Trainers Edge - New Training Course

[SR540Beaver]

I'm not sure if it has been reported here previously, but I learned this past weekend that the current TDC - Trainers Development Conference will be replaced by a new course called Trainers Edge. The course material is being finalized and should be out in the next few weeks. This course will be required for 2009 Wood Badge staff and NYLT adult AND youth staff.

[Buffalo Skipper]

Can you offer any more on this training program? We have taught TDC in our District (while other districts try to conduct the old Train the Trainer). Seems like TDC was pretty short lived. Was it really that much of a failure? I taught the program the last two years and I felt it went over very well.

[SR540Beaver]

I don't have much more information. It is four modules and is a day long course. Supposedly, the participants will practice some presentation skills as part of the course. It is more interactive as opposed to just being presented to.

 

I attended TDC back in August. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't worth burning a whole day for either. In my case, I didn't really see or learn anything I didn't already know. I knew how to use a low tech felt board when I was in kindergarten back in 1962. My personal feeling was that the TDC material could have been compressed into a half day course. Now......that might have just been the particular course I attended. However, I knew 90% of the presenters personally and know them well enough to know they were following the syllabus.

 

My hope is that Trainers Edge is better, because I personally didn't take much away from TDC.

[scouter.claude]

My council is one of a few to put on a pilot program using the Trainers Edge format. EDGE stands for Explain, Demonstrate, Guide and Enable. It is an 8 hour course, and I thought it was beneficial. I took the old TTT (Train the Trainer) many years ago so to compare the two I can't do. The new format covers a whole host of topics from how to deliver training to body language to putting on a sample training session. If you get chance to attend the course I would suggest you do.

[Vicki]

At the risk of getting told that "my council doesn't do it right" - again - (grin) - it sounds like the elements of this training program are scattered throughout our staff development days. We have seven SD get-togethers for Wood Badge staff (most were Sat/Sun) and several evenings and a couple of weekends for NYLT staff. I specifically remember everything scouter.claude mentioned.

 

Vicki

[scouter.claude]

Your probably right Vicki, it seems that in scouting we change the names of things and don't change much of the content.

[SR540Beaver]

Vicki,

 

Wow! Seven staff development events? I'm not going to tell you that your council does it wrong, since mine does five. The WB Admin Guide restricts staff development to 90 days out from the course so as not to be too time consuming or a hardship to staff. I'm sure it CAN be done in that short of a time, but we find it much easier to do five along with a volunteer participants meeting which we are not supposed to do either because of it demanding too much of the participants time. I'm sure our Trainers Edge will be held separately from the staff devlopment because there are other folks who will want to take it and that is the way TDC was done.

[Bob White]

The Trainer Development course/BSA 500 was considerably different from the previous course Train The Trainer. It also preceded the introduction of the "Teaching EDGE" (as opposed to the Learning EDGE) by several years.

 

A shift from Trainer Development/BSA 500 to the EDGE training would certainly bring the program up to date with the lessons and methods used in Wood Badge and NYLT.

 

Just as there is nothing wrong wioth the conmtecnt or the previous Wood Badge course there was nothing wrong with either TTT or BSA 500, it's just that EDGE is also very good and creates and cohesive thread that rums through other BSA training courses as well.

 

(This message has been edited by Bob White)

[infoscouter]

My understanding of this course, from a discussion thread on the Scouter_T Yahoo! group, is that it is not a replacement for the Trainer Development Conference, but a second level course. In other words, it is taken by those who have already taken TDC and are moving on to teach "advanced" training courses. TDC serves the needs of district trainers who deliver Cub Scout, Boy Scout or Venturing PST (aka Basic training). Trainers Edge serves the needs of those who deliver Wood Badge and NYLT. Thus, not all trainer will need to take Trainers Edge, only those who will be teaching advanced courses.

[Crew21_Adv]

Fellow Scouters,

 

Greetings!

 

 

I've heard about the upcoming EDGE course replacing the TDC as well, and expect it to be an expanded version of the NYLT topic.

 

EDGE has been a part of the new NYLT topics since 2003. The Staff constantly use the EDGE techniques, then a one hour Leading EDGE/Teaching EDGE topic and approximately two hour application on Day Three of NYLT. Teaching the Patrol Leader to teach and lead using GPSs before the Adventure Hike.

 

It is a great concept. I don't see EDGE being stretched to eight hours. But possibly, taking certain TDC topics (Communications, Planning, How Adults Learn, Technology, Pizzazz) and overlaying EDGE throughout.

 

Scouting Forever and Venture On!

Crew21 Adv

[Toby Weber]

We only have the three SD sessions before the practical course. We do this because the Administraive Guide says that is what to do. On the other hand, a fourth day, while not necessary, sure would be helpful. If the fourth day is needed the guide says that you can have one, but it is less than 30 days out.

 

Another problem we have is that we never know if we are going to have a course until the 30-day point. We are a rural Council and only hold a course every 30 months and even so have problems meeting the 30-paid 30-days rule.