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They believe that the easiest way to change people's behaviour for the better is by making it fun to do. This Volkswagen commercial is about one effort to get people to take the stairs instead of the escalator (presumably for the exercise). The company turned a staircase at a Stockholm subway station into a piano and videotaped how travelers responded.

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Inspiring People to Change Their Behavior through FUN

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Excerpt from the comedy show called GildaLive. The comedian was Don Novello playing his Father Guido Sarduccicharacter. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_G.... Father Guido Sarducci

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Engage! This is a fast game with access the the biggest doodle library in the world!

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Can a neural network learn to recognize doodles? See how well it does with your drawings and help teach it, just by playing.

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Game show learning game- takes Quizlet to a new level

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Gimkit is a game show for the classroom that requires knowledge, collaboration, and strategy to win. Get started for free!

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Why do we study poetry? Literature? Conscious incompetence.

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SNL- Power Point Presentations. Conscious competence.

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Dead Poet's Society

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"Carpe diem. Seize the day." - Dead Poets Society

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Disconnect between higher education and employment

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Strengthen Workforce Prep in your Program

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by David Gosselin, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Competencies and learning outcomes are two related educational terms that can create confusion. Competencies and outcomes can be written to describe the learning gained by students in individual courses (course outcomes) or for the program as a whole (program outcomes). They DO NOT mean the same thing. We will follow the lead of Hartel and Foegeding (2004) and use the following working definitions:

Competency: A general statement that describes the desired knowledge, skills, and behaviors of a student graduating from a program (or completing a course). Competencies commonly define the applied skills and knowledge that enable people to successfully perform in professional, educational, and other life contexts.

Outcome: A very specific statement that describes exactly what a student will be able to do in some measurable way. There may be more than one measurable outcome defined for a given competency.

Key Distinction: A true learning outcome is written so that it can be measured or assessed. It focuses on what the student is able to do at end of a program (or course). Thus, learning outcomes are the basis for an assessment program that focuses on what a student can or should be able to do either upon completion of a course or upon graduation from a program. The term learning outcome is used more commonly in the context of a program or course of instruction. The term competency is more commonly used in relation to professional fields (i.e. dentistry, nursing).

Recommendation: Kennedy, Hyland and Ryan (opens pdf) recommend that when using the term competence, the definition be provided for the specific context in which it is being used and to ensure clarity of meaning, write competences using the vocabulary of learning outcomes, i.e. express the required competence in terms of the students achieving specific program learning outcomes or module learning outcomes.

Example 1: Holy Cross College

At Holy Cross, they have identified five core competencies for their students. One of these competencies is Critical and Creative Thinking. The specific learning outcomes for this competency are that at the end of their undergraduate program, Students should be able to:

apply learning in the liberal arts to everyday life

make connections among disciplines of study

read critically

ask relevant, detailed, and probing questions

recognize the differences among facts, opinions, and judgments and recognize and meaningfully respond to logical fallacies

express aesthetic appreciation and insight

solicit feedback, evaluate, and revise creative products.

Example 2: Washington University

At Washington University, St. Louis, they have defined competencies and learning outcomes for their student leadership initiative.

One competency, Self Awareness, is described as follows:

Student leaders develop a thorough understanding of themselves across multiple dimensions. Through formal and informal reflection, they will recognize how their leadership practice and beliefs are influenced by their values and experiences as well as how their personal behavior affects their ability to build trust and credibility as leaders.

Learning Outcomes: Students who demonstrate competence in self-awareness can:

a. Define and articulate their personal values
b. Discern and describe their personal leadership style, strengths, and limitations
c. Appropriately apply their learning and leadership style and strengths
d. Recognize their own multiple identities, experiences and biases and how these affect their ability to lead
e. Actively seek, evaluate, and, when appropriate, incorporate feedback
f. Evaluate and reflect on their actions and modify as necessary

Excerpt: Context of Careers, Workforce and Learning Outcomes

The following is taken from Gosselin et al. 2013.

"One of the biggest challenges that higher education faces is preparing today's students to meet future workforce demands (Zemsky, 2009; Bellanca and Brandt, 2010; Arum and Rohsa, 2011, NRC 2012). Business and political leaders are increasingly asking schools including institutions of higher education to develop skills such as innovation, creativity, problem solving, critical thinking, communication, collaboration, self-management, among others, are often referred to as "21st century skills" or 21st century competencies (Partnership for 21st Century Skills, 2009). Although these competencies are considered to be at the foundation of individual as well as collective success in the work place, employers report substantial deficiencies in these applied skills (van Ark et al, 2009). As a result, business leaders and educational organizations are calling for new education policies that target the development of broad, transferable skills and knowledge.

"In a recent report from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS, 2012), the Committee on Deeper Learner and Defining 21st Century Skills conducted an assessment of the literature related to the development of these skills. The committee indicated that 21st century skills are important dimensions of human competence. Furthermore, they developed an initial classification scheme for the 21st century skills consisting of three broad, but overlapping, clusters of competencies that included cognitive, intrapersonal, and interpersonal domains. The cognitive domain involves reasoning and memory; the intrapersonal domain involves the capacity to manage one's behavior and emotions to achieve one's goals; and the interpersonal domain involves expressing ideas, and interpreting and responding to messages from others (NRC 2012). Furthermore the NRC report supports the fact that young people who both apply and develop intertwined cognitive intrapersonal, and interpersonal competencies in the process of deeper learning are better prepared for adult success. The term competency, as used in the NRC study and throughout the remainder of this paper, is consistent with its use in the professional human resources literature as a way of talking about what helps people get results in their jobs and refer to skills or knowledge that lead to superior performance. Competencies are measureable characteristics that are used to differentiate levels of performance in a given job, role, or organization. During their career in higher education, students generally focus on the development of competencies related to technical (tools, methodologies, processes) and knowledge skills (concepts, facts, theories). The assessment of the technical and knowledge components is typically measured by standard aptitude tests, the most common of which are standard examination formats. Although the importance of these 21st century competencies is recognized, the assessment of the extent to which students have acquired these competencies through their undergraduate programs on their way to being successful environmental and sustainability professionals has been virtually unstudied.

