Just completed CLC. One step closer to finishing Lvl III and promotion to Major. Feeling pretty good right now, and renewed sense of dedication to the organization. :)
Congrats!
Quote from: Dad2-4 on December 21, 2011, 09:40:21 AM
Feeling pretty good right now, and renewed sense of dedication to the organization. :)
Good for you and it just goes to show...Opportunity makes for happy volunteers.
Congratulations.
SLS, CLC, RSC, NSC and of course UCC, all is great for that renewed sense of dedication.
That is why I do not understand new people wanting to take all of them in 12 months.
Quote from: Dad2-4 on December 21, 2011, 09:40:21 AM
Just completed CLC. One step closer to finishing Lvl III and promotion to Major. Feeling pretty good right now, and renewed sense of dedication to the organization. :)
Congrats and let us know when the promotion comes through.
Quote from: Private Investigator on December 22, 2011, 09:43:44 AM
Congratulations.
SLS, CLC, RSC, NSC and of course UCC, all is great for that renewed sense of dedication.
That is why I do not understand new people wanting to take all of them in 12 months.
I would have taken them all in 12 months if you didn't have to be a Major to go to NSC.
Quote from: Dad2-4 on December 21, 2011, 09:40:21 AM
Just completed CLC. One step closer to finishing Lvl III and promotion to Major. Feeling pretty good right now, and renewed sense of dedication to the organization. :)
Congrats Dad2-4! :D
Quote from: SARDOC on December 22, 2011, 01:31:25 PM
Quote from: Private Investigator on December 22, 2011, 09:43:44 AM
Congratulations.
SLS, CLC, RSC, NSC and of course UCC, all is great for that renewed sense of dedication.
That is why I do not understand new people wanting to take all of them in 12 months.
I would have taken them all in 12 months if you didn't have to be a Major to go to NSC.
+ 1 but I would retake these courses (SLS, CLC, UCC) every few years as a refresher.
Quote from: Flight Officer on December 22, 2011, 05:07:55 PM
+ 1 but I would retake these courses (SLS, CLC, UCC) every few years as a refresher.
Even better, teach at some of them.
I don't know if rules have changed, but I took CLC before SLS back in the day. CLC was available first so I got it out of the way.
Quote from: phirons on December 22, 2011, 05:30:33 PM
Quote from: Flight Officer on December 22, 2011, 05:07:55 PM
+ 1 but I would retake these courses (SLS, CLC, UCC) every few years as a refresher.
Even better, teach at some of them.
Excellent Idea! 2012 plans may allow me to do just that :D
Quote from: Stonewall on December 22, 2011, 06:09:29 PM
I don't know if rules have changed, but I took CLC before SLS back in the day. CLC was available first so I got it out of the way.
You now need to complete SLS before you can get credit for CLC.
I found the CLC curriculum to be useful for those wanting to progress to higher echelons within CAP, whereas SLS is designed with the new member in mind.
I believe UCC is a great opportunity to train current/future Commanders, but it seems many take the weekend to network instead of seriously focusing on the material (then again, this seems true for most CAP courses) with sometimes vague, generalized, or soft topics covered rather than more on some of the practical/organizational details that Commanders really need to know in order to be effective and not accidentally overlook or fumble through things-- covering these areas in UCC would greatly reduce many of the problems I've seen surface in our organization. It is certainly a good start, but I believe can be improved here and there.
TLC is my favorite of the PD courses and I've found is one of (if not *the*) the most useful/practical courses in CAP. I encourage all SMs to take this course, regardless of whether or not you are involved in the Cadet Program, and regardless of how long you've been in CAP. This course is essentially "Cadet Programs 101" and provides SMs an A-Z understanding of the CP with the most current information presented, so attending as a refresher is not a bad idea.
I've instructed a bit and hope to do more in 2012, in addition to enrolling in ACSC, etc.
The capmembers website lists UCC in the online courses section with a (New) beside it. But when you click on it, it just goes to the UCC information page with a link to upcoming classroom courses. Is it supposed to be online "soon" or what's the deal?
The "new" refers to the updated course material, which was released in October.
I've heard nothing indicating UCC will be offered on-line.
Quote from: SARDOC on December 22, 2011, 01:31:25 PM
Quote from: Private Investigator on December 22, 2011, 09:43:44 AM
Congratulations.
SLS, CLC, RSC, NSC and of course UCC, all is great for that renewed sense of dedication.
That is why I do not understand new people wanting to take all of them in 12 months.
