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Week 4: Help Desk Heroes — Tech Support Careers + MakeCode

1st Six Weeks | Information Technology Cluster | 5 class periods (50 min each)

Lesson Objective

Students explore the Information Technology Support and Services pathway in Hats & Ladders, learn the difference between certification and degree pathways for IT careers, build a micro:bit help desk simulator using Microsoft MakeCode, and practice customer service communication through a partner role-play. Students see that not every IT career requires a 4-year degree; many high-paying IT support roles are accessible with industry certifications like CompTIA A+.

Demonstration of Learning

"I can describe the IT Support pathway, explain the difference between a certification and a degree, build a micro:bit program that displays troubleshooting steps for a help desk scenario, and demonstrate clear customer service communication in a partner role-play."

TEKS Alignment

  • d(1)(C): Identify various career opportunities within one or more career clusters (Day 5 H&L Favorites).
  • d(2)(A): Research and describe applicable academic, technical, certification, and training requirements for one or more careers (Days 1-2).
  • d(2)(B): Use available resources to research and evaluate educational and training options for one or more careers (Day 2).
  • d(4)(B): Identify skills that can be transferable among a variety of careers (Days 3-5).

Materials Needed

Career Connection

Tech Support is the front line of every IT organization. Help Desk Technicians, IT Support Specialists, Desktop Support Technicians, and Systems Administrators keep businesses running by solving technology problems. What makes this pathway special is that you do NOT always need a 4-year college degree to enter it. Many IT support professionals start with a high school diploma plus industry certifications like CompTIA A+ (the entry-level IT certification used worldwide).

What is Happening at Irving ISD? Technology Support Services at Singley Academy leads to the Computer Repair Technology (Job Ready) certification. This is a direct entry point into IT support careers for students who want to start working right after high school instead of going to college. A student with this credential can earn $40-50K starting salary in DFW.

Vocabulary

  • Help Desk: A centralized resource for providing technical assistance and troubleshooting to users with IT problems. Also called a Service Desk.
  • Certification: A credential earned by passing an exam that proves you have specific knowledge or skills. In IT, certifications are often valued as much as degrees.
  • CompTIA: A nonprofit trade association that issues industry-recognized IT certifications. The most common: A+, Network+, Security+.
  • CompTIA A+: The entry-level IT certification. Covers hardware, software, troubleshooting, networking basics, and security basics. Most IT support roles ask for it.
  • Troubleshooting: The systematic process of diagnosing and fixing a problem in technology. The same checklist approach as the Wk1 Machine Breakdown Mystery, but for computers.
  • micro:bit: A small programmable computer designed for education. Has buttons, LED display, and can be programmed using block-based code in MakeCode.
  • MakeCode: Microsoft's free block-based programming environment for micro:bit. Same drag-and-drop interface as Scratch.
  • Customer Service: The communication skill of helping a frustrated user fix their problem patiently and clearly.

Bridge to Theory (Hats & Ladders)

The H&L workbook (Ch 12: Information Technology, p. 192) lists Information Technology Support and Services as one of the five IT pathways: "Help people and businesses troubleshoot and fix computer, software, and network issues." Students explore Hats in this pathway during Day 1: Help Desk Technician, IT Support Specialist, Desktop Support Technician, and Systems Administrator.

The H&L app's education indicators are especially valuable this week because they show the difference between certification-only careers (Help Desk) and degree-required careers (Software Developer). Students compare these in the Day 2 Education Pathway Comparison worksheet.

The hands-on activity uses micro:bit + Microsoft MakeCode rather than an H&L workbook activity. This is a teacher-designed extension that connects to the IT Support pathway by simulating a help desk troubleshooting tool. Students build a program that displays diagnostic checklists on the micro:bit's LED screen, exactly how real help desk software works.

IISD Instructional Strategies

  • Chunking: Day 1 = pathway exploration. Day 2 = certification deep-dive. Days 3-4 = MakeCode hands-on. Day 5 = role-play + reflection. Prevents information overload.
  • Sentence Stems: "A _ certification takes months to earn and qualifies you for . A _ degree takes years and qualifies you for . The main difference is _____."
  • Modeling: Teacher demonstrates the first 3 MakeCode blocks on the projector before students touch the micro:bit.
  • Active Monitoring: During the role-play, walk between pairs and listen for clear, patient communication. That is the assessment.

Week at a Glance

Day Focus Key Activities Deliverable
1 IT Support Pathway Exploration H&L IT Support and Services pathway + Hat profiles for Help Desk Technician, IT Support Specialist, Systems Administrator Notes on 3 IT support careers
2 Certification Deep-Dive CompTIA Career Roadmap exploration + Education Pathway Comparison worksheet Completed Education Pathway Comparison worksheet (3 careers)
3 Help Desk Simulator (MakeCode Day 1) micro:bit + MakeCode setup; build basic troubleshooting program MakeCode program with 3 troubleshooting steps displaying on micro:bit
4 Help Desk Simulator (MakeCode Day 2) + Role-Play Refine MakeCode program; partner customer service role-play Refined MakeCode program + role-play observation
5 Presentations + H&L Favorites Team demos + H&L favorites update Demo + 2 IT support careers favorited

Formative Assessment

  • Day 1: 3 IT support career notes + Comparison Matrix exit ticket (2 careers x education/salary/task). d(2)(A)
  • Day 2: Education Pathway Comparison worksheet + Ranked Justification exit ticket (cert vs. AS vs. BS by speed to earning). d(2)(A), d(2)(B)
  • Day 3: MakeCode program runs on micro:bit + Decision Tree exit ticket (first step + branching). d(4)(B)
  • Day 4: Role-play observation + Diagnostic MCQ exit ticket (customer service misconceptions). d(4)(B)
  • Day 5: Demo + 2 IT Support Hats favorited + Concept Map exit ticket (career + Singley pathway + transferable skill + Wk1-4 cross-pathway compare). d(1)(C), d(4)(B)

Summative Assessment

Help Desk Simulator Demo (Day 5): Teams demonstrate their micro:bit help desk tool to the class. Demos must include: (1) a description of the IT problem they programmed for, (2) the troubleshooting steps in the program, (3) a justification of why those steps are in that order, (4) one IT support career that would actually use a tool like this. Scored on: logical troubleshooting sequence (d(2)(A)), explanation of certification/education path (d(2)(A), d(2)(B)), and identification of transferable skills (d(4)(B)).

Differentiation

Scaffolded Learning

  • Pre-built MakeCode starter code that students can modify rather than build from scratch.
  • Education Pathway Comparison worksheet with one career pre-filled (Software Developer) as a model.
  • Pre-printed troubleshooting step cards that students can arrange in order before programming.
  • Pair work for MakeCode: one student programs, the other tests on the micro:bit.

Extensions

  • Students research the CompTIA A+ certification exam topics and create a study plan.
  • Add a timer or counter to the MakeCode program that tracks how many troubleshooting steps the user went through.
  • Compare IT support salaries in DFW vs. national average using BLS data.
  • Research the Singley Academy Technology Support Services pathway and map out 9th-12th grade courses.

ELL Language Support

  • Pre-teach: Certification = Certificación, Troubleshooting = Solución de problemas, Help Desk = Mesa de ayuda, Customer Service = Servicio al cliente.
  • Bilingual troubleshooting step cards with English and Spanish labels.
  • Role-play scripts with sentence stems in both languages: "I am going to try _ to fix your problem (Voy a intentar ___ para resolver tu problema)."
  • Pair ELL students with bilingual peers during the customer service role-play.