"Research on teaching and learning has begun to illuminate how intrapersonal and interpersonal competencies support learning of academic content (e.g., NRCl, 2000) and how to develop these valuable supporting skills (e.g., Yeager and Walton, 2011). These competencies are not fixed and they are developed by practice. According to the NRC (NRC 2012), research supports the fact that young people who both apply and develop intertwined cognitive intrapersonal, and interpersonal competencies in the process of deeper learning are better prepared for adult success. A primary product of deeper learning is the ability to know how, why, and when to use and transfer knowledge, including content knowledge, to answer questions and solve problems. Higher education is being confronted with a paradigm shift. Current literature supports the contention that higher education needs to improve their connection with the needs of employers. Rising educational costs and requests from the business world for graduates with far more than content knowledge is forcing higher education to reexamine their program goals and their graduate skill sets. It seems clear that a deficit exists in the extent to which higher education can track the development of career appropriate competencies. As the pace of new knowledge progresses, a four-year degree built on content acquisition is no longer adequate. Our future depends on students who possess a set of job related professional competencies including lifelong learning, problem-solving, personal effectiveness and many others."

From Exploring the assessment of twenty-first century professional competencies of undergraduate students in environmental studies through a business-academic partnership, Dave Gosselin, Sara Cooper, Ronald J. Bonnstetter, Bill J. Bonnstetter, Journal of Environmental Studies and Sciences, June 2013.

Competency Models from the Competency Model Clearinghouse

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by David Gosselin, University of Nebraska-Lincoln Competencies and learning outcomes are two related educational terms that can create confusion. Competencies and outcomes can be written to describe the learning gained by students in individual courses (course outcomes) or for the program as a whole (program outcomes). They DO NOT mean the same thing.

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Takes vocabulary flashcards to the next level. Customized learning. Gimkit - practice mode. (Gimkit.com)

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Gimkit is a game show for the classroom that requires knowledge, collaboration, and strategy to win. Get started for free!

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The Wizard of Oz, Evidence. Conscious incompetence

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Wizard of oz (1939). Gifts to scarecrow, tin man and the lion.

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Short commercial

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German Coastguard   We are Sinking/ What are you Thinking About

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How is competency different from skills?

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Red Rocks CC Common Learning Competencies

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Red Rocks CC Common Learning Competencies

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Learning competencies for graduates

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Common Learning Competencies | Red Rocks Community College

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Welcome to Red Rocks Community College, an accredited two-year college with guaranteed transfer programs to Colorado four-year institutions, located near Denver with campuses in Lakewood and Arvada. Whether you are earning a degree, brushing up on career skills, or seeking life-long learning, you will enjoy an environment of inspiration and support. Courses are offered at two campus locations during days, evenings, and weekends. Choose from classroom, online, self-paced, or accelerated courses – all designed to fit into your busy lifestyle. It is our goal to create an experience that will enrich your life educationally, professionally, and personally.

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An overview of CBE from a Platform selling stuff. The guide is great- be aware of the product placement.

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We help businesses, professional associations, academic institutions, and government agencies assess skills and align talent to career and training pathways.

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The four stages of learning competencies. What does this look like in your classroom?

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The Learning Process | 4 Stages of Competence

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Hannibal Burris- Fire Dept Training Unconscious incompetence

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Tucson Fire Firefighter Trainee Recruitment

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Tucson Fire Firefighter Trainee Recruitment

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Do you have what it takes?

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What will the final selection be based upon?

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We are hiring for FIREFIGHTER/EMT RECRUIT.

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Occupational Outlook

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Summary

Video transcript available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNK5dYGn3Fg.

Quick Facts: Firefighters
2019 Median Pay

$50,850 per year
$24.45 per hour

Firefighters control and put out fires and respond to emergencies where life, property, or the environment is at risk.

When on the scenes of fires and other emergencies, the work can be very dangerous. When not on the scene of an emergency, firefighters remain on call at fire stations, where they sleep, eat, and perform other duties during shifts that often last 24 hours. Many work more than 40 hours per week.

Firefighters typically need a high school diploma and training in emergency medical services. Most firefighters receive training at a fire academy, must pass written and physical tests, complete a series of interviews, and hold an emergency medical technician (EMT) certification.

The median annual wage for firefighters was $50,850 in May 2019.

Employment of firefighters is projected to grow 6 percent from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations. Physically fit applicants with paramedic training will have the best job prospects.

Explore resources for employment and wages by state and area for firefighters.

Compare the job duties, education, job growth, and pay of firefighters with similar occupations.

Learn more about firefighters by visiting additional resources, including O*NET, a source on key characteristics of workers and occupations.

Firefighters control and put out fires and respond to emergencies where life, property, or the environment is at risk.

Duties

Firefighters typically do the following:

Drive firetrucks and other emergency vehicles

Put out fires using water hoses, fire extinguishers, and water pumps

Find and rescue victims in burning buildings or in other emergency situations

Treat sick or injured people

Prepare written reports on emergency incidents

Clean and maintain equipment

Conduct drills and physical fitness training

When responding to an emergency, firefighters are responsible for connecting hoses to hydrants, operating the pumps that power the hoses, climbing ladders, and using other tools to break through debris. Firefighters also enter burning buildings to extinguish fires and rescue individuals. Many firefighters are responsible for providing medical attention. Two out of three calls to firefighters are for medical emergencies, not fires, according to the National Fire Protection Association.

When firefighters are not responding to an emergency, they are on call at a fire station. During this time, they regularly inspect equipment and perform practice drills. They also eat and sleep and remain on call, as their shifts usually last 24 hours. Some firefighters may provide public education about fire safety, such as presenting about fire safety at a school.

Some firefighters also work in hazardous materials units and are specially trained to control and clean up hazardous materials, such as oil spills and chemical accidents. They work with hazardous materials removal workers in these cases.

Wildland firefighters are specially trained firefighters. They use heavy equipment and water hoses to control forest fires. Wildland firefighters also frequently create fire lines-a swath of cut-down trees and dug-up grass in the path of a fire-to deprive a fire of fuel. They also use prescribed fires to burn potential fire fuel under controlled conditions. Some wildland firefighters, known as smoke jumpers, parachute from airplanes to reach otherwise inaccessible areas.

Firefighters held about 335,500 jobs in 2019. The largest employers of firefighters were as follows:

Local government, excluding education and hospitals

88%

State government, excluding education and hospitals

3

Federal government, excluding postal service

2

These employment numbers exclude volunteer firefighters.

Volunteer firefighters share the same duties as paid firefighters and account for the majority of firefighters in many areas. According to the National Fire Protection Association, about two thirds of firefighters were volunteer firefighters in 2015.

