Section 5: Trends and Issues in Various Settings

1. Give an example of Rapid Prototyping used in education.

Rapid Prototyping is showing a working example of the finished product. Each year, I save the best of my student samples to use the following year so students can see what the finished product should look like. From the e-Portfolio to the Christmas boxes they make, students gain an insight into how they can personalize the project and make it their own.

2. Using the Full Spectrum Diagram suggest alternatives for using technology in military training.

I think that Deployable Learning Resource Centers are a valuable asset to trainers in the field. Mobile devices are necessary for training in the field and money should be used to provide mobile internet connections for the trainers and trainees. This way if they have to do additional training in the field they have access to online content and expertise. In addition to that, the higher ranked officer should have his trainers trained well enough that they can describe a new method of doing something in the sand if they have to. Because all training cannot occur before deployment, trainers should have low and high tech methods of training on hand and should be able to integrate new hardware and software with existing systems.

3. Outline a staff development activity that will introduce the Step-Up-To-Excellence and the GSTE methodologies to your colleagues.

Staff Development Activity:
To increase TAKS scores by creating a student environment of excitement for achievement.

1. Begin by describing the Prelaunch preparation activities:
Form a temporary Support Team: Including the Superintendent
and his handpicked subordinates.
Consider the core values of the school district; the surrounding
community; and the individual family cultures.
Access and enhance the district readiness for change:
How do we become an Exemplary District using TEA standards?
Once the decision to launch the change is made, a contract should
be designed for the Strategic Leadership Team and the school board
to sign.

2. Create a Strategic Leadership Team:
The Principals in the District; The Technology Support
Technician; a Librarian; and one teacher to represent the core
curriculum, from each level of education in the district.
Selection for Strategic Leadership Team members should
be made by the peers not the superintendent.

3. Hold a retreat so the Strategic Leadership Team can assess the
systemic change process and brainstorm ideas that will enhance the
district and community capacity for change.
Determine resource needs, plan the budget and propose expenditures.
Sign the contract.

4. Hold a District Engagement Conference: Create a Leadership Team
Invite all the stakeholders from the school district and
surrounding community.
Create a new strategic framework: A new vision, mission, and plan.
Give Student Incentives to pass benchmarks and TAKS tests.
Design a new class schedule for students:
The new Flex Schedule will give students who pass the
benchmarks one free week off at Christmas and one Free
Week off at the end of the year.
Teachers will have those two weeks to focus on the students
who struggle with the benchmarks and TAKS tests.
Discuss potential problems and come up with solutions:
Unforeseen problems could result from the changed Flex
Schedule.

5. Conduct regular community forums:
Examine the results of the new class schedule.

6. Evaluate the results:
Student achievement scores on the benchmarks and TAKS tests.
Increased number of students who qualify for the new Flex
Schedule.

Higher Education:
McClennan Community College:

VP of Program Development
What are the different names used for faculty development

Program development
Strategic Initiatives
Executive Leadership Training

What Division is it under:

Program development EEO Officer

What Services Does it Offer:

Equal Employment Opportunities

How often are programs given and what specifically are they:

During Orientation and available weekly workshops.
Integrating technology, Presentation Skills, Teaching techniques, curriculum writing, syllabus creating, and other topics as needed by the faculty.

Finance & Administration, Instructor

What are the different names used for faculty development

Seminars
Workshops
Exchanges
and other activities to enhance knowledge and skills

What Division is it under:

Professional & Organizational Development Department

What Services Does it Offer:

Provides opportunities to participate in and thus, improve the effectiveness of the institution,
Provides opportunities to "return to university" to increase expertise in a professional field, and
Provides opportunities to "return to industry" to gain state-of-the-art experiences.

How often are programs given and what specifically are they:

Ongoing participation in development activities is expected for all employees.

A Development Committee for Professional Employees, Faculty, Administrators, and Other Employees in Positions Requiring a College Degree will be formed. The Committee shall consist of nine voting members. Three faculty members shall be selected from Workforce Education, three faculty members from Arts and Sciences (for this purpose the list will include the names of the librarians who hold faculty rank), and three members from the administrative/professional staff. The Coordinator, Professional & Organizational Development shall serve as ex-officio member to the Committee.

