This page provides access to miscellaneous resources useful in NWS training programs:
| Integrated Sensor Training | Schedule for IST/VISIT Teletraining |
| Radar Training | WDTB's Distance Learning Operations Courses |
| AWIPS Training | SCAN 2.0 Training |
| Conferences/Workshops | |
| How to Be a SOO | SOO Handbook How to Develop Training Plans |
| Examples of Training Plans | Training Plans from Ray Wolf, Pat Welsh, Keith Meier |
| Presentations and Instructional Design | Instructors'
Tips for Making Better VISITview Lessons Converting Corel and PowerPoint Presentations to Web Pages TRC Forum on Teletraining Tips for Scientific Writing Eastern Region Training Template TRC Forum on Instructional Design |
| Collection of Good Ideas | TRC Forum on "What is the best
thing you do in your office for training?" TRC Forum on "How to schedule training in an office that has little time for it" |
| Applied Research | The COMET Outreach Program |
| Other Useful Things | Skew-T gifs The Volume Browser Localization Page Meso-Analyst Severe Weather Guide Severe Weather Operations Plans (SWOP) Radar Rules of Thumb |
A Warning Decision Making Workshop will be one of the highlighted sessions
at this year's conference. Meteorologists, hydrologists, climatologists,
emergency managers, SKYWARN members, amateur radio operators, storm chasers
and students are all encouraged to submit 200-word abstracts for Oral or
Poster presentations to: Central Iowa Chapter-NWA, P.O. Box 7512, Urbandale,
IA 50322. E-mail entries will also be accepted by the Conference
Agenda Team. The deadline for abstracts is Friday, January 12, 2001.
For more information, see the Central
Iowa NWA website.
[From Steve Hunter] Once you've completed your Presentations file
(.shw), open it with the software and click File, then Internet Publisher,
then Publish to HTML. Then follow instructions, which are mainly personal
preferences. I had to make sure that I used htm file extensions instead
of html extensions (via the "Advanced" button in the "Publish
to HTML" window), because my Winsock FTP and DOS FTP programs truncate
file names with extensions longer than 3 digits. This truncation causes
bad links. Finally, just FTP the directory full of files that it creates
along with the images subdirectory to your office web site.
[From Vickie Johnson] Converting PowerPoint presentations are similar
to Corel presentations. In this case, after building your .ppt file, click
on File|Save As HTML and follow the instructions to set up your personal
preferences.
If you have any problems with either the Corel or PowerPoint conversions,
let me know (Robert Rozumalski)and
I'll try to help.
1) Personalize the instruction--one size does not fit all!
2) Institute a point system, and then let individuals decide what mix of training to do to get the points (within the goals of their job group).
3) Let the individuals design their own training program (in consultation with the SOO and their supervisor) to fit their interests and/or weaknesses.
4) Minimize frustration in the program, provide rewards for doing the job, and identify the benefits of accomplishing certain training.
5) Integrate the training with the performance of the job task.
6) Establish a "Baseline Training Page" which everyone can look at to see if they are meeting minimum
requirements.
1) Make training modular (< 1 hour) and directly relevant to operations. Pick and chose from external training
materials for what will be most useful to the staff.
2) Use Papers of the Month, but have the staff discuss them with you.
3) Daily weather briefings are a good way to exploit the "teachable moment".
4) Integrate "knobology" training and scientific conceptual training to kill two birds with one stone.
5) Use staff members to do training development. This might be a cascade approach--train the focal points and a
couple others and then have them each train others. Most recently trained train the stragglers.
6) Encourage staff to be creative in finding time for training. One forecaster might cover both aviation and public
under fair weather allowing the other time for training or focal point duties. Or use the first couple of swing
shifts in each met's nominal shift schedule and assign those days as PD. You and other managers can work the operational
shifts-- demonstrates management's commitment to training. Or do training on the trainee's admin shift.
7) Instead of the usual "read and fill in the blank approach", have each staff member review the training
material with the program leader or topic expert who signs off on that section of the drill.
8) Manage your own time wisely. Schedule time regularly for developing training and evaluating potential projects
or training needs.
9) Be opportunistic--pick a particular idea or technique and be ready to work with staff when the opportunity presents
itself.
10) Don't regard training shifts as "throw-away" shifts.
11) Brown bag seminars don't seem very popular and staff often prefer longer, but fewer, seminars. Also staff need
that break in the day.
12) Establish a link between the performance evaluation cycle and training cycle.
13) Let staff know well in advance exactly what training they will be expected to do so that they can get ahead
if they find time.
14) Alternative work schedule: 9 hour shifts in which one hour of the shift is set aside for training, focal point
work, or reading journal articles.
Follow the link to the list of current and past projects, which will take you to links to abstracts or final reports of projects. You can use these links to get ideas for your own research or to develop a bibliography on various topics.
Send comments, corrections, and ideas for other resources for this page to Robert Rozumalski (303) 497-8369.