When responding to an emergency, these workers often wear protective gear, which can be very heavy and hot. When not on the scene of an emergency, firefighters work at fire stations, where they sleep, eat, work on equipment, and remain on call. Whenever an alarm sounds, firefighters respond, regardless of the weather or time of day.

Injuries and Illnesses

Firefighters have one of the highest rates of injuries and illnesses of all occupations. They often encounter dangerous situations, including collapsing floors and walls, traffic accidents, and overexposure to flames and smoke. As a result, workers must wear protective gear to help lower these risks.

Work Schedules

Firefighters typically work long periods and varied hours. Overtime is common. Most firefighters work 24-hour shifts on duty and are off the following 48 or 72 hours. Some firefighters may work 10/14 shifts, which means 10 hours working and 14 hours off.

When combating forest and wildland fires, firefighters may work for extended periods. For example, wildland firefighters may have to stay for days or weeks when a wildland fire breaks out.

Firefighters typically need a high school diploma and training in emergency medical services. Prospective firefighters must pass written and physical tests, complete a series of interviews, go through training at a fire academy, and hold an emergency medical technician (EMT) certification.

Applicants for firefighter jobs typically must be at least 18 years old and have a valid driver's license. They must also pass a medical exam and drug screening to be hired. After being hired, firefighters may be subject to random drug tests and will also need to complete routine physical fitness assessments.

Education

The entry-level education needed to become a firefighter is a high school diploma or equivalent. However, some classwork beyond high school, such as instruction in assessing patients' conditions, dealing with trauma, and clearing obstructed airways, is usually needed to obtain the emergency medical technician (EMT) certification. EMT requirements vary by city and state.

Training

Entry-level firefighters receive a few months of training at fire academies run by the fire department or by the state. Through classroom instruction and practical training, recruits study firefighting and fire-prevention techniques, local building codes, and emergency medical procedures. They also learn how to fight fires with standard equipment, including axes, chain saws, fire extinguishers, and ladders. After attending a fire academy, firefighters must usually complete a probationary period.

Those wishing to become wildland firefighters may attend apprenticeship programs that last up to 4 years. These programs combine instruction with on-the-job-training under the supervision of experienced firefighters.

In addition to participating in training programs conducted by local or state fire departments and agencies, some firefighters attend federal training sessions sponsored by the National Fire Academy. These training sessions cover topics including anti-arson techniques, disaster preparedness, hazardous materials control, and public fire safety and education.

Licenses, Certifications, and Registrations

Usually, firefighters must be certified as emergency medical technicians. In addition, some fire departments require firefighters to be certified as a paramedic. The National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT). certifies EMTs and paramedics. Both levels of NREMT certification require completing a training or education program and passing the national exam. The national exam has a computer-based test and a practical part. EMTs and paramedics may work with firefighters at the scenes of accidents.

Other Experience

Working as a volunteer firefighter may help in getting a job as a career firefighter.

Advancement

Firefighters can be promoted to engineer, then to lieutenant, captain, battalion chief, assistant chief, deputy chief, and, finally, chief. For promotion to positions beyond battalion chief, many fire departments now require applicants to have a bachelor's degree, preferably in fire science, public administration, or a related field. Some firefighters eventually become fire inspectors or investigators after gaining enough experience.

Important Qualities

Communication skills. Firefighters communicate conditions at an emergency scene to other firefighters and to emergency-response crews.

Compassion. Firefighters, like EMT's and paramedics, need to provide emotional support to those in emergency situations.

Courage. Firefighters' daily job duties involve dangerous situations, such as entering a burning building.

Decisionmaking skills. Firefighters must be able to make quick and difficult decisions in an emergency. The ability to make good decisions under pressure could potentially save someone's life.

Physical stamina. Firefighters may have to stay at disaster scenes for long periods of time to rescue and treat victims. Fighting fires requires prolonged use of strength.

Physical strength. Firefighters must be strong enough to carry heavy equipment and move debris at an emergency site. They also carry victims who are injured or cannot walk.

Median annual wages, May 2019

The median annual wage for firefighters was $50,850 in May 2019. The median wage is the wage at which half the workers in an occupation earned more than that amount and half earned less. The lowest 10 percent earned less than $25,550, and the highest 10 percent earned more than $92,020.

In May 2019, the median annual wages for firefighters in the top industries in which they worked were as follows:

State government, excluding education and hospitals

$55,030

Federal government, excluding postal service

52,140

Local government, excluding education and hospitals

51,850

Firefighters typically work long periods and varied hours. Overtime is common. Most firefighters work 24-hour shifts on duty and are off the following 48 or 72 hours. Some firefighters may work 10/14 shifts, which means 10 hours working and 14 hours off.

When combating forest and wildland fires, firefighters may work for extended periods. For example, wildland firefighters may have to stay for days or weeks when a wildland fire breaks out.

Employment of firefighters is projected to grow 6 percent from 2019 to 2029, faster than the average for all occupations.

Although improved building materials and building codes have resulted in a long-term decrease in fires and fire fatalities, firefighters will still be needed to respond to fires. Fires can spread rapidly, so controlling them quickly is very important. Wildland firefighters will still be needed to combat active fires and manage the environment to reduce the impact of fires. Firefighters will also continue to respond to medical emergencies.

Job Prospects

Job prospects for firefighters will be good despite the number of volunteer firefighters that qualify for career firefighter jobs. There will be positions open from those leaving the occupation.

Physically fit applicants with some postsecondary firefighter education and paramedic training should have the best job prospects.

Occupational Title

SOC Code

Employment, 2019

Projected Employment, 2029

Change, 2019-29

Employment by Industry

Percent

Numeric

Firefighters

33-2011

335,500

355,800

6

20,300
Get data

Occupational Employment Statistics (OES)

The Occupational Employment Statistics (OES) program produces employment and wage estimates annually for over 800 occupations. These estimates are available for the nation as a whole, for individual states, and for metropolitan and nonmetropolitan areas. The link(s) below go to OES data maps for employment and wages by state and area.

Projections Central

Occupational employment projections are developed for all states by Labor Market Information (LMI) or individual state Employment Projections offices. All state projections data are available at www.projectionscentral.com. Information on this site allows projected employment growth for an occupation to be compared among states or to be compared within one state. In addition, states may produce projections for areas; there are links to each state's websites where these data may be retrieved.