VP, Research Planning and Information Technology

What are the different names used for faculty development

Graduate Coursework
On Campus professional development
Conferences
Committee Service

What Division is it under:

Professional & Organizational Development Department

What Services Does it Offer:

Faculty move to a higher step on the pay scale in 6-credit hour increments. In most colleges in Texas, this system is used to reward faculty for advancing their formal educational standing, such as getting a masters or doctoral degree in the teaching field or another field preparing a faculty member for community college work, such as higher education administration, etc.

How often are programs given and what specifically are they:

Ongoing participation in development activities is expected for all employees. To provide more options for faculty professional development, faculty may participate in 12 clock hours per year of professional development activities without advance approval from their chair or dean. A database is currently being developed so that faculty will be able to check their status. Based on their needs, which are often tied to professional evaluation information, specialized training to maintain certification or licensing, trends in higher education, etc., faculty may select on-campus professional development, professional conferences or CEU requirements, Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board meetings and committee assignments, and MCC committee work to fulfill their professional development requirements. This option does not apply to pay increases or step credit but meets the contractual requirement for faculty to participate in professional development.

It's Snowing Outside!

Section 4: Human Performance Technology

Human Performance Technology

1.      Identify a performance problem in your area of work and provide a non instructional solution to solve the problem.

·         The Problem:  Teachers are not using online technology to enhance student instruction:

This year, we have implemented the use of an online Portal.  This Portal has numerous advantages for teachers and students.  The advantages can not be seen if no one is using it.  At the beginning of the year, all teachers were registered and trained in using the Portal.  We have designed a teacher group and there are only two teachers using the Portal, and only one, myself, that is using it to post assignments.  This is the first step to offering some kind of distance education for our students.  It will also prepare them to work in the new college environment so it is very important that all teachers use this Portal.

·         The Solution: Create a Human Performance Team (HPI) that will encourage teachers to use more online technology in their lesson plans.

Steps to take:

1.      Create a culture change by using more online communications through the Portal.  Have a notification system alert each teacher when they have a message.  The HPI team should communicate on a regular basis, inside and outside of school times.

2.      Offer neat tips and tricks to maneuver around the Portal.  Teach informally by sending messages such as: “Check this out this weekend and shoot me an email of how you liked it.”

3.      Give incentives or prizes for the teacher who logs in the most air time, creates the most online lessons, watches the most educational videos, downloads the most web 2.0 tools, etc.  Create meaningful incentives that will motivate the teachers intrinsically.

4.      Create subgroups that would include the Science Department, the Math Department, the Technology Department, etc. and have the teachers design their home page themes (much like a website), with lessons to share amongst each other.

5.      Have the HPI Team evaluate activities and monitor student participation for each teacher.

6.      The HPI Team should develop clear consequences for teachers who are not participating and develop ways to assimilate them in the new school culture.

2.      Define Electronic Performance Support Systems and describe why they are not widely used.

·         Electronic Performance Support Systems are computer software programs that work together to improve user performance.

·         Electronic Performance Support Systems is a set of tools that can help an organization to reduce the cost of training and offer technical support to staff.

·         Electronic Performance Support Systems is an integrated electronic environment that is available to and easily accessible by each employee and is structured to provide immediate, individualized on-line access to the full range of information, software, guidance, advice and assistance, data, images, tools, and assessment and monitoring systems to permit job performance with minimal support and intervention by others.

I like the last definition because it emphasizes that the system is not just software but is an integrated electronic environment.  It is easily accessible and structured to provide help at the users fingertips.

I think that money to set up the EPSS is a considering factor to why it has not been widely used.  I do believe that once the system is in place, the company will actually save money by not needing expert interaction for troubleshooting or to come in and solve performance problems.  I also think that each business has different needs so each EPSS must be specifically designed for that company.  That can be very costly.

I think that once businesses see that the initial cost to set up a EPPS is a one time investment, they will begin to design prototypes that would be interchangeable within different industries; thereby making them more affordable to businesses.

