{"id":2587,"date":"2021-05-04T18:26:30","date_gmt":"2021-05-04T18:26:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/center-professional-education\/?p=2587"},"modified":"2021-05-05T17:56:18","modified_gmt":"2021-05-05T17:56:18","slug":"instructor-spotlight-troy-carroll-comptia-it-fundamentals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogarchive.utc.edu\/center-professional-education\/2021\/05\/04\/instructor-spotlight-troy-carroll-comptia-it-fundamentals\/","title":{"rendered":"Instructor Spotlight: Troy Carroll, CompTIA IT Fundamentals+"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\"IT<\/p>\n

\"Troy<\/span><\/p>\n

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Our Instructor Spotlight is on Troy Carroll. Troy has an extensive IT background (particularly in the higher education space) and has <\/span>held<\/span>\u00a0a variety of IT positions<\/span>\u00a0at UTC<\/span> since 2003<\/span>. Troy currently serves as an LMS administrator for the Walker Center for Teaching and Learning. Not only does he teach <\/span>UTC\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>CompTIA IT<\/span>\u00a0Fundamentals<\/span>+ course<\/span><\/a>, but he also is a UTC criminal justice adjunct professor. In his spare time, you can find him cheering on the Tennessee Vols or hitting the tennis courts. Learn about Troy, his teaching style, and his advice for individuals pursuing IT careers.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Marah: What experience or conversation influenced you to teach?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Troy: My wife is a teacher, but I had never considered teaching until I had a conversation with one of my former professors. He approached me about teaching a course, saying that he thought<\/span>\u00a0I would be a good fit as the course instructor.<\/span>\u00a0I took his advice and started teaching\u00a0<\/span>six<\/span>\u00a0years ago in UTC\u2019s criminal justice department. I am thankful he encouraged me to give teaching a try because I absolutely love it!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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M: What\u2019s your teaching style?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

T: I love both interactive and discussion-based teaching. For the ITF+ course, we are together either through Zoom or hopefully in person a<\/span>gain someday<\/span>. I encourage<\/span>\u00a0a<\/span>\u00a0back-and-forth conversation between my students and I; I need to know if students understand what I am\u00a0<\/span>sharing<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>so I can shift gears if we aren\u2019t all on the same page. To me, a classroom should be centered around collaboration and cooperation.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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M:\u00a0<\/span><\/b>What are key concepts you would like your students to take away from the CompTIA ITF+ course?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

T:\u00a0<\/span>The main takeaway is<\/span>\u00a0found in the course name itself.\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>a fundamentals course, meaning that I want this course to lay a strong IT foundation for students. The course doesn\u2019t specialize in one topic, like networking or security. Instead, it\u2019s meant to give students a broad overview of IT basics to help them get their foot in the door.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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M:\u00a0 Who would you recommend the CompTIA ITF+ course to?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

T: Being a basic course, I would recommend it to those who are considering a career change and are brand new to IT.\u00a0<\/span>It\u2019s also<\/span>\u00a0a great course for those graduating college that want to get a certification to enhance their resume and skill set with.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The course is also beneficial for individuals who are working in entry-level positions (such as at call centers) who are looking to expand more into the troubleshooting, help desk side of IT.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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M: What qualities make a great IT professional?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

T: Three qualities immediately come to mind. First, patience. You\u2019re dealing with a wide range of technology and people, and the answers<\/span>\u00a0you need<\/span>\u00a0will sometimes take time to find. Second, the ability to investigate. There is a problem-solving aspect to IT because you have to translate what someone is telling you is going on or what you see in a system is going wrong.\u00a0<\/span>Again, you<\/span>\u00a0may not have all the answers immediately, so you often\u00a0<\/span>have to<\/span>\u00a0take the information you\u2019re given and dig deeper into it. CompTIA uses a seven-step troubleshooting\u00a0<\/span>model<\/span>\u00a0for all its certifications that highly emphasizes investigating, problem-solving, and the third quality<\/span>\u2014<\/span>attention to detail.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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M: What advice would you give to someone considering taking the ITF+ course?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

T: Be patient as you go through the process of building your IT career. You\u2019re not going to learn everything in the ITF+ course; in fact, learning IT is a process that\u2019s never fully over.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The course will take you 80% of the way to earning the<\/span>\u00a0ITF+<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>certification<\/span>,<\/span>\u00a0<\/span>but<\/span>\u00a0be prepared to work on your own time to study and get ready as well. Between your dedication and the course, you can earn the ITF+ certification!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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M: What are three fun facts about you?<\/span><\/b>\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

T:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n