CareerOneStop

CareerOneStop includes hundreds of occupational profiles with data available by state and metro area. There are links in the left-hand side menu to compare occupational employment by state and occupational wages by local area or metro area. There is also a salary info tool to search for wages by zip code.

For information about a career as a firefighter, contact your local fire department or visit
International Association of Fire Fighters International Association of Women in Fire & Emergency Services U.S. Fire Administration National Fire Protection Association
For information about professional qualifications and a list of colleges and universities offering 2- or 4-year degree programs in fire science and fire prevention, visit

National Fire Academy, U.S. Fire Administration

For more information about emergency medical technicians and paramedics, visit
National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians
O*NET
Firefighters Forest Firefighters Municipal Firefighters

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Video transcript available at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DNK5dYGn3Fg. Quick Facts: Firefighters 2019 Median Pay $50,850 per year $24.45 per hour Firefighters control and put out fires and respond to emergencies where life, property, or the environment is at risk. When on the scenes of fires and other emergencies, the work can be very dangerous.

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ONet - ✨Occupational Skills & Knowledge for Firefighters

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ONet - ✨Occupational Skills & Knowledge for Firefighters

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Control and extinguish fires or respond to emergency situations where life, property, or the environment is at risk. Duties may include fire prevention, emergency medical service, hazardous material response, search and rescue, and disaster assistance.

Sample of reported job titles: Fire Engineer, Fire Equipment Operator, Fire Fighter, Fire Rescue Technician, Fire Technician, Firefighter, Forest Fire Suppression Specialist, Forestry Fire Technician, Hot Shot, Wildland Firefighter

Tasks | Technology Skills | Tools Used | Knowledge | Skills | Abilities | Work Activities | Detailed Work Activities | Work Context | Job Zone | Credentials | Interests | Work Styles | Work Values | Related Occupations | Wages & Employment | Job Openings | Additional Information

Job Zone

Title

Job Zone Three: Medium Preparation Needed

Education

Most occupations in this zone require training in vocational schools, related on-the-job experience, or an associate's degree.

Related Experience

Previous work-related skill, knowledge, or experience is required for these occupations. For example, an electrician must have completed three or four years of apprenticeship or several years of vocational training, and often must have passed a licensing exam, in order to perform the job.

Job Training

Employees in these occupations usually need one or two years of training involving both on-the-job experience and informal training with experienced workers. A recognized apprenticeship program may be associated with these occupations.

Job Zone Examples

These occupations usually involve using communication and organizational skills to coordinate, supervise, manage, or train others to accomplish goals. Examples include hydroelectric production managers, travel guides, electricians, agricultural technicians, barbers, court reporters, and medical assistants.

Sources of Additional Information

Disclaimer: Sources are listed to provide additional information on related jobs, specialties, and/or industries. Links to non-DOL Internet sites are provided for your convenience and do not constitute an endorsement.

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O*NET OnLine provides detailed descriptions of the world-of-work for use by job seekers, workforce development and HR professionals, students, developers, researchers, and more. Individuals can find, search, or browse across 900+ occupations based on their goals and needs. Comprehensive reports include occupation requirements, worker characteristics, and available training, education, and job opportunities.

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Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE)

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Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education (FESHE)

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National educational curricuulm and professional development matrix for the fire service.

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FESHE's mission is to establish an organization of post-secondary institutions to promote higher education and to enhance the recognition of the fire and emergency services as a profession to reduce loss of life and property from fire and other hazards.

FESHE program mark

The FESHE program mark represents the idea that firefighters and fire officers, armed with knowledge and a college degree, can reduce the human and economic impact of fires in their communities. This mark is public domain and may be used freely.
Download the program mark

A national, competency-based professional development system helps to eliminate duplication of efforts and enhances the overall professional development of the fire and emergency services.

About FESHE

Working with coordinators of 2- and 4-year academic fire and emergency medical services (EMS) management degree programs, the NFA established the FESHE network of emergency services-related education and training providers. FESHE members have made remarkable strides in working towards:

Developing the National Professional Development Model and the Emergency Medical Services Professional Development Model.

Developing the National Professional Development Matrix, a practical application for using the professional development models.

Creating model course outlines for fire-related and EMS management degree programs in partnership with publishers to write textbooks that support them.

Establishing a model for an integrated system of higher education, training and experience.

Recognizing which collegiate emergency services degree programs meet the minimum standards of excellence.

Fostering culture change in line-of-duty death prevention through a partnership between the FESHE community and the National Fallen Firefighters Foundation.

Professional development models

The National Professional Development Model and the Emergency Medical Services Professional Development Model illustrate how the 4 pillars of professional development influence career advancement: Training, Academic Education, Relevant Experience and Continuing Education. The models graphically support the National Professional Development Matrix.

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fire and emergency services higher education

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Fire and Emergency Services Higher Education Initiative

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The National Fire Academy is working through the FESHE initiative to standardize training, education, experience and certification for the fire service.

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Link to training requirements and job performance requirements for firefighter 1 in CA

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Fire Fighter 1 is the first certification in the California Fire Fighter professional certification series. The requirements for this certification can be found in the SFT Procedures Manual. The Fire Fighter 1 Implementation Plan (PDF) was developed to provide detailed information regarding how and when the transition to this new certification will go into effect.

The Fire Fighter 1 Certification is issued to those who have completed the Fire Fighter 1 academic training and certification exams (psychomotor skills exams and cognitive exams). Candidates currently enrolled in training at an Accredited Regional Training Program (ARTP) or Accredited Local Academy (ALA) will automatically be registered for the certification exam and automatically issued certification upon successful completion. Those who did not complete their academic training at an ARTP/ALA, who completed their training before implementation of the certification exam, or completed the academic training under an older edition of the curriculum are defined as an Alternate Delivery Candidate. Alternate Delivery Candidates must complete the certification exam to obtain Fire Fighter 1 Certification and will need to register directly with an accredited testing site. Upon completion of the certification exam, certification will be automatically issued.

Upgrade Applicants who have a California Office of the State Fire Marshal Fire Fighter 1 Certification and are seeking IFSAC/Pro Board certification shall apply using the Fire Fighter 1 Upgrade Application (see information below).

Reciprocity Applicants who have a Fire Fighter 1 accredited certification from IFSAC and/or Pro Board and are seeking California Fire Fighter 1 reciprocity, shall apply using the Fire Fighter 1 Reciprocity Application (see information below).

