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New Patrol Method Training Presentation


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Yah, hmmm...

 

I'm always glad when volunteers take on tasks and such. Are yeh doin' this for your ticket, bnelon44?

 

Might I suggest that a 65 page powerpoint presentation replete with organizational charts and the like would have given ol' Greenbar Bill a month's worth of indigestion? ;)

 

I don't reckon it needs to be that hard, eh? And I'm also not sure yeh can get adults to understandin' a fun game by sittin' 'em down to such a long lecture.

 

Perhaps yeh might approach your ticket item in a different way. How about thinkin' up a fun 1-2 hour game or simulation to help adults grasp the patrol method? Or since yeh apparently have enough time to talk through that number of slides, how about a sequence of challenges? Sorta like a mini version of da old WB?

 

Yeh might even find that some of da things in your stuff don't work as well as you'd expect when yeh try 'em out, eh? Like perhaps if yeh let 'em come up with their own organization, yeh might find it works differently than if yeh give 'em a "troop organizational chart" that they have to comply with. Or yeh might give da group a challengin' task that they're not familiar with and only one "Troop Guide", and compare that with a challenging task where a few are good at it, a few are familiar with it, and a few are new to it.

 

Just some thoughts.

 

Beavah

 

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Don't know about what Green Bar Bill would have thought about it. After all, he wrote a 1,000 page SM Handbook to introduce the Patrol Method

 

Not doing it for a ticket. We offer a class at merit badge days and University of Scouting on the subject. That prompted the creation of the slides.

 

Challenging the Scouts to experiment with organizational changes might work. Might not. Haven't tried it. Not sure I would recommend something I hadn't tried.(This message has been edited by bnelon44)

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I liked the patrol Method PDF.. Alot of How I think of the patrol method.. The powerpoint was fine too, but harder for us to get into as it is the points, and then you (I would guess) have elaboration for the points in the powerpoint.. At least I would hope, as no one likes to be read to..

 

I had to do a powerpoint for a 1 hour woodbadge presentation I have to give, in my rehersal I gave it in 40 minutes and have to like add 15 minutes on, and hope for some dialog between the participants will fill in the rest of the time.. But I have like 25 slides for the hour speech which by some peoples calculations is a lot for a one hour presentation..

 

People are different with their styles, I am sure.. Mine are of few words but lots of pictures which remind me of what I need to talk about.. But I did add the words, because some remember by words and some remember by picture, and some remember by doing (but mine is not a doing presentation)..

 

Except for the flowcharts (which still are more wordy then picture).. You have no pictures. So I would guess you are more the type who learns by words, but, I would suggest you do add some pictures for those of us who benefit an learn through the visual picture, better then the words.

 

I look at the pictures and listen to the presenter and the two help me retain and comprehend, and rearly read the words on the slides.

 

So my presentation, if I posted it, would be much harder for you to comprehend because ALOT is verbally done by me.. But, I do nod to your style of learning and will add the words to help your style of learner..

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Thanks for the input!

 

The Patrol Method PDF is what I hand out when I teach SM Specific. I talk about the Patrol Method and hand that out and the Patrol Method Checklist for the students to read at their leasure.

 

We only have something like 45 min during SM Specific to discuss specifically what the Patrol Method is.

 

This slide show is for a class I will give on the Patrol Method and teaching Jr. Leaders. I have 2 hours for the class. That is why there are so many slides.

 

And yea, not a lot of pictures. If you have a presentation on the Patrol Method, I would be interested in seeing it.(This message has been edited by bnelon44)

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Sorry, my presentation is totally from the Woodbadge syllabus.. I have the one called "Leading Change".. (Which if anyone has ideas on how to expand and stretch out the concept for another 15 minutes, I would love to hear)..

 

Also due to the who concept, where I want my audience not only hear about change, but get a sense of change with my power point slides not being uniformed, so they never know what will happen in the next slide.. (Sort of a controlled sense of change from the entire presentation, with a different presentation I would use the pictures, but probably find a common presentation of words on top, picture on bottom, or words on right - picture on left or something).. Anyway mine in not only heavy with pictures but I shake it up with an animated gif of the timeline of BSA in history, a small 1 minute audio on the cheshire cat (with flashing pictures of Alice & the cat), and a film clip about 1 minute long on a person the syllabus has us do a spotlot on.. With all that it is large and will not email out to someone, and since it is Woodbadge, even if I had a website (which I don't) putting it out might be a spoiler for those who have yet to take woodbadge (sort of like giving out the secrets behind the "game of life".

