Today, it is not hard to find resources for a PLN. Go back before the days of the Internet, and it was not so easy. There was no Internet and cell phones were too new, and too expensive for most people to afford.
With the advent of the Internet, resources can be found in different ways. The trick is to find those resources in the areas of interest you have. Sources can be found through word of mouth, Facebook, LinkedIn, Google, Yahoo, university courses, work place intranet, professional associations, and more. It really boils down to need and trustworthiness of the sources.
I started in the workplace before the Internet and cell phones. Information was passed through formal classroom training, weekly and monthly bulletins, and through various news sources. There were informal conversations about ways to solve problems, but generally, those solutions did not spread far through the workplace unless there was a driving need to take it throughout the organization.
Fast forward to today, and I have many different sources to draw from. My PLN consists of professional associations through LinkedIn and Facebook. Access to countless websites and blogs where training, case law, policy and procedures are discussed. Within my organization, there is email, teleconferencing, face-to-face meetings, Twiki pages, and intranet pages with information attached. I also have access to more formal training via classroom and video conferencing. I also participate in scenario based training provided by agencies I work with.
Lastly, I provide instruction myself and that allows me to meet and network with hundreds of officers and deputies around the state. This gives me access to information and ideas from a multitude of people in the profession. This allows me to develop more specific points of view on various subjects.
Here are some examples of various information sources I draw from:
PoliceOne.com- A diverse law enforcement page with section on training, equipment, employment, and more.
NTOA.org- Webpage for tactical information, training, and more.
LinkedIn.com- Professional associations that can be tailored to specific people I know, or work with in my profession.
National Rifle Association- Professional associations for training and information on firearms and equipment.
Facebook- Friends, family, and co-workers associations that goes beyond just work related issues.
Homeland Security Network- Information on terrorism and homeland security issues.
Reality Based Training- Associations and information about reality based training scenarios.
By no means is this an inclusive list. There are many more sources of information.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Personal Learning Networks
Until this class, I had not heard of a Personal Learning Network (PLN). After learning what a PLN was, I realized I had my own form of PLN established. I just didn't realize this was what it was called- at a professional level.
I had been using LinkedIn, Facebook, workplace intranet pages, Wiki's, and Twiki's all along. Along with the aforementioned items, I also accessed a number of web pages, that were both work and personal. For example, work related web pages accessed information about various police activities, training, legal issues, and more.
From a personal level, there was Facebook and various websites for news, sports, and outdoor activities. However, even via Facebook, work related issues seemed to creep in from time to time. Those issues would then prompt research into those issues to comment, debate, and in some cases, try to slam dunk a point.
Now it's a matter of developing a better understanding of PLNs and how they will assist me in completing this degree, as well as how they will help me professionally.
I had been using LinkedIn, Facebook, workplace intranet pages, Wiki's, and Twiki's all along. Along with the aforementioned items, I also accessed a number of web pages, that were both work and personal. For example, work related web pages accessed information about various police activities, training, legal issues, and more.
From a personal level, there was Facebook and various websites for news, sports, and outdoor activities. However, even via Facebook, work related issues seemed to creep in from time to time. Those issues would then prompt research into those issues to comment, debate, and in some cases, try to slam dunk a point.
Now it's a matter of developing a better understanding of PLNs and how they will assist me in completing this degree, as well as how they will help me professionally.
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Chapter 1- PROBLEM SOLVED
In this chapter 1 reading, the authors, Bingham and Conner, point out that training is about "...problems already solved." I thought that was interesting in light of readings I've had in another book related to scenario based training.
In that book, Training at the Speed of Life, by Ken Murray, he discusses the importance of reality based training scenarios, as a means of imparting training. If we were to look at training, related to a problem, or problems, already solved, then I think we'd have to look at that from a scenario perspective and law enforcement.
My background is in law enforcement. Since 1994, I have participated in a wide range of teaching roles, from being a one-on-one field training officer, to teaching in the classroom, and in scenario based training situations. One aspect of law enforcement is there is no "routine" situation. Every time one goes out onto "the street" their encounters and work load is going to vary from day to day.
So, I have to think long and hard about training and that it is dealing with a problem already solved. Training in a workplace where there is a set parameter of performance, I think, you could argue the problem is already solved. For example, if the training teaches an employee how to assemble a widget, then the problem is already solved and the employee simply puts the puzzle together and assembles the widget.
This is not so easy in law enforcement. There are too many variables in any given situation. We can provide a new officer some structure to work in, a set of guidelines, if you will. However, we cannot say a problem is already solved, because we don't know what a particular outcome of any event is going to be.
For example, two officers respond to a domestic violence report between a male and a female. The outcome is uncertain. Who started the fight? What level of violence was there? Are they going to cooperate? Is one of them going to resist, if there is an arrest to be made? What level of resistance will be encountered? Will level of force will have to be employed?
