The MicroTrain Blog

Are you here to learn? This is my first question as always each time I do a class. Follow ups to that could be, are you here for coffee or free Internet access? I’m not in any way counting how many cups of coffee you drank while you’re in my class. What I really mind a lot is the answer to my first question.

Learning is a good thing. To top that, an equipped instructor is another best thing that could happen to you. Striking further your luck in the classroom? Getting rid of head scratching and blinking bulbs are some of the things I want to fix when you leave my class.

Therefore, I have easy rules that I strictly implement:

1.If I hear your phone rings I take it. It’s mine. If you hear mine, it’s all yours. If there are 10 students then divide it in 10 parts so everybody is happy. By the way, it’s not an iPhone or Blackberry. Too bad!

2.Internet Surfing anytime you want? I believe you’re in my class to learn, right? So limit your Internet surfing during the break. If I caught you and you ask me when you get stuck then I don’t hear you.

3.Questions are good for as long as it’s related to the course you’re taking. If you ask me how young I am, what’s my degree, where I came from; I don’t think these are smart questions. Let’s focus on your course and your objective for being in my class.

4.If half of the class hears me without problem then maybe you forgot your hearing aid or you are more focus with what I am wearing, my facial expressions and maybe where I came from, the foot of the mountains. Really?? I came from Timbuktu.

5.Class starts at 9am, if you come in 15 minutes late, I want to understand. If you come after the first break, I will definitely conclude you’re not serious with your learning. If you want me to value your time, do your part. Therefore, I won’t accept you after 915. See you next time.

6.Short stories, jokes. If you are after any of these then you are in the wrong class. I believe these are in standup comedy shows, vagina monologues or whatever flavors there are. I am doing technical classes in a corporate setting. I’m certified by the vendors who created the technology you’ve been taking. Therefore, don’t expect me to be funny and wasting your time with jokes and stories.  Wrong class, wrong instructor; reschedule it with someone funny enough to make you happy.

7.Break, break, and break. We need this to keep you awake. So I’m with you with this.

Classroom management is not easy. Teaching a course is neither easy as well. In the real world, students come from all walks of life. You all have problems, and some of you do not deal well with stress or conflict. I care about my students, but the number one reason you come to school is to learn. Therefore, let’s be focus and learn.

Think DOS commands is dead? No way, you want to look like you know what your doing there is nothing more impressive to a mere mortal than knowing how to use these commands forget about using some wimpy GUI interface. This is the way to go.  Here are some of the most common commands still in use.

Jo Escotal
CEO
Escotal.com

To get to the command prompt:

Start
Run
CMD

Windows Commands
If you need help type Command /? Example CLS /?

CMD                 Starts a new instance of the Windows command interpreter
EXIT                Quits and closes the command shell.
HELP                 Provides Help information for Windows commands
MORE               Displays output one screen at a time
CLS                 Clears the screen
BREAK              Sets or clears extended CTRL+C checking
DIR                  Displays a list of files and subdirectories in a directory
MD or               MKDIR Creates a directory
RD or                RMDIR Removes a directory
CD or               CHDIR Displays the name of or changes the current directory
EDIT                Dos Text Editor
COPY              Copies one or more files to another location
MOVE              Moves one or more files from one directory to another directory
DEL                 Deletes one or more files
ERASE            Deletes one or more files
REN                Renames a file or files
ATTRIB           Displays or changes file attributes

ASSOC           Displays or modifies file extension associations
CACLS            Displays or modifies access control lists (ACLs) of files
CHKDSK         Checks a disk and displays a status report
CIPHER          Displays or alters the encryption of directories [files] on NTFS partitions
COMPACT      Displays or alters the compression of files on NTFS partitions
CONVERT       Converts FAT volumes to NTFS. You cannot convert the current drive
DATE              Displays or sets the date
DEFRAG         Disk defragmenter accessory
DISKCOMP     Compares the contents of two floppy disks
DISKCOPY      Copies the contents of one floppy disk to another
DISKPART      Displays or configures Disk Partition properties
EXPAND         Expands one or more compressed files
FORMAT         Formats a disk for use with Windows
GPRESULT       Displays Group Policy information for machine or user
LABEL             Creates, changes, or deletes the volume label of a disk
MEM                Displays memory utility
PATH               Displays or sets a search path for executable files
PROMPT          Changes the Windows command prompt
RECOVER         Recovers readable information from a bad or defective disk.
REM                Designates comments (remarks) in batch files
REPLACE          Replaces files
SET                 Displays, sets, or removes environment variables for current session
SFC                 System File Checker
TIME                Displays or sets the system time
TREE              Graphically displays the directory structure of a drive or path
TYPE               Displays the contents of a text file
VER                 Displays the Windows version
VOL                 Displays a disk volume label and serial number
XCOPY           Copies files and directory trees