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A California Fire Fighter 1 certification contains three levels of Professional Qualifications set by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). The three levels are: NFPA 1001: Fire Fighter 1 NFPA 1140: Wildland Fire Fighter 1 NFPA 470: Hazardous Material Awareness and Operations These qualifications are documented in the Fire Fighter 1 Certification Training Standards (CTS) .

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Kahoot! Learning games. A student favorite.

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Kahoot! | Learning games | Make learning awesome!

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Kahoot! is a game-based learning platform that brings engagement and fun to 1+ billion players every year at school, at work, and at home.

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Explore Kahoot as a student with this link

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Join a game of kahoot here. Kahoot! is a free game-based learning platform that makes it fun to learn - any subject, in any language, on any device, for all ages!

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This is integrated into canvas and features robust tools for improving reading and writing skills.

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Perusall | Increase student engagement, participation, and collaboration

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Would you like your students to be engaged? Perusall, a free social annotation platform, increases student engagement with your favorite course content.

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Interactive presentation tool

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Nearpod: Foster a love of learning in every student

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Create active learning experiences students can’t wait to be a part of.

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Edapp delivers mobile micro lessons.

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The Mobile Learning Management System | EdApp: The Mobile LMS

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EdApp Mobile Learning Management System (LMS) enhances corporate & retail training to make eLearning more effective, efficient & fun

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Professional development resource.

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ALGUNOS PROGRAMAS YA ESTÁN DISPONIBLES EN ESPAÑOL

Algunos programas de formación (módulos) ya están disponibles en su totalidad en español.

the online resource forFire Investigation
Training &amp Resources

A project of:
The International Association of Arson Investigators
Global Leaders in Fire Investigation®

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CFI trainer provides fire and arson investigators with high quality certified training for fire, arson and explosion investigations around the world.

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Understanding fire behavior with science-based simulations

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Advanced Learning through Interactive Visual Environments (ALIVE)

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"ALIVE can save lot of money for fire departments. But most important benefit of ALIVE is it will make firefighters safer by educating them about the threats. We want our firefighters to come home every night and be at the top of their game."

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Another great toolbox for assessment that is integrated with Canvas!

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FeedbackFruits | Digital Teaching Tools for Higher Ed

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National Wildfire Coordinating Group -After Action Reports

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National Wildfire Coordinating Group -After Action Reports

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Methods for after action reports include reflection activities.

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An After Action Review (AAR) is a professional discussion of an event, focused on performance standards, that enables firefighters to discover for themselves what happened, why it happened, and how to sustain strengths and improve on weaknesses. It is a tool leaders and units can use to get maximum benefit from every incident or project.

The AAR was developed by the military in order to create an avenue for feedback, promote evaluation and improve unit cohesion. The AAR is now used worldwide by military organizations, governments and private industry. It is considered a valuable tool in high-risk professions where the smallest mistakes can lead to disastrous results.

It is essential for wildland firefighters to learn from our mistakes and to capitalize on our successes. The price we pay for failure can be exceptionally high and the amount of effort put into our successes is often left unrecognized. The objective of the After Action Review is to immediately identify these success and failures. Once they have been recognized, further exploration allows the team to perfect it's skills and be better prepared for future endeavors.

The After Action Review format can be adapted to a variety of audiences and environments. It takes time to develop, accept, and perfect, so be patient and don't forget to use and share what you learn.

Tips for Conducting AARs

Most people (especially young firefighters) want to share their experiences. In order to get things started, try sharing with your crew your positive or negative thoughts related to the day's events. Once you (the leader) have demonstrated that the AAR works and that it will be part of your team's Standard Operating Procedures, the discussion will become more open.

The critical step is to tap into your crewmembers' emotions. Finding out what they did is not nearly as important as why they did it. Good active listening skills are essential. Do not immediately solve or correct the issue, but let it play out. Try to get to the root of the problem. Encourage everyone to speak their mind.

In order to maximize the AAR, the conversation must have a certain level of candor and allow individual emotions to surface. Remember, this is not the time to reprimand; nor is it time for personal disputes to dominate. Only issues that are related to the team's performance should be addressed.

Facilitating an AAR requires patience. Initially it is necessary for the leader to set the tempo. The leader must be a part of the AAR and will have to occasionally accept criticism. This is important because the team will be looking for affirmation of the AAR process.

An AAR is performed as immediately after an event as possible by the personnel involved.

The leaders role is to insure there is skilled facilitation of the AAR.

Make sure everyone participates.

Pay attention to time.

Establish clear ground rules: encourage candor and openness, all participants have equal ownership, focus on improving performance, and keep all discussions confidential.

End on a positive note.

AAR Facilitation Tactics

Setting Up AAR Discussion:

"This is not a critique, not meant to assign blame. It's an open, honest and professional discussion."

Restating a Point:

This is used to summarize a point that a participant made that may have not been clear to everyone. "So you're saying you think the helitorch should have started higher up the ridge, and that would have prevented..."

Handling the Upward Delegation of Blame:

Participants will often blame the "system" for being broken, and that causes failures at their level. "OK, I agree, but that's out of our hands. We still have to live with the fact that this issue places us in increased risk. So, what can we work on at our level to improve?"

Bringing Out the Opinion of the "Quiet Ones:"

Some people just don't process through discussion, but they usually are listening closely and when asked have good insights. Wait until a little later in the AAR and then ask them by name open-ended questions. "Well Ken, you were up on the road, what was your perspective on this?"

Interrupting a Dominant Member of the Group:

Some people just naturally like to talk. There is also a tendency for a leader to give all the answers. Interrupt them tactfully with a comment like: "I'm concerned we're going too deep into this issue without getting any additional input. Let's hear from..."

When the Group is in Denial:

One or more people think (let's use "communications") went fine and are not discussing the issues. In order:

1. Act somewhat surprised. "Really? Interesting. Are there any other thoughts on how communications went today?"

2. Spur discussion with one of your own observations: "OK, I saw a couple messages that didn't get passed to the folks holding the road. What was the plan there?"

3. Press a bit firmer: "OK, what I'm hearing is that you would do this exactly the same way again?"

4. Finally, do one of two things. If the issue is minor, let it pass. If the issue is important, then you may have to make the point blank observation yourself: "OK. You're saying communications went fine. I saw two specific instances where we were right on the edge of the prescription and that did not get to either Mike or Susan. You're telling me that is not a problem? What would have happened if we didn't get that bucket drop?"