Because of the many variables, there are several outcomes. Those outcomes could be broad ranging:
1. No action taken
2. A report is filed
3. One of the participants is arrested
4. Both participants are arrested
5. One of the participants resists arrest
a. Soft hand control tactics are used
1. wrist locks, arm bars
b. Hard hand control tactics are used
1. Strikes, kicks
c. Intermediate weapons are used
1. Pepper spray
2. Batons
3. Taser
d. Deadly force is used
1. Subject dies
2. Subject does not die
6. Both participants resist arrest (see #5)
This is just a small breakdown of what could potentially happen at ANY domestic violence call. Therefore, how do you train for that?
In its extreme definition, one could argue that the problem is already solved, it's just waiting for the outcome to reveal itself. However, I don't think it is that simple.
In that book, Training at the Speed of Life, by Ken Murray, he discusses the importance of reality based training scenarios, as a means of imparting training. If we were to look at training, related to a problem, or problems, already solved, then I think we'd have to look at that from a scenario perspective and law enforcement.
My background is in law enforcement. Since 1994, I have participated in a wide range of teaching roles, from being a one-on-one field training officer, to teaching in the classroom, and in scenario based training situations. One aspect of law enforcement is there is no "routine" situation. Every time one goes out onto "the street" their encounters and work load is going to vary from day to day.
So, I have to think long and hard about training and that it is dealing with a problem already solved. Training in a workplace where there is a set parameter of performance, I think, you could argue the problem is already solved. For example, if the training teaches an employee how to assemble a widget, then the problem is already solved and the employee simply puts the puzzle together and assembles the widget.
This is not so easy in law enforcement. There are too many variables in any given situation. We can provide a new officer some structure to work in, a set of guidelines, if you will. However, we cannot say a problem is already solved, because we don't know what a particular outcome of any event is going to be.
For example, two officers respond to a domestic violence report between a male and a female. The outcome is uncertain. Who started the fight? What level of violence was there? Are they going to cooperate? Is one of them going to resist, if there is an arrest to be made? What level of resistance will be encountered? Will level of force will have to be employed?
Because of the many variables, there are several outcomes. Those outcomes could be broad ranging:
1. No action taken
2. A report is filed
3. One of the participants is arrested
4. Both participants are arrested
5. One of the participants resists arrest
a. Soft hand control tactics are used
1. wrist locks, arm bars
b. Hard hand control tactics are used
1. Strikes, kicks
c. Intermediate weapons are used
1. Pepper spray
2. Batons
3. Taser
d. Deadly force is used
1. Subject dies
2. Subject does not die
6. Both participants resist arrest (see #5)
This is just a small breakdown of what could potentially happen at ANY domestic violence call. Therefore, how do you train for that?
In its extreme definition, one could argue that the problem is already solved, it's just waiting for the outcome to reveal itself. However, I don't think it is that simple.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Course contact information
Since we are going to be using Twitter and LinkedIn as part of the course, I thought I would post the appropriate links to those pages here.
LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/pub/matt-bloodgood/48/953/6b6
Twitter- https://twitter.com/MattBloodgood
Email- bloomatt@isu.edu
LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/pub/matt-bloodgood/48/953/6b6
Twitter- https://twitter.com/MattBloodgood
Email- bloomatt@isu.edu
INTRODUCTION
This blog is part of my learning experience at Idaho State University. As part of the Master's Organizational Learning and Performance program, one of the courses I am taking is in Instruction Technology. Learning to develop a blog, as well as working with Twitter and LinkedIn, are part of the course requirements.
Although I had a blog in the past, I stopped blogging because, frankly, it got boring. Aside from the boredom aspect, few family members actually took the time to look at it and make comments. As such, it was taking considerable time to blog, for little, to no reward.
I understand how blogging is impacting the way people digest information today. Although I don't have a specific blog, I do participate in Facebook and LinkedIn. I use Facebook to keep in contact with friends and family members scattered around the world. I use LinkedIn to maintain professional contacts with people in my profession. So, I do see the importance of these services.
I hope that the class will help me develop skills to incorporate these various technologies into the learning experience for students I work with through my profession. Although these technologies work more from an education standpoint, as opposed to a training perspective, they can provide conduits for students to gain information which they can apply to their training.
Although I had a blog in the past, I stopped blogging because, frankly, it got boring. Aside from the boredom aspect, few family members actually took the time to look at it and make comments. As such, it was taking considerable time to blog, for little, to no reward.
I understand how blogging is impacting the way people digest information today. Although I don't have a specific blog, I do participate in Facebook and LinkedIn. I use Facebook to keep in contact with friends and family members scattered around the world. I use LinkedIn to maintain professional contacts with people in my profession. So, I do see the importance of these services.
I hope that the class will help me develop skills to incorporate these various technologies into the learning experience for students I work with through my profession. Although these technologies work more from an education standpoint, as opposed to a training perspective, they can provide conduits for students to gain information which they can apply to their training.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)