3.      Identify a problem at work and describe how a blended learning approach could be used to solve the problem.

The Problem: The technology technician at school is the only person that has total and complete access to all security settings making it impossible for the technology teachers to make just in time changes in class to incorporate other learning strategies.  The technician has to schedule a time to come out and put in the password to make simple updates and changes.

For instance, if I am creating something in the design class that requires printouts to be made in color, only one computer supports the color printer so all students have to wait in line and sign in and out on that one computer.  The time wasted on that is incredible.  I am allowed two sets of toner per year and all other classes have access to that printer as well.  They just come in and use it when they need to.  No one ever thinks to request a set of color toners for their use.  Anyway, if I had the knowledge available, I could set the default to the color printer on the network so that every student’s computer could print that day’s assignment only.  Then I could set it back as needed. 

Because we only have one tech person for the district and she services five schools, it sometimes takes days for a simple change to be made.  If a KM system was in place, we could share the information that right now is embedded in only one brain. Because KM is the creation, archiving, and sharing of valuable information and we have similar interests and tacit knowledge, there really is no reason that we do not have the competitive advantage.  A KM system would increase opportunities available to our students by enhancing human performance.  There is no reason to lock up the information that technology teachers need to do their jobs, it should be shared and training on undiscovered knowledge should be made available as part of the blended learning approach.

One way to accomplish this would be:

1.       To have access to the information

a.       Synchronize resources so answers are easy to find  

2.      To collaborate using tacit knowledge

a.       Incentives to reward the sharing of knowledge

3.      To put a system in place that would allow the teacher  access to information

a.       Use metatags for just in time operations

Right now only one person has the authority and ability to make changes to the computer network.  I think that if we start small and create a knowledge management system; which includes a team of technical people including the technician, the librarian, and the technology teacher it would improve the performance of the teachers and the students being taught. 

4.      Informal learning in my adult life

Wow, I am pretty old so I have had a ton of informal learning. 

·         I started my adult life when I got married.  Talk about informal learning!  What I learned most in the early years of marriage was compromise and empathy.  My instructor: The husband needed nurturing much like a child.  His needs resulted in my learning to take care of his needs, usually at the expense of my own.

·         I then began having children and learned about Love, real love that makes you a protector and a leader.  My Instructors: Three children, the roles they played were to create the friction that makes a human grow.  Decisions had to be made daily, hourly, in the minute, and in the second.  So many mistakes and false assumptions were made during that time. I learned it was okay to make mistakes and how to listen because not everything is as it seems when dealing with children.

·         I went through a time of sickness and loss and that time taught me strength and perseverance. 

·         My first taste of formal education began in a technical college where I was training to be a Registered Nurse.  That taught me that I did not have the compassion it took to spend my entire life in that career so I quit college.

·         I then went to work as a bartender.  At that time, because of my own life experiences, I was the best at my job and made an excellent living for my children.  The social skills I learned are unmatched anywhere in any profession.  When the customer enters the bar they are normal; but after a few drinks they change from sad to mad and everything in between.  I learned to control a room full of personality changes and could calm the angry, cheer up the sad, and impose shame on those who started acting inappropriately.  I tended bar for over 30 years. The greatest skill I learned there was compromise.

o   As I look back, I realize that God was preparing me to be a school teacher.  He gave me one son who has a rare liver disease and because of his illness became learning disabled.  I have seen him treated badly his entire life.  From his doctors and nurses to his teachers, people want to push him aside and not take care of his needs.  This has made me an advocate for those who are misunderstood.  No one realizes it but he is an angel sent here to test others in authority positions.  One day, many professionals will have to answer for the way they treated him.

o   The social interactions I had through my career as a bartender, the training I had as a bar manager, and finally the authority I had as president of a non-profit group taught me how to persuade students to complete their assignments and classroom management techniques.

o   Finally, it seems that the most important skills you learn in life cannot be taught but must be experienced.