Pursuing an Issue to its Root Cause:

The Japanese say always ask "why" five times. It's a good technique to make sure that you're really getting to the root cause of an issue. "So...the torches weren't ready because they didn't get fueled. And we've heard they didn't have fuel because the fuel cans were on the other rig. Why did that happen?"

Using "Negative Polling" to Ask Questions:

This is an effective way to get quick agreement/consensus. It is faster than making sure everyone agrees. "Is anyone opposed to moving on to question #3 now?" or "Does anyone disagree that that was the plan, yet this is what really happened?"

Building Up or Eliminating Ideas:

This technique merges complimentary pieces from different ideas or highlights agreement on pieces of an idea when total idea is not agreed upon. "So is there anything you could add to that suggestion to make it work for you?" or "What could we delete from the idea to make it work better?"

Avoiding Win/Lose Decisions:

Look for a win-win situation with the group. "Does it have to be one way or the other? Could we agree to both?"

Asking Open-Ended Questions:

This allows for a variety of possible responses while inviting involvement and participation. "Why do you think that happened?" or "What could we do differently next time?"
Techniques prepared by: Mark Smith/Mission-Centered Solutions & Mike DeGrosky/The Guidance Group, December 2003

This is the AAR format originally developed by the U.S. Army. It is now used worldwide by other military organizations, government agencies, and private industry. The wildland fire support reference for this can be found in the Incident Response Pocket Guide.

1. What was planned? (Spend about 25% of total time on this question and the next)

Review the intent of the mission

Key task assignments.

Desired "End State" (what does "Right" look like).

2. What actually happened?

Establish the facts

Pool multiple perspectives to build a shared picture of what happened.

3. Why did it happen? (Spend about 25% of total time on this question)

Analysis of cause and effect

Focus on WHAT, not WHO.

Provide progressive refinement for drawing out explanations of what occurred.

4. What are we going to do next time? (Spend about 50% of total time on this question)

Correct Weaknesses - Focus on items you can fix, rather than external forces outside of your control.

Sustain/Maintain Strengths - Identify areas where groups are performing well and should sustain. This will help repeat success and create a balanced approach to the AAR.

It's 0'dark thirty...the crew has worked the fire for 16 hours straight...no one has eaten a hot meal for days...and oh yeah, you might as well be cold. No time for the After Action Review? Think again! The idea behind the Chainsaw AAR is simple: SPEED. When you need to get an After Action Review done quickly try this simple format:

1. Have the team form a loose circle.

2. Start with a single team member and ask just one of these questions:

What is one thing that went well on this shift?

What is one thing that didn't go well on this shift?

What is one thing you would do different next time?

What is one thing you learned today?

3. Continue around the circle until everyone has had a chance. It may be necessary to place a time limit on each individual (i.e. 30 seconds).

4. Avoid unnecessary discussion (dinner is waiting).

5. Note the comments for future discussion.

Sometimes when you have a temporary task group or team that is put together for a specific or one-time assignment the standard format may not work, especially if many of the participants are not familiar with it. In this case, asking three simple "What" questions may provide useful feedback regarding the recently completed activity.

1. What

Begin by asking the group to describe the event being reviewed and desired outcomes from the discussion. Some possible trigger questions might include:

What was the team's main effort or focus for this event?

What is the purpose of reviewing this event?

What expectations do you have for today's discussion?

2. So What

Next, gather observations on what actions were effective and what actions were problematic.

So what are your general reactions after this event?

So what specific things were difficult or created friction during the event?

So what positive actions occurred during the event?

3. Now What

Finish by identifying any proposed follow-up actions.

Now what learning points can we take away from this event?

Now what follow up action should happen?

Now what aspects should be worked on first?

Now what would the consequence be if there is no follow-up action?

You may want to dig down into very specific aspects of the event you are reviewing. For example, looking at how risk was managed or discussing how a team integrated concepts from high reliability organizations.

Risk Management Focus

What worked the way we wanted it to?

What aspects of the mission surprised us?

What risks did we predict?

What risks surprised us?

Where in the process did we have to make do, or where were we lucky?

High Reliability Focus

Preoccupations with failure - Were there any near misses or close calls?

Reluctance to simplify - Did we make assumptions that proved to be false?

Sensitivity to operations - Were there any communication or coordination problems?

Capacity for resilience - Did we have to improvise the plan?

Deference to expertise - Did anyone seek help for an unusual situation?

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An After Action Review (AAR) is a professional discussion of an event, focused on performance standards, that enables firefighters to discover for themselves what happened, why it happened, and how to sustain strengths and improve on weaknesses. It is a tool leaders and units can use to get maximum benefit from every incident or project.

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These are the correct words!

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The Educational Messages Advisory Committee meets periodically to review and revise NFPA's fire safety education messages.

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Fire Service | NVFC

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Interested in useful information covering a wide range of Fire Service topics? Choose a category and start exploring our resources.

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Easier and more flexible so you can make it with the letter of the topic, with the name of your company, and with any alphabet The new version of Educaplay&#39;s Alphabet Game breaks the structure with each letter arranged alphabetically and allows you to do it your way. You can create a game with the letters you want: the topic of your game (for example, "MARKETING"), the name of your organization, that of your favorite person, or with whatever comes to your mind. The update accepts charact...

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Independent study course list and link to EMI curriculum!

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* The social media links provided are for reference only. FEMA does not endorse any non-government Web sites, companies or applications.

Last Modified: 3/16/2022

Emergency Management Institute
16825 S. Seton Ave., Emmitsburg, MD 21727
Switchboard: (301) 447-1000
Admissions Fax: (301) 447-1658

Independent Study Program
Office: (301) 447-1200 Fax: (301) 447-1201

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Emergency Management Institute - Independent Study (IS) | Course List

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FEMA Emergency Management Institute (EMI) Independent Study Course List

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Lesson plans, curriculum resources, activities, writing prompts from current events. I love the writing prompts.

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Teach and learn with The Times: Resources for bringing the world into your classroom

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Cultural Competency Curriculum for Disaster Preparedness and Crisis Response

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Cultural Competency Curriculum for Disaster Preparedness and Crisis Response

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See all of the disciplines and credentialing for small group instruction

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Office of Minority Health

Getting Started

"Learning how to provide culturally sensitive care to a diverse population of patients is a fundamental responsibility for first responders. This engaging case-based interactive program combines relevant information and effective strategies to improve the connections between emergency personnel and patients before, during, and after a disaster. It is an invaluable resource for disaster response clinicians and educators alike as we strive to improve our cultural competency."

