Electronics Technician Training Association (ETA) Website. It would make a great classroom handout for Networking Fundamentals but also Electronics training courses.
http://www.eta-i.org/white_papers/IP%20Reference.pdf
There are several course outlines available from the ETA at the following link
Electricity and Electronics
The Intel Corporation has a new website section “How chips are made” which is a great addition to your electronic course.
http://www.intel.com/pressroom/kits/chipmaking/index.htm?iid=pr1_hplinks_chipmaking
Electronics is more and more integrated with Internet technology, and technicians are required to have a basic understanding of protocols, wireless devices as related to networking, and solid state devices relating to PCs, digital media,
Check out the must have IPv6 white paper located at the Electronics Technician Training Association (ETA) Website. This is a duplicate link also found in the
http://www.eta-i.org/certification_competencies.html
I sincerely hope you find the material useful in your program of study. If there is a topic or area of course study you would like to see supplemented, please contact us by email at technical@RMRoberts.com, or contact your textbook representative at Goodheart-Wilcox G-W.com.
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