Section 3: Evaluating, Implementing and Managing

1.      Two Models used for Evaluation

The ADDIE MODEL has five phases: Analysis, Design, Development, Implementation, and Evaluation.  I would use this model to evaluate my instruction by:

1^st-Analyze

1.      The audience and their characteristics?

a.       Students of mixed ages and maturity in grades 9-12.  

2.      Identify the new behavioral outcome?

a.       Students should gain interest in what they learn and share knowledge with others.

3.      What types of learning constraints exist?

a.       Different cultures and learning styles. Software availability.

4.      What are the delivery options?

a.       Visuals through the Elmo or Projector,

b.      Step-by-step written instruction,

c.       Lecture,

d.      Reading and writing.

e.       Recreating samples

5.      What are the online pedagogical considerations?

a.       Security and safety,

b.      Ethics,

c.      Website user guidelines,

d.      Copyright laws.

6.      What is the timeline for project completion?

a.       Develop a deadline that is long enough to gain experience but still short enough to hold 
          continued interest.  Too long and the students get bored with any lesson.

2^nd-Design

1.      Document the project's instructional, visual and technical design strategy

a.       Learning objectives, Consider the following

                            i.      What is to be learned from doing this lesson? (Learn it)

                           ii.      Will the student be able to share what they learn with others? (Teach it

b.      Assessment instruments

                            i.      How will I test their knowledge?

1.      Achievement test to measure overall knowledge

2.      Performance test to measure how well they perform the process

3.      A questionnaire to see how they liked the lesson, what they would have 
         liked to learn more about, or let them suggest other ways to complete the 
         objectives (ex: video instead of writing a paper)

c.       Exercises

                            i.      Apply instructional strategies

1.  What practice will they need that provides cognitive, affective, and psychomotor skills

                           ii.      Create a visual sample to follow

                          iii.      Use a template to compare and critique

                          iv.      Research other similar projects

                           v.      Create content: storyboards

                          vi.      Share knowledge

d.      Content

                            i.      Design the user interface and user experience

                           ii.      Decide the content that is relevant to the students

1.      Ex: Database could be CD Library, Friend Address Book

2.      Ex: Spreadsheet could be car amortization schedule.

a.       Research buying your first car.  This is a real eye opener for them.

e.       Subject matter analysis

                            i.      Is the subject matter relevant?

1.      Ex: Why teach Microsoft Office 2003?

f.       Lesson planning 

                            i.      Begin with clear objectives

                           ii.      Set a timeline for completion

                           iii.      Decide if individual or group work

                           iv.      Determine how to set up groups

1.      Evaluate the classroom dynamics

2.      Group based on skill levels

                            v.      Create the samples, visuals, handouts, projects and

g.      Media selection.

                            i.      Decide on the delivery method for all learning styles

                           ii.      Decide on the student delivery method for Performance

3^rd-Development

1.      Create the lesson content from the design phase.

a.       Integrate Technology

2.      Prototype creation

a.       Apply visual design (graphic design)

b.      Apply multimedia experiences

4^th-Implementation

1.      Test the Lesson

a.       Be sure you go through each step so that instruction is clear and understandable.

b.      If the lesson has been done before, review the feedback from students, check for typos and correct.  Clean it up before delivery.

2.      Create procedures to deliver content

a.       Train students on new hardware and software

b.      Register for websites that include interactive study

3.       Ensures that the books, hands on equipment, tools, CD-ROMs and software are in place and working correctly.

5^th-Evaluation

1.       Formative:  Through the entire process.  How is the lesson progressing?

a.       Are their gaps that need fixing?

b.      Typos?

c.       Equipment that is needed?

d.      Are students engaged

                                                              i.      Why or Why Not? 

2.      Summative: At the End

a.       Assess learners reactions to the lesson

                                                              i.      Questionnaires (closed ended)

                                                            ii.      Write about what you least liked doing during this exercise (open ended)

b.      Assess students knowledge

                                                              i.      Achievement test

c.       Assess students Performance

                                                              i.      Create a finished product

d.      Transfer of training

                                                              i.      Share knowledge with others

                                                            ii.      Use new skills in everyday things

Reference:

Instructional Design. ADDIE Model. Retrieved on 11/11/10 
     from http://www.instructionaldesign.org/models/addie.html

The Dick and Carey Design Model

1^st Instructional Goals

1.      Decide on the objectives for the lesson.

a.       Analyze what the students need to learn.

