Hazardous Weather Training to a Group

[moxieman]

Our district recently obtained the Hazardous Weather Training on CD so we could present it to a group at a time. We are a LARGE RURAL district and many of our leaders only have dial-up access. If you find it frustrating navigating the national site with high-speed, imagine trying to do it at 56K. So, we do what we can to make "live" training available.

 

We had an attendee who is legally deaf. He has 90% hearing loss. He reads lips well. If you put him next to the speaker and crank-up the volume, he'll catch most of a presentation.

 

Like the other thread for youth protection, the current Hazardous Weather training is not much use for the deaf ('round these parts, they prefer that to the newer "pc" term hearing impaired). If I had been able to print a transcript of the training and given it to him to follow along, he would have gotten more out of it.

 

Also, if National were to issue a PowerPoint version of this, it would be better for group trainings. With a PowerPoint version where the trainer does the presentation, the deaf attendee would have had no problem. I (as the trainer in this case) would simply have to remember he will only hear me as long as I'm facing him.

 

Also, with a PowerPoint version I could then combine it with my employer's copy of TurningPoint software (we do a lot of adult continuing education) and I could make it just as interactive as the online version. With this software, attendees are given mini-"clicker" remotes. When you get to a question, everyone can click in their answer. The software then tallies up the responses, displays them and you can discuss it before moving on.

 

 

As a side note, as a meteorologist (BS-Plymouth State, MS-Texas Tech), I found one thing very grating about the training. The NWS hasn't used the Fujita Scale for tornadoes since adopting the Enhanced Fujita Scale in early 2007, which was prior to the release of this training. And, where did they get the idea that there's an F6 level tornado? Maybe in theory, but on the old scale, an F5 leaves nothing behind except, maybe, the foundation. So, why even mention the F6 in the training?

[RichardB]

Like you I constantly ponder why those folks charged with protecting the brand, people, property and environment of scouting would listen to their volunteers / committee / counsel / voices in their head and not issue a ppt for this particular topic by design. Something about consistent delivery, well meaning modifications, 24/7 availability....

 

http://www.scouting.org/sitecore/content/Home/HealthandSafety/Alerts/WeatherCD.aspx is the link to info on the version available publicly. Were you using this item or a BIN item which was given to councils initially? If the BIN item, it is obsolete.

 

And if your meteorologist has issues (on the sold item), send the specific suggestions to health.safety@scouting.org and I'll make sure the comments are considered by "our" meteorologists....

 

And moxieman, thank you for what you do for our youth. Richard

 

[Beavah]

Now, Richard, yeh should always listen to those voices in your head, eh?

 

Seems to me in some of our pile of Scouting literature we suggest that to communicate well, da volunteers should use multiple media to reach as many people as possible. Mail, email, web, in-person, etc. But if it ain't in the Scouting literature, then it's definitely part of the knowledge and training of anyone with any experience in Communications. Different media get da word out to different audiences and demographics.

 

So I reckon being snotty to a well-meaning volunteer who is just tryin' to help yeh do your job in rural Maine is a touch counterproductive. He's giving yeh information that the online training doesn't work well in rural areas where high-speed internet access isn't readily available. That's good information, eh? Same is true in my state.

 

I suppose yeh can take that information and say yeh don't give a hoot. Most of da rest of us who live by da Oath and Law would say "Thank you for that information. Now, how can I help?"

 

Else I reckon a fellow who is charged with protecting the brand, people, property and environment of Scouting can end up sorta embarrassed when it comes out in da middle of a court case that the training effectively wasn't available to da people in question. Especially when there's a public record on an internet forum that made yeh award of da fact.

 

Beavah

 

[Venividi]

Moxieman,

 

Have you considered creating your own powerpoint presentation based on the hazardous weather training sylabus? That provides you with the ability to present the material in a manner that matches your style.

 

[RichardB]

Now Beavah, have you read the link?

[shortridge]

Richard,

 

Can't speak for Beavah, but I did read the link and see the CD you referenced on sale at Scoutstuff. And I think it's pretty ridiculous, given the digital divide in this country, for National to offer the HW training free online for those with high-speed connections - but require everyone else to pay $13.49. (That's the $5.99 CD plus $7.50 shipping & handling.)

 

For what it's worth, I have a high-speed connection, and I *still* had problems with the HW training module locking up and freezing. All the complicated doo-dads put into that session were just too much. The KISS Principle still works online, despite what Flash designers will tell you.(This message has been edited by shortridge)

[Basementdweller]

Just curious, why doesn't someone in your group with broad band just capture the course and burn it to a dvd that could be shown to the group. there are many free programs that will let you do that.

 

I don't like spending money on a dvd that will be obsolete

[moxieman]

In response to the response so far:

 

Beavah: Thank you. I don't think I could have put it better.

