Day 1: Networking Systems Pathway + Transferable Skills

Daily Learning Contract

Topic: Networking Careers
Objective: Students will identify four networking and data career opportunities in the Information Technology cluster and compare transferable skills used in networking and programming work.
TEKS: d(1)(C), d(4)(B)
Demonstration of Learning: Completed four-role career comparison plus a Venn diagram with two role-specific skills on each side, two shared transferable skills, and one evidence-based explanation of why the shared skills matter.

Lesson Overview


Time	50 minutes
Objectives	Compare Network Administrator, Network Architect, Database Administrator, and Systems Analyst work; identify transferable skills shared between Programming and Networking careers
TEKS	d(1)(C), d(4)(B)
5E Phases	Engage: Warm-Up · Explore: Hat Finder networking career notes · Explain: Transferable skills discussion and DOK 3 · Evaluate: Exit Ticket
Deliverable	Four-role career comparison + Programming/Networking Venn exit
Materials	Find Your Future workbook p. 38, Networking Career Cards (Printable PDF), Chromebooks if using the optional H&L browse, established CCE notebook route when students do not write on the cards, projector, Ten Transferable Skills list (Printable PDF), Day 1 exit ticket

Warm-Up (5 min)

WARM-UP: If the school Wi-Fi went down right now, whose job would it be to fix it? What do you think they would actually DO to fix it?

Quick share. If students say "the IT person," ask what that person would check first. Then introduce the people who design the network, monitor it, and repair it when something fails.

Activity 1: Compare Four Networking and Data Careers (22 min)

Source: The four-career comparison is a CCE evidence set grounded in the current BLS occupation families named on the Networking Career Cards. FYF p. 38, "App Exploration," provides the optional H&L cluster-browse route. The workbook's IT chapter does not print these four careers or a networking pathway list.

Give every student the Networking Career Cards. Those cards are the complete evidence route. Students may also open H&L, follow FYF p. 38 to the Information Technology cluster, and compare any related Hat they can find. Do not make the lesson depend on an exact H&L title, rating, local salary field, or saved profile state.

The 4 Networking Hats to explore:

Network Administrator: Operates and maintains an organization's networks and systems. Common work includes accounts, updates, traffic monitoring, troubleshooting, and documentation. Preparation varies by employer; do not present one certification or degree route as universal.
Network Architect: Designs entire networks from scratch. Plans where servers go, what hardware to buy, how to scale for growth. Senior role, typically requires bachelor's + experience.
Database Administrator: Manages the systems where company data is stored. Backs it up, secures it, makes sure it's accessible to the right people.
Systems Analyst: Bridges business needs and IT solutions. Talks to non-technical employees about their problems and figures out how IT can help.

Students complete the four-row comparison on the card set or in a dated CCE notebook entry labeled "1SW Wk3 Networking." Use the same OneNote, physical, Canvas, or teacher-designated paper route established during onboarding; do not require a new notebook type:

career name;
one technical task;
one transferable skill; and
why the transferable skill matters in that role.

After the comparison, ask which role sounds most interesting and which evidence shaped the choice. A student may use an H&L or Xello local salary as additional context only when the platform shows the exact occupation, geography, measure, and date. It is not required or scored.

Facilitation Tip

Students often collapse networking into tech support. Use a more accurate distinction: networking roles design, operate, secure, and troubleshoot the connections and shared systems; technology-support roles usually begin with the individual user's device, account, application, or immediate problem and may escalate a network issue. The work can overlap.

Activity 2: Transferable Skills Discussion (15 min)

Direct students to compare ONE programming career from Week 2 with ONE networking or data career from today's card set. H&L or Xello may support the comparison, but neither platform is required.

Ask: "Which skills help in both careers even though the technical work is different?"

Listen for and capture on the board:

Problem-solving
Communication (written and verbal)
Attention to detail
Time management
Teamwork
Curiosity / continuous learning
Patience under pressure

These are transferable skills, skills that work across many careers, not just one. The TEKS standard d(4)(B) specifically requires students to identify transferable skills.

Evidence question: Which transferable skill appears in the widest range of IT work on today's cards? Cite one task from two different roles.

Stop and Jot: 60 seconds using the complete-thought frame: "_ transfers across and __ because both workers must _____." Students may write in the FYF p. 38 reflection box or on the skills sheet.

Exit Ticket (8 min)

EXIT TICKET (Venn Diagram Comparison) · Printable PDF:

Compare a Programming career (pick Software Dev, Web Dev, App Dev, or Game Dev from Wk2) to a Networking career (pick Network Administrator, Network Architect, Database Administrator, or Systems Analyst from today).

My Programming career: _____
My Networking career: _____

Unique SKILLS used by the Programming career (2 things):

Unique SKILLS used by the Networking career (2 things):

TRANSFERABLE skills shared by BOTH (2 things: soft skills, not technical):

Bottom line: Why do employers care about the SHARED skills (middle overlap) as much as the technical ones? One sentence. (d(1)(C), d(4)(B))

Differentiation

Support: Hand out the printed Ten Transferable Skills list (Printable PDF) so students circle and connect skills to careers rather than generating from scratch.
Extension: Students explore a 5th networking career not on the list: Cloud Network Engineer, Wireless Communications Specialist, or VoIP Engineer.
ELL: Bilingual transferable skills card: Comunicación = Communication, Resolución de problemas = Problem-solving, Atención al detalle = Attention to detail, Trabajo en equipo = Teamwork.