2^nd  Instructional Analysis

1.      Determine the skills need to meet the objectives

2.      Design a list of steps to teach the skills of the objectives of instruction that involve intellectual skills

3^rd  Entry Behaviors and Learner Characteristics

1.      Determine which of the required enabling skills the learners bring to the learning task

a.       Intellectual skills

b.      Abilities such as verbal comprehension and spatial orientation

c.       Traits of personality

4^th  Performance Objectives

1.      Translate the needs and goals into specific and detailed objectives

a.       Determine whether the instruction related to its goals.

b.      Focusing the lesson planning upon appropriate conditions of learning

c.       Guiding the development of measures of learner performance

d.      Assisting learners in their study efforts.

5^th  Criterion-Referenced Test Items

1.      Diagnose an individual for necessary prerequisites for learning new skills

2.      Check the results of student learning during the process of a lesson

3.      Provide documentation of students progress for parents or administrators

4.      Perform Formative and Summative evaluations

5.      Determine performance measures before development of lesson plan and instructional materials

6^th  Instructional Strategy

1.      Outline how instructional activities will relate to the accomplishment of the objective.

a.       Storyboard

2.      Create the best lesson design  

a.       Demonstrate knowledge about the learners,

b.      Design tasks reflected in the objectives, and

c.       Use effective teaching strategies

3.      Decide on Choice of delivering system.
           Teacher-led, Group-paced vs. Learner-centered, Learner-paced

7^th  Instructional Meterials

1.      Select and design printed or other media intended to convey events of instruction.

a.       Use of existing materials when it is possible

b.      Need for development of new materials, otherwise

2.      Role of teacher depends on the choice of delivery system

8^th  Formative Evaluation

1.      Provide data for revising and improving instructional materials

a.       Revise the instruction so as to make it as effective as possible for larger number of 
          students.

b.      Revise the instruction so as to make it as effective as possible for one on one instruction.

c.       Revise the instruction so as to make it as effective as possible for small groups

d.      Design a Field Trial

9^th  Summative Evaluation

1.     Study the effectiveness of system as a whole

2.     Conducted after the system has passed through its formative stage

a.       Small scale/ Large Scale

b.      Short period/ Long period

References

Hee-Sun Lee & Soo-Young Lee.  Dick and Carey Model. Instructional design

     Models.  Retrieved from http://www.umich.edu/~ed626/Dick_Carey/dc.html on 11/12/10.

Indirect References:

Dick, W. & Cary, L. (1990), The Systematic Design of Instruction, Third Edition, Harper Collins

Briggs, L. J., Gustafson, K. L. & Tellman, M. H., Eds. (1991), Instructional Design: Principles

and Applications, Second Edition, Educational Technology Publications, Englewood Cliffs, NJ

Edmonds, G. S., Branch, R. C., & Mukherjee, P. (1994), A Conceptual Framework for

Comparing Instructional Design Models, Educational Research and Technology, 42(2), pp. 55-72.

Gagne, R. M., Briggs, L. J. & Wagner, W. W. (1992). Principles of Instructional Design (4^th

 ed.), Holt, Reihhart, and Winston Inc.

2.      My Big Campus: A New Technological Innovation

In some ways I feel like “I” may be the new Technological Innovation at work.  The teacher I replaced had been there over 16 years.  She was very qualified but also ready for a change.  She had not kept up with all the changes in technology so not much new technology had been introduced to the students in a very long time. 

This is my third year there and every year, I introduce new things that have a way of impacting many different departments and people.  I have been accepted easily but from time to time, I do see a raised eyebrow or two.  Last year, someone even posted a sign on the outside of my door that said: “No games or music will be played in the computer labs”.  As the Library and Multimedia Lab also had the same signs, I questioned the principal about this policy.  He said to take the sign off my door; which was a big relief to me because I have to have freedom of expression in my classes.  I really thought I might have to look for another job that would embrace my creativity and new 21^st century style of teaching.