I would have taken them all in 12 months if you didn't have to be a Major to go to NSC.
But what do you get out of them if you took them all in 12 months? You will be the guy who says, "this is how we did it in 1983!"
Quote from: Private Investigator on December 28, 2011, 02:10:56 PM
Quote from: SARDOC on December 22, 2011, 01:31:25 PM
Quote from: Private Investigator on December 22, 2011, 09:43:44 AM
Congratulations.
SLS, CLC, RSC, NSC and of course UCC, all is great for that renewed sense of dedication.
That is why I do not understand new people wanting to take all of them in 12 months.
I would have taken them all in 12 months if you didn't have to be a Major to go to NSC.
But what do you get out of them if you took them all in 12 months? You will be the guy who says, "this is how we did it in 1983!"
It's professional development...I actually got a lot out of it. I actually took them when they were all part of the same curriculum series so they actually built off of each other. Instead of waiting years to take courses having absolutely no recollection of the last class. See now I can be the guy that helps teach these courses and you can always retake them to stay current. Professional Development really shouldn't stop...You should always be continuing your training and trying to be a valuable asset to the organization instead of an out of date place holder. I really don't know if I will do 20 years to retire from Civil Air Patrol but while I do participate with this organization, I'll keep doing the best that I can. If I ever become the guy who says "This is how we did it in 2010!" Then it's time to move on and do something else.
Quote from: SARDOC on December 28, 2011, 02:44:15 PMSee now I can be the guy that helps teach these courses and you can always retake them to stay current.
Professional Development really shouldn't stop...You should always be continuing your training and trying to be a valuable asset to the organization instead of an out of date place holder.
Example on a military base the largest classroom I can have seats 40 students. So we have 40 students in a SLS and its 100% full every year. If somebody wants to retake the SLS course to stay current; will they sit on the floor or bump a new SM out of class?
Prof Dev never stops. As a good Squadron Commander you should do a refresher on main topics, i.e. how to write a memo or professional letter. Et cetera, etc.
JMHO ..
If you're maxing out on the number of students, offer more classes. Not like they're hard to do...
Quote from: EMT-83 on December 29, 2011, 01:32:40 PM
If you're maxing out on the number of students, offer more classes. Not like they're hard to do...
On a military base you actually do not have the luxury to tell the Base Commander when you want to do your activity. They tell you the April 2 and October 1, 2011 weekends is yours for the education building and you go for it.
Of course some Wings do SLS for nine students in the basement of a church so that is really doable for them. Next month come back and you can be the Director.
Quote from: Private Investigator on December 29, 2011, 01:46:07 PM
Quote from: EMT-83 on December 29, 2011, 01:32:40 PM
If you're maxing out on the number of students, offer more classes. Not like they're hard to do...
On a military base you actually do not have the luxury to tell the Base Commander when you want to do your activity. They tell you the April 2 and October 1, 2011 weekends is yours for the education building and you go for it.
Of course some Wings do SLS for nine students in the basement of a church so that is really doable for them. Next month come back and you can be the Director.
Is there a particular reason that you couldn't hold classes somewhere else at different times in addition to those?
They key to making an SLS, CLC, UCC or TLC course really memorable is
finding an outstanding course director. When I took SLS in '96, CLC in '97, and RSC in '98, I benefited from extremely well-planned and well-run courses. Since then I've taught at about 20 weekend courses (SLS, CLC, UCC, and TLC) and two RSCs.
To do an outstanding job, the course director does NOT have to be a great public speaker, or even very knowledgeable about the subjects being taught. S/he just has to have the following qualities:
- Be someone who can plan WAY ahead. By "plan way ahead," I mean set the date and location, and publicize the course, four to six months in advance, and have the course fully staffed with instructors by two months in advance.
- Be extremely organized about the logistics of the course
- Communicate with instructors, students, and prospective students frequently, reminding them of the dates of the course and of registration deadlines.
- Be consistent in your communication with your instructors. Don't assign them to a topic they aren't an expert in. Email them the PowerPoint and the Student Guide a month ahead of time. And DON'T suddenly switch them from one topic to another on Saturday morning!
and most of all:
- Get the BEST instructors that you can. Do not choose people because "he needs to teach at an SLS in order to finish level IV" or because they are a friend or a former commander. Ignore state lines and hunt down the most talented presenters you can.
I remember an outstanding course director in a neighboring wing last year. He set the date of the course a full six months ahead of time. He then sent four monthly emails to every squadron commander in the area (using a 60 mile radius, I think, and including the two neighboring wings, since wing boundaries are meaningless when it comes to prof.dev.), asking them to encourage every senior in their unit who hadn't had the course to sign up.