 

RicahrdB: Our Assistant Scout Executive spent several weeks on/off in his "spare time" from among his other ASE duties to track down the CD in your link. No one up this way had heard of it before I started asking questions after having seen several out-of-council Scouting Universities offering a Hazardous Weather Training that would count as the official BSA requirement on tour permits. They were only aware of the online version of the training. Perhaps National Supply could categorize it in an easier to find place like "Training" rather than "other". When does the BSA plan to become ADA compliant and offer this with at least the ability to print-off a transcript of the training so it can be provided to the deaf/hearing impaired?

 

Our ASE succeeded in tracking down and ordering us a copy last Nov. So if what he was sold was out-of-date, that's beyond my control and the fault of whoever at scout supply sold it to him. Checking the SKU number on the back, it matches your website: 610642--2010 printing.

 

When I personally took the training online about a year back, the site was very slow with a DSL connection and I couldn't get through to the resources section after completing the training. I'm bookmarking your link for future reference. Glad to see it work now.

 

As for consistent delivery, if that's what National wants, why not do away with all live training including Woodbadge? Why not make it all online? There are ways to lock a PowerPoint so the presenter can't alter it. A script can be provided. The trainer can be trained (isn't there a train-the-trainer for presenting trainings???) to present it a specific way just as scout leader specific trainings are presented. I'll get off my soapbox now (for the moment).

 

Venividi: I was all prepared to do so until our council folks determined that despite my background, it wouldn't count as the weather hazard training national requires for tour permits.

 

Basementdweller: Please refer to point 1 of the Scout Law. A scout does not steal. Instead he turns to his council office and convinces them that it's a good thing for them to spend some of their $$$ on this training material for their volunteers. (This message has been edited by moxieman)

[Beavah]

Yah, interestin...

 

This is da first time I've ever heard anyone officially give voice to da notion of "consistent delivery" as being a design goal of da BSA training materials.

 

I find that just fascinatin'. As far as I know, the rest of the educational community gave up on that "teacher proofing" approach a few decades ago, eh? Everyone learned that consistent delivery gives yeh inconsistent to poor outcomes. Because da focus is on delivery, not on learning outcomes.

 

If yeh want learning outcomes, yeh have to adjust delivery to the needs and style of the learner and to the local conditions.

 

Seems like Hazardous Weather Training would be exactly da thing we would want to adjust to the needs of the learner. Unless Climate Change happens a lot faster than predicted, I don't think I'm goin' to need to worry about hurricanes in our area of Central Region anytime soon. But folks could probably use some extra time with cold weather, and da local expertise is quite frankly a lot more expert than the online module.

 

Beavah

 

[shortridge]

I think there are some elements that should be standardized - the reporting requirements under YPT come to mind. Everyone should know that you report suspected cases of child abuse or neglect to the authorities and the SE, for example.

 

But overall, standardized delivery just doesn't work as a practical matter when you're an organization so decentralized as the BSA. It can take months - years, even - for a rule change to trickle down to the district or unit level. If National is really serious about that goal, it needs to ramp up its internal communications efforts.

[Basementdweller]

I don't view making the Training material available as stealing.

 

If I was to make 100 copies that is different. If I make one and put on a class that benefits a group of people it is not, the BSA and the youth served are benefiting.

 

 

It is a matter of semantics.

[Beavah]

Yah, unauthorized use of copyrighted material is not stealing, eh? That inaccuracy is just a pet peeve of mine. The work is the property of the public. It is not owned by the creator/author, so it cannot be stolen.

 

The public grants da author a limited right to semi-exclusive distribution in da form of a copyright, so as to encourage the creator to do more work to benefit society. Violating that semi-exclusive distribution right is called infringement, and it's not the same as theft at all. And there are any number of "fair use" distribution cases where the public retains its rights even if it has granted a temporary copyright.

 

Now, if yeh break into da office and take a bunch of CDs, that is stealing.

 

Beavah

[Basementdweller]

I laughing really hard at the moment.

 

 

So I got to buy a DVD from BSA to show to a bunch of volunteers, who pay a membership fee to put on a required program for a bunch of paying members.

 

That makes sense.

 

If we are going to quibble about semantics. I will just bring a really long network cable, hook into the churches network or starbucks wifi or where ever you conduct your training and project it on the wall.

 

If that doesn't work, I will conduct it at the public library on the public access computers. every one gets one and completes it.

 

 

[Beavah]

So I got to buy a DVD from BSA to show to a bunch of volunteers

 

Ah, come on BD. That CD media is expensive, eh? Gotta recoup da cost. Must be at least a fraction of a penny per disk.

 

Beavah

[moxieman]

Which is one of the reasons I got my council to buy it for me.