Last year, based on requirements from the State of Texas, in the TEKS, I requested some way to teach my students social networking, publishing, electronic communication, online research, etc.  About midway through the year, I was introduced to My Big Campus and this past summer I went to Boston for a week to serve on the new advisory committee ( we are all from all over the United States); see picture of our advisory group in Boston, attached: 

1.     Relative Advantage – My Big Campus (MBC) gives our district relative advantage by offering a secure site where students can safely learn to navigate the web.

2.     Compatibility – MBC is designed to work along with the values and needs of the community. 

3.     Complexity – MBC is easy to use and student assignments are easy to post from both sides, the teachers and the students.  Parents can also interact with the site from home.

4.     Trialability – MBC is still in the adoption stage.  The advisory council is continually adding new user friendly applications.  Currently, we are committed to creating sub groups for our discussion boards and allowing students to design themes to more personalize their sites.

5.     Observability – Right now we have public K-12 schools all over the United States adopting MBC for their secure portal.  At our school, we have all the teachers trained at the beginning of the year.  The students are using the portal throughout the day (I have administration rights and monitor school activity) but teachers are not using it to their advantage, yet, as they could. 

Reference:

My Big Campus. Retrieved from http://www.mybigcampus.com/ on 11/13/10.

3.      Project Management:  Situational Leadership

Every day that I teach, I feel like I am a project manager.  What I am attempting to do with my classes though, is to develop project managers out of my students.  I always try to create lessons that will bring out their natural leadership tendencies.   As for me, I am so busy with the day to day teaching; advising for the CERT Team, sponsoring BPA and UIL; and serving on the Advisory Council for MBC that to head up a project outside of that would be unfair to the project.  So to complete this assignment, I will use the CERT Team as my example.

This summer, I was asked to facilitate the organization of a student Community Response Team (CERT).  This team would be funded through the Region 12 Educational Service Center.  They received a $99,000.00 grant for this project; we are one of ten schools offered this opportunity. 

CERT Training will teach participants to:

1.      Describe the types of hazards most likely to affect their homes and communities.

2.      Describe the function of CERT and their roles in immediate response.

3.      Take steps to prepare themselves for a disaster.

4.      Identify and reduce potential fire hazards in their homes and workplaces.

5.      Work as a team to apply basic fire suppression strategies, resources and safety measures to 
         extinguish a burning liquid.

6.      Apply techniques for opening airways, controlling bleeding and treating shock.

7.      Conduct triage under simulated conditions.

8.      Perform head-to-toe assessments.

9.      Select and set up a treatment area.

10.    Employ basic treatments for various wounds.

11.    Identify planning and size-up requirements for potential search and rescue situations.

12.    Describe the most common techniques for searching a structure.

13.    Use safe techniques for debris removal and victim extrication.

14.    Describe ways to protect rescuers during search and rescue.

Working closely with the Region 12 representative, Nancy Cross, I scheduled the initial meeting for the media release of the presentation of the $99,000.00 check.  Once the deadline was set, it was up to me to secure a location for the meeting and have students and community volunteers there.

First, I went through my student lists and researched their career movies and e-Portfolios from last year and based on their individual interests, I chose thirty (30) students to participate.  My maximum number allowed was twenty (20) but I knew some wouldn’t be able to participate and had hoped that my final twenty (20) would be a good match for the program. 

I then created a database for the CERT Program and used predesigned application forms, provided by Region 12.  I typed up a mass mailing, inviting them to apply and also asked them to invite an adult to partner with; this could be a family member or friend.  For the next week, I returned phone calls, describing the program. I then sat back and waited for responses, hoping each day that I could pull this off by the deadline.

While I waited, I went to school and prepared a place to hold the meeting.  I have two rooms; a computer lab and a workshop but neither room was big enough to hold 40 plus people.  Across the hall is the Family Consumer Sciences Department and Ms. Dossey was very willing to help organize a space big enough to hold the guests and the media set up.  We prepared for the meeting and had all twenty participants, about five community volunteers, all representatives from Region 12 and State Farm.  We also had three (3) representatives from Austin come down.  It was a pretty big deal.  See picture attached of the check presentation.