The student sign-up deadline was six to eight weeks prior to the course. By that point he had combed the entire area for the very best instructors, and had assigned each of us to teach an area where we were particularly strong. He ended up using instructors from two wings and from region staff. He selected people who had classroom teaching skills; years of experience with the CAP program they were teaching; and a high-energy
positive outlook.
The venue was a local community center with the necessary tables and chairs. Logistics were well taken care of: lots of coffee and bagels in the morning; a working PowerPoint projector and laptop, and a reasonably sized screen. (Don't you hate when 30 people are trying to squint at the text on someone's tiny 3'x4' home slide-projector screen?) A menu from a local deli was passed around to all students and instructors during the mid-morning break, and everyone's sandwich arrived in time for the lunch break. The cost of the lunches was included in the course fee.
This guy didn't do anything magical. He just did really good planning ahead of time, communicated well, and took care to select the very best teaching staff he could find. The weekend was incredibly productive and the students left energized, excited, and well versed.
As for the alternative... I'm sure many of us have attended (or had the misfortune of teaching at) courses where the course director was a last-minute planner, sloppy, didn't plan adequately, or chose a bunch of mediocre instructors because "they're local" or "he's been in CAP a long time" without regard to their expertise or presenting skills. What a waste of time a weekend like that can be!
Of all these points, though, selecting good instructors, with positive outlook, is the single most important one. The last thing people need when attending a course is to hear from instructors who say "it used to be SO much better in the old days" or "nowaways, we have to follow all these dumb regs" or "back when I learned this stuff, the CAPR 50-15 and 55-1 said..." or "we USED to be able to do barrel rolls during cadet O-flights, but NOW they won't let us... pussies."
Quote from: mdickinson on December 29, 2011, 03:25:18 PM
Get the BEST instructors that you can. Do not choose people because "he needs to teach at an SLS in order to finish level IV" or because they are a friend or a former commander. Ignore state lines and hunt down the most talented presenters you can.
If someone is actively requesting an instructor assignment to further their PD, they should be considered. Not everyone has public speaking / teaching experience and part of the PD program is developing these skills and passing their knowledge on. With the time lines recommended they could be mentored on their presentation skills.
Quote from: phirons on December 29, 2011, 07:38:33 PM
Quote from: mdickinson on December 29, 2011, 03:25:18 PM
Get the BEST instructors that you can. Do not choose people because "he needs to teach at an SLS in order to finish level IV" or because they are a friend or a former commander. Ignore state lines and hunt down the most talented presenters you can.
If someone is actively requesting an instructor assignment to further their PD, they should be considered. Not everyone has public speaking / teaching experience and part of the PD program is developing these skills and passing their knowledge on. With the time lines recommended they could be mentored on their presentation skills.
Agree, they should be considered - just not automatically put on staff simply because they need the requirement to complete Level IV.
It's a judgment call. The Prof.Dev. officer or Course Director has a responsibility to the students to get them the best possible instructors... and also wants to develop instructors, by giving people without classroom instruction experience a chance to get their feet wet.
I agree it's important to develop new instructors and give a turn at the front of the room to members with CAP experience but who haven't taught before. But I feel the primary responsibility is to the students.
If the Course Director is considering someone with zero teaching experience, s/he can always ask the person to teach a sample class to the director beforehand. This would serve three purposes: to make sure the person isn't going to freeze up when they step onto the stage; to give them the experience of a "dry run"; and to allow the course director to offer pointers and suggestions (don't pace; speak louder and slower; don't stand between the projector and the screen; give the students the page number in their workbook that you are referring to... that sort of thing)
There are other ways to complete the PD requirement for Level 4, but yeah, what Phil said.
The six to eight week cut-off for registrations sounds interesting. I get my chops busted with a one week deadline, and folks still want walk-in registration.
Quote from: EMT-83 on December 29, 2011, 07:58:11 PM
There are other ways to complete the PD requirement for Level 4, but yeah, what Phil said.
+1 :clap:
Professional devealopment is not rocket science.
+ 1 but I would retake these courses (SLS, CLC, UCC) every few years as a refresher.
[/quote]
Even better, teach at some of them.
[/quote]
Yeah, that's the PD, the continuing learning concept!! In their authorities, every wings/groups can open those classes a few times per year so SMs would have more oppotunities to learn/ refresh and more chances to exchange ideas/ successful stories from their own units. That's a real CAP activity.