 

But to give you an example I took two of your slides and looked for some pictures on the internet I might have added to the slide.

 

1. The Boy-Led Troop and Living the Scout Oath and Law.. Here is pictures I get when I put the words into the search bar & look under images.. There are a few in here that show a boyscout with the words of the Scout Oath behind him.. I might have used any of them for a visual..

http://www.google.com/search?q=Scout+oath+and+law&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7TSNA&prmd=ivns&source=lnms&tbm=isch&ei=0yjiTdbaJMvPgAfVvdyeBg&sa=X&oi=mode_link&ct=mode&cd=2&ved=0CAwQ_AUoAQ&biw=1362&bih=533

 

2. empowering boys to be leaders.. Sad to say this was a harder search.. Alot of them showed adults leading, or just Boy scouts standing around or lined up for a group photo around their project.. But here are two images that I might use..

 

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://thumbnails.truveo.com/0008/B6/3E/B63ED61FD5DA5211568CAA_Large.jpg&imgrefurl=http://findallvideo.com/tag/100-word-story&usg=__j9zdhFkUyYdT8u2OnwT4tOUTGOI=&h=240&w=320&sz=22&hl=en&start=133&zoom=1&tbnid=yJyM1pJJgc1WzM:&tbnh=110&tbnw=154&ei=JCviTZeEJ8fUgQe_p_3CBg&prev=/search%3Fq%3DBSA%2Bscouts%2Bleadership%2Bprojects%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7TSNA%26biw%3D1345%26bih%3D533%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=73&page=6&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:14,s:133&tx=38&ty=81

 

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://venturecrew63.com/images/flag_burning.jpg&imgrefurl=http://stacyjmt.com/pics/img/flag%2520ceremony%2520boy%2520scouts%2520for%2520burning%2520a%2520flag-45023.html&usg=__l1bE9tBgAm82BKEd_sZuGY4l4Eo=&h=532&w=640&sz=74&hl=en&start=244&zoom=1&tbnid=QQo_Gg_lZAMU9M:&tbnh=109&tbnw=145&ei=uyviTdGcOY2dgQfY54G_Bg&prev=/search%3Fq%3DBSA%2Bscouts%2Bleadership%2Bprojects%26hl%3Den%26rls%3Dcom.microsoft:en-us:IE-SearchBox%26rlz%3D1I7TSNA%26biw%3D1345%26bih%3D533%26tbm%3Disch&chk=sbg&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=359&page=10&ndsp=28&ved=1t:429,r:0,s:244&tx=51&ty=32

 

 

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If presented this in a Scouting clinic I had paid to participate in, my critique of this training would not be friendly.

 

1) What is your knowledge goal for the learner? Knowledge, Comprehension, Application or Synthesis? To me, it looks like you are trying to do application level training for folks who need knowledge level training. You do not have to cover the waterfront, get the most important 2-3 points home.

 

2) Lose the graphic from your slides after the title slide. It adds no value. See slide 40, it actually interferes with legibility of the slide.

 

3) Way too wordy!!! Do. Not!!! READ!!! THE SLIDES!!!!!!!!!! Cut 70-80% of the words from the slides, move them instead to the script. The slides are there to get key ideas quickly into the mind visually The bulk of the information should be listened to or given as a handout.

 

4) Continuing 2, the speaker notes on Slide 19 infer you are going to read the slide. Give your audience credit that they can read, add value instead.

 

5) Make sure each image used supports the point of the slide. Slide 17 is a perfect example. Your photo of youth canoeing is completely unlisted on the words. Slide 37 is another. How many tornadoes happen in Arizona annually? Would not a flash flood be more appropriate an emergency?

 

6) If you have to below 24point font, you're cramming too much information on a slide. Simplify, simplify.

 

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Thanks,

 

I will take your advice to heart. The people who will be sitting in front of me will have a wide variety of experience in Scouting (and some agendas) Many will have taken some training already.

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Yah, hmmm.... still 54 pages of powerpoints. Well, I guess it's an improvement. :p

 

I think da biggest step you could take toward makin' da length more reasonable is to decide this is a session about Patrol Method and NOT about youth leadership. You're gettin' 'em confused, and it's muddling your message. If yeh stick to patrol method yeh can drop all the bit about troop meetings and organizational charts and all the rest. Make it about Patrol meetings and organization. There's no need to even mention da SPL or PLC, eh? Or the SM. Make it just about Patrol Method. That'll save yeh at least 20 slides and help yeh focus on your real goal.