My next challenge came with setting up a 20 hour training schedule.  I had to facilitate this to accommodate the Principal’s bell schedule, my class availability time, the trainers from the Waco Emergency Management Department schedule, the community volunteers, and the student’s extracurricular event schedule.  This part of the project was the most challenging.

Up until now, I was acting primarily as a project manager.  The project spans the 2010-2011 school year and I will receive a stipend for my participation.  Region 12 has supplied us with a new laptop computer; digital camera; projector, 20 CERT Emergency Response Backpacks, full of gear for the students; training manuals, and training personnel for the 20 hour certification period.  Students will receive certification at the end of their training.  

Now my leadership skills had to kick into high gear.  I am lucky that God gave me a creative mind and that I was given opportunities throughout my life to accommodate and work with others.  These skills are what allow me to take advantage of enormous opportunities when they arise.  No plans were made for a follow up meeting before school started, so I thought I had plenty of time to organize a schedule.

I began with the principal and the representative at the school, Assistant Superintendant, Dr. Betty Somers. We tossed around ideas for the 20 hour sessions: Maybe we could do an hour a week for 20 weeks; an hour a day for 20 days; or even five Saturday sessions at four hours each.  I waited for confirmation of a draft schedule for the rest of the summer and into the first two weeks of the new school year.  I sent gentle reminders to the powers that be at school but nothing was finalized until around the third week of school.  This was a concern because I really wanted the 20 hours of training completed before the TAKS testing in March.

Once the one hour per week for 20 weeks schedule was confirmed, I contacted the other project team members, the subject matter experts, and the students, I then began to visualize where I wanted our program to go.  I had a lot of ideas for training and communicated them to the Emergency Management Trainer, Steve Vaughn.  He could sense my enthusiasm and has adopted and incorporated my ideas into the training plan.

So far, we have had one problem, repeated twice.  Once the CERT bags were handed out to the students, the students thought they were able to just arrive on accident scenes and the Fire Chief called to have a meeting with me about the kids getting in the way at their scenes.  I met with him and invited him once again to attend the next training so he could talk to the students.  This person was someone that I really needed to have on my side. 

He did attend the next meeting but did not speak to the students.  The CERT trainer did touch on the topic and praised the students for having the enthusiasm to try.  He explained to them that nothing good comes from turning a blind eye to someone in trouble.  But that there are procedures and protocols to follow when they are in their CERT vests.  He asked them not to chase ambulances and always report to the one in charge.  He began their training that day and no more incidents have happened.

We are now about midway into the CERT Program.  Last week, we had the K9 Unit come out and show the students how the dogs search for missing people.  Several students have decided to volunteer with that program on the side, away from school.  Next week, they will learn the differences in fire extinguishers and how to use them.  This project is moving along nicely.  The students have divided into groups of four, with each group having a team leader.  The students understand the program and are making changes at home to prevent hazards from occurring.

Now that the students have claimed ownership of their CERT Team, I mainly guide and monitor their progress.  It won’t be long and they will begin to attend to accident scenes and help organize emergency preparation for natural disasters.

The CERT Team’s development is apparent as described on page 119 of the text.  They are committed to the group goals; they trust each other and are learning how to depend on each other in emergency situations; they know their purpose and have a group vision for their program; they interact with each other during training and outside of school in their individual teams; they are learning how to follow procedures and design processes to complete tasks in emergency situations; they are even designing matching tee shirts for when we have community events. I am very proud of them and they know it. 

References:

Region 12 Education Service Center. ESC Region 12 Awarded $99,000 Service Learning Grant.

 Retrieved from http://www.esc12.net/announcements/html/2010/slgrant.html on 11/14/10.

Waco Emergency Management Services. City of Waco.  Community Emergency Response Team.

            Retrieved from http://www.waco-texas.com/emergency-cert.asp on 11/14/10.