Civil Air Patrol Instructor Course/ Program

Capt Rivera · July 02, 2007, 06:45:09 PM

http://level2.cap.gov/index.cfm?nodeID=5790

Anyone know the status of this endeavor?

Anyone take the course? Was it worth your time/effort?

Thoughts/etc???

arajca · July 02, 2007, 07:08:34 PM

I completed it. Good info, but no practical system at all. There program has three stages - Technician, Senior, and Master, but it is all one course and you take all three non-stop.

It needs to be broken up with required practical exercises. I've heard some noise about an Instructor specialty track, but I haven't seen anything official about it.

shorning · July 02, 2007, 10:38:42 PM

I tried enrolling, but it won't let me sign up. Because of my "day job", I can't follow the instructions for registering. It just doesn't work. Perhaps if I wasn't already in AFAIDL's system...

ZigZag911 · July 02, 2007, 10:40:43 PM

I just read the CAP link associated with it, it seems there is a pre-selected "beta test" group for this trial....I guess the rest of us are locked out for now.

SarDragon · July 03, 2007, 02:22:46 AM

That stuff is really olde. I think it was first put up in 2004. I tried to sign up for the beta group back then, and it was already full. I think I have a contact at NHQ to ask about an update, but haven't done anything yet.

Capt M. Sherrod · July 09, 2007, 05:43:07 PM

Have you been able to get any more information about this? I was interested in taking the training as well.

SarDragon · July 10, 2007, 12:27:23 AM

Well, the training has to exist first, and I see that as being many months away.

Capt Rivera · July 11, 2007, 05:13:41 AM

Training can be found at "Air University Online": https://au.csd.disa.mil

AF members (Active, guard, Reserve) Should already know how to get access.

CAP members: That MIGHT take more work but I believe it is possible. I THINK I read somewhere that you can request access through a CAP representative but that memory seems hazy and may not be accurate.

It would not make sense to post a CAP course to an area that CAP members are restricted from....

If someone does the footwork to figure out how general cap membership can gain access, please post that information so other may benefit from your knowledge.

shorning · July 11, 2007, 06:00:58 AM

Quote from: riveraj on July 11, 2007, 05:13:41 AM
AF members (Active, guard, Reserve) Should already know how to get access.

Last time I tried logging in with my Air Force info, I couldn't get to the CAP courses. Otherwise, the system won't let me log in as a CAP member.

SarDragon · July 11, 2007, 06:44:29 AM

Quote from: riveraj on July 11, 2007, 05:13:41 AMTraining can be found at "Air University Online": https://au.csd.disa.mil

Instructor training?

Unfortunately, that's not something that can really be taught in an online environment. There needs to be some live action evaluated practical application, much like our ES training.

Capt Rivera · July 12, 2007, 02:03:44 AM

Quote from: SarDragon on July 11, 2007, 06:44:29 AM
Quote from: riveraj on July 11, 2007, 05:13:41 AMTraining can be found at "Air University Online": https://au.csd.disa.mil

Instructor training?

Unfortunately, that's not something that can really be taught in an online environment. There needs to be some live action evaluated practical application, much like our ES training.

Of course experience is something that is absolutely needed and should be evaluated... but the tools that need to be learned/used while teaching CAN be taught in this way... at least in my inexperienced opinion.

arajca · July 12, 2007, 03:00:55 AM

Based on my experience, instruction really cannot be taught online. You need to have a practical component to the class where 1. you can fall flat on your face without major embarrassment and 2. you can find out from others why you fell on your face. Having taken many TTT courses, every one focused not on the subject, but how to present the subject. You can read about it, but there is no substitute for the actual doing. The problem with the CAPIP is that is appears to tell the students that after completing the course (and I have) that they're ready to instruct, which they aren't - unless they've had some real instructional training previously. Unless they make major renovations to the CAPIP, it is worthless as an instructor traiing program.

SarDragon · July 12, 2007, 07:32:13 AM

I just got in my hot little hands today a copy of a two day instructor course used by the Naval Reserve that I think can be adapted quite well to our requirements. I'll be sending it to a couple of folks in the PD world for their perusal next week, after I make some phone calls about it.

It's 9 hours of classroom and 7 hours of practical. Like many courses, it will be only a foot in the door of the arena. The hard part will be having adequate monitoring after course completion.

I spent a month learning the same stuff, plus a lot more, and it was about six months before they would turn me loose on my own in a classroom. Andy has an excellent point about the practical component of the training. About 35% of my four weeks, maybe more, was practice teaching. It will help that we are getting better materials to teach with (the new SLS is a good example), so we will be mostly instructiong and not doing very much curriculum development, which is its own nightmare.

arajca · July 12, 2007, 01:20:17 PM

So, where can I get copy of that program?

floridacyclist · July 12, 2007, 03:07:23 PM

If you are in FL, you also might check http://www.floridadisaster.org/TrainingCalendar/moreinfo.asp?id=938 or http://www.floridadisaster.org/TrainingCalendar/moreinfo.asp?id=939 - there are already several CAP members signed up for them.

Skyray · July 16, 2007, 06:56:04 PM

Are you guys forgetting that your National Commander stuck it to the Air Force correspondence schools? It may be years before another CAP member is allowed to sign on.