 

Not that your youth leadership stuff isn't fine and dandy, but it's gettin' in the way here. Save it for a different presentation. Remember, the median troop size is 14 boys, eh? Barely enough for 2 patrols, where yeh don't even really need an SPL... but yeh do need patrol method.

 

After yeh trim that stuff out, I think you'll see more clearly how to cut it down and focus it a bit more. Yeh don't want your session to be like that awful triangle graphic yeh have in it. Da one where da base of the pyramid (and the biggest part) is directing, like it's the thing yeh should be doin' the most of because it sets da foundation. That's not what yeh really want to convey, is it?

 

Just like scoutmasterin', yeh have to decide whether your session is about you or about them... about you talkin' or them learning. So I'm back to where John-in-KC is, eh? Where are your learners' startin' at, and what makes a reasonable set of goals to accomplish in an hour?

 

Yeh seem to be a by-the-book sort, eh? So why don't yeh try EDGE. Can yeh find a way in your time slot to not only Explain, but Demonstrate, Guide, and Enable your learners? Yeh know, walk the walk. ;)

 

That would be my big advice. Drop the youth leadership stuff to focus on patrol method, cut da directing/explaing down to 10-15 slides and no more than 15 minutes. Then use da rest of the time to use da other skills you were taught in Trainer's EDGE.

 

Beavah

 

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Actually, the advertised presentation was:

 

Patrol method and Teaching youth leadership

 

So I do need to keep that part in. Sorry I didn't explain that before. Also need to change the title slide to show the whole scope of the presentation.

 

I have 2 hours. With questions, and discussion, I suspect the number of slides are about right but you may be right and there are too many topics trying to be covered during that period.

 

I am presenting to such a very wide range of people. The key thing about them is that they are all adults who are very interested in their troops and willing to spend a Saturday morning bringing Scouts to a merit badge day. They have the option to sit in my class or read a book or work on their computers or whatever else they want to do. So the ones attending the class are interested in the topic.

 

The triangle stays. It shows that amount of direction the adult leaders contribute at different stages and more mature the group the less direction is needed. The idea is to phase it out, not go cold turkey on 11 year olds and tell them that the PM doesn't work because they don't know by instinct how to pack a patrol box. I know there are SMs out there that think you don't have to do any direction at all, even with new Scouts, but that isn't what the BSA teaches. Yea, I am the "by the book" type.

 

Anyway, it is time for me to rehearse it and see how long it really is.

 

I do appreciate the input. It is much better to have an honest critique than to struggle through an ill prepared presentation the day of the class.

 

Don't get me started on the Trainer's EDGE class. :((This message has been edited by bnelon44)

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I like the idea of focusing more on the patrols and not metioning the SM and SPL ... thinking maybe I could make the first 1/2 or more just about the patrols and get into the troop, SM, SPL later when talking about training.

 

Should really be 2 presentations, and may cut it in 1/2 and make 2. Not sure I have time to do that though, we will see how the day progresses.

 

Now I need to go to Home Depot

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Not bad Bill, although if you are wanting to do this at UofS next year we need to move to the Stone Lodge. There are a few things that I would change. Way too long, I think you've got enough for three 50 minute sessions once you have any discussion going.

 

While you discuss getting to your goal you don't describe what the goal looks like other than the scoutmaster gets to sit in an easy chair. When teaching this year I mentioned that patrols should be able to plan and execute a hike without adults. People were wanting clarification, "You mean a short 1 or 2 mile hike". They were shocked when I told them no, that a competent patrol should be able to accomplish a hike of any length without adults involved. I think it is import to discuss separating the patrols on campouts and in general that the troop exists to support the patrols not the other way around.

 

Regarding elections, I would add what the purpose of the election is and who the scouts should be selecting. There is a tendency for adults to try to influence elections towards everyone getting a chance to be the patrol leader. This does a disservice to the patrol and the unfortunate scout thrust where he does not belong.

 

BTW--I just noticed your email about this. I'll do a more through review and send it to you, hopefully by next week. Do you have a deadline?(This message has been edited by jet526)

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I keep making changes to it based on input here.

 

Your input is great too and I will see where I can put it

 

I have a 2 hour segment that needs to teach 1) The Patrol Method and 2) Training Jr. Leaders at a merit badge day Saturday

 

I just uploaded another version where I split the presentation in two for the 2 topics. People were advising I do that to get my arms around the 2 topics. Still 1 presentation, but it has an obvious break in the middle.

 

Not doing this for UoS necessarily. UoS needs to move to a different venue for a lot of reasons though. We can do MUCH MORE if we have both classrooms and access to outdoor areas for outdoor skills.

 

 

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