Sandy Hunter, Ph.D., NREMT-P
Professor, Paramedic Program, Eastern Kentucky University

If you have taken the program in its entirety and need to retake the program, request an email reset at contact@thinkculturalhealth.hhs.gov or 833-485-1664.

Why Use Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Throughout a Disaster?

Have you experienced a time when you did not know how to best serve individuals from diverse cultural and linguistic backgrounds before, after, or during a disaster? Did you know that racial and ethnic minorities are more likely to suffer worse outcomes than the general population during every phase of a disaster?

This set of courses is designed to help you deliver culturally and linguistically competent services in disaster situations. Cultural and linguistic competency is the capacity for individuals and organizations to work and communicate effectively in cross-cultural situations. Cultural and linguistic competency can help improve the quality of the care you deliver to individuals from diverse cultural backgrounds.

This free e-learning program from the HHS Office of Minority Health is accredited for up to 9 continuing education credits, at no cost, for emergency medical personnel/first responders, psychologists, psychiatrists, and social workers, and up to 12 hours for dentists. After completing the required Course 1, you may take the remaining courses in any order you like.

This e-learning program is grounded in the National Standards for Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Health and Health Care. These Standards are intended to advance health equity, improve quality, and help eliminate health disparities. The National CLAS Standards provide you with a blueprint for increasing your cultural and linguistic competency.

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Cultural Competency Curriculum for Disaster Preparedness and Crisis Response

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The curriculum offers continuing education and provides training to develop knowledge, attitudes, and skills related to cultural competency in order to help lessen racial and ethnic disparities in disaster situations.

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This is the professional reading program for the national wildfire coordinating group.

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Video based training that fits everyone's curriculum while teaching workforce skill sets!

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Applied Digital Skills is a flexible video-based curriculum that prepares students for the growing number of jobs that require basic digital skills, such as email and spreadsheets.

Hundreds of hours of lessons and instructional videos, presented in digestible activities for 7th-12th grade or adult learners, guide students through engaging and practical compuprojects that equip them with the computer and soft skills that will help them succeed at school, in the workplace and in life. The program is already in use across the country by more than 200,000 students today.

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Applied Digital Skills is a flexible video-based curriculum that prepares students for the growing number of jobs that require basic digital skills, such as email and spreadsheets.

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Professional development

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UL's Fire Safety Research Institute conducts research with and for the fire service and translates the findings into free online training to increase firefighter knowledge and safety.

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Fire.gov is a collection of resources from the Engineering Laboratory's Fire Research Division at NIST. These Web pages provide links to fire related software, experimental fire data and mpeg/quick time movies of fire tests that can be downloaded and/or viewed with a Web browser.

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Recent News

Simulation of an Attic Fire in a Wood Frame Residential Structure - Chicago, IL

NIST TN 1838, C.G. Weinschenk, K. J. Overholt, and D. Madrzykowski

NIST's Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) was used to provide insight into the dynamics of a fire within a 2 1⁄2 story single family structure in Chicago, IL, that resulted in the death of a firefighter. The fire started in the attic and spread down through an opening into the enclosed porch on the rear of the structure. This resulted in a ventilation limited (fuel rich) fire condition in the attic and rear porch areas. The spread of fire and hot gases into the second floor of the structure was limited by a closed steel-faced, wood-framed door. After exposure to the elevated temperatures and pressure from the fire in the porch area, the wood frame of the door decomposed and the steel faces of the door failed and door collapsed inward. The door failure resulted in the establishment of a flow path between the higher pressure and higher temperature conditions in the enclosed porch and the lower pressure and lower temperature conditions in the hallway and kitchen areas of the second floor. The temperature of the gases that flowed into the hallway at face height exceeded 260 C (500 F). Unfortunately a captain and firefighter were advancing a hose line in the hallway close to the door at the time of the door failure. The captain was overcome by the rapid change in conditions before he could exit to the safety of the kitchen area. After a Mayday call, the captain was rescued from the structure but later succumbed to his injuries. Tactical considerations on the importance of size-up, flow path control, and exterior attack are provided.

The full report can be downloaded from http://dx.doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.1838

A narrated video that provides an overview of the fire, the computer simulation of the fire, and tactical considerations can be view from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nY3JO_Kf9Qk#t=14

Upper images show the front and rear of the structure where the fatal fire occurred. The lower image is a section view of the structure showing the areas of increased temperature on the second floor after the failure of the door between the enclosed porch on the rear of the structure (left side of image) and the hallway.

New On-Line Training Resources on Science -Based Fire Fighting

NIST's measurement science research on ventilation and suppression is leading the way to changes in fire-fighting tactics that are improving both the safety and effectiveness of responders. Through collaborations with fire departments and other organizations across the nation, the agency's Fire Fighting Tactics Project effectively delivers practical results of its studies to the fire service.

FDNY/NIST/UL Governors Island Results

Online course offered by the UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (FSRI) highlights the tactical application of nearly two decades of research at the National Institute of Standards and Technology(NIST) and UL on how best to fight modern fires. The New York City Fire Department, NIST and UL FSRI set fire to abandoned townhouses on Governors Island, New York, in a series of experiments to examine tactics for controlling fires and rescuing occupants inside burning homes.The focal point of the free course is the results from a series of live fire experiments conducted by NIST, UL and the Fire Department City of New York (FDNY)in 2012 on Governor's Island, New York.

View the free course at www.firecompanies.com/modernfirebehavior/governors%20island%20online%20course/story.html

The Principles of Modern Attack SLICE-RS Training Video

Produced by the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI), this new training video outlines new tactical operational plans that incorporate the latest fire dynamic research from NIST and Underwriters Laboratory (UL). IFSIS has distilled the new knowledge and lessons learned from this research into SLICE-RS , which stands for stands for Size-up, Location of the fire, Isolate the flow path, Cool from a safe distance, Extinguish and then Rescue and Salvage NIST partnered with ISFSI on developing the video was released at the 2014 International Association of Fire Chiefs Fire Rescue International Conference and is available on the ISFSI website at: www.isfsi.org.

ALIVE: Modern Fire Dynamics

With support from the Assistance to Firefighters Grant Program (AFG), the Polytechnic Institute of New York University has developed a web-based, interactive firefighter training program - ALIVE (Advanced Learning through Integrated Visual Environments). ALIVE simulates critical decision-making aspects of firefighting and reinforces research-based firefighting safety concepts though interactive tactical scenarios. ALIVE now consists of three training modules. One on the hazards of wind driven fires and how to fight them incorporates results of NIST s fire experiments. The latest-the product of a collaboration that included NIST, UL, and fire departments in New York City, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles County, and Bloomington--provide a basic overview of the science of fires in modern structures. For more information and to access the videos, go to: http://engineering.nyu.edu/fire

Fire Fighting Research On-Line
From the IAFC The Firefighter Safety Through Advanced Research (FSTAR) toolkit is building bridges between the academic world, laboratory settings, and the fire ground. The FSTAR web portal includes "one pagers" on state of the art research topics, links to free on-line training sources and videos of presentations by NIST researchers and fire chiefs that are implementing the research on the fire ground. http://fstartraining.org/ IAFC Webinar Under Fire Prevention
Recently, there has been a high level of interaction between fire researchers and the fire service. The objective of the interaction has been to generate research results that can be used to increase the safety and the effectiveness of firefighters. The research demonstrates the changes that fuel loads and construction methods have had on the fire environment within residential structures. These changes have altered the model of fire behavior taught to the fire service for decades. In addition, firefighter protective equipment has also changed over the years. All these factors lead to an assessment that firefighting tactics may need to evolve in order to keep in step with the changing conditions on the fireground. As noted, these findings are the result of research conducted in collaboration with the fire service. To get some insight into this research and the potential applications on the fire ground, a list of web based presentations given by NIST , UL and fire service leaders from across the country are provided with hyperlinks below. The links listed below have been posted within the last year. This is just a partial list of the many free firefighter training resources that are available on the internet.
http://www.iafc.org/Education/content.cfm?ItemNumber=1963
The Changing Severity of Home Fires. Presenters: Steve Kerber (UL), BC Sean DeCrane (Cleveland Fire Department) and Dan Madrzykowski (NIST)

From the IAFF John P. Redmond Symposium on the Occupational Health & Hazards of the Fire Service
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v2JcNonr4us
Fire Behavior and Tactical Considerations. Presenters: Dan Madrzykowski (NIST) and Steve Kerber (UL)
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeDTEhgchmb0gyMh3Of8Q6uEVQnsvoZof
NIST and UL Research: Studying Fire Behavior and Fireground Tactics Workshop. Presenters: BC Derek Alkonis (LA County FD), Dan Madrzykowski (NIST) and Steve Kerber (UL)

ISFSI Training Modules (DHS/AFG Supported) You have to register but the training is free.

This link, learn.isfsi.org will take you to the newly launched ISFSI Online Learning Management System.Several training modules are available including the most recent, ISFSI Single Family Detached Dwelling Fire Tactics Program.

Los Angeles County Fire Department has a website where they share videos that they have developed for in-service training. A few of the training video topics include: door control, wind driven fires and exterior fire attack. http://www.lacofdturnout.com/

NYU-Poly Advanced Learning and Integrated Visual Environment (ALIVE) (DHS/AFG Supported) Training courses on Wind Driven Fires and Modern Fire in Residential Construction. www.poly.edu/fire

UL Firefighter Safety Research Institute (DHS/AFG Supported) This site offered comprehensive training programs on basement fires, horizontal and vertical ventilation tactics and is updated on the continuing research involving attic fire and positive pressure ventilation. www.ulfirefightersafety.com

New NIST Test for Firefighter Breathing Equipment Goes into Effect Sept. 1

As of Sept. 1, 2013, standard firefighter breathing equipment cannot be certified to National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) standards unless the facepiece lenses pass a new rigorous test developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The NIST-developed test is designed to reduce the degradation and possible failure of the facepiece lens in self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) under high-heat firefighting conditions. NFPA incorporated the NIST test into the 2013 update of its standard for SCBA units.*

The 2013 version of NFPA's 1981 standard, published in January, 2013, contains a new "Elevated Temperature Heat and Flame Resistance Test" that exposes the SCBA to 500 °F (260 °C) for 5 minutes in an oven. This test is followed by 10 seconds of direct flame contact.

In addition, the new version contains a new "Lens Radiant Heat Test" that subjects the SCBA facepieces to a radiant heat flux of 15 kilowatts per square meter (kW/m ²) for five minutes. As part of this test, the facepiece is required to maintain an air supply (positive pressure) inside the mask for a total of 24 minutes.

In controlled experiments,** NIST researchers determined that an incident radiant heat flux of 15 kW/m ² would be a representative test criterion for determining the performance of SCBA facepiece lenses. It is representative of the flux experienced by firefighters approaching the onset of the deadly phenomenon known as flashover, a state of total surface involvement in a fire of combustible material within an enclosure. Also, the researchers found that measuring internal facepiece pressure was indicative of when holes formed and the effect of holes on firefighter air-supply duration and breathing protection.

The new test and test conditions are important advances in improving the performance of what has been, perhaps, the most vulnerable component of a firefighter's protective gear in high-heat conditions. Failure of a lens can expose a firefighter to toxic gases and can result in burns to the respiratory tract as well as asphyxiation. Documented problems include holes and extensive crazing as well as bubbling and deforming of lenses.

In several SCBA-related deaths, degraded masks were found affixed to the faces of victims who suffered thermal burns to their airways.

In the United States, SCBA makers submit their products for certification testing before they are sold. Until August 31, 2013, compliance to NFPA standards only requires passing a less severe "heat and flame test," specified in the 2007 version of NFPA 1981 and retained, with the new NIST test, in the recent update.

NIST experiments conducted during development of the new facepiece-lens test were supported, in part, by the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate and the United States Fire Administration. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Fire Fighter Fatality and Injury Prevention Program played a critical role in identifying the lens degradation issue.

*NFPA 1981: Standard on Open-Circuit Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) for Emergency Services (2013 edition). See: www.nfpa.org/aboutthecodes/AboutTheCodes.asp?DocNum=1981#sthash.77MPZJ1P.dpuf

**See the 2012 NIST Tech Beat story "NIST Study of Hazard to Firefighters Leads to Safety Alert" at www.nist.gov/public_affairs/tech-beat/tb20120725.cfm#nfpa. The technical report, Thermal Performance of Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Facepiece Lenses Exposed to Radiant Heat Flux (NIST Technical Note 1785), Feb. 2013, by A. Putorti, Jr.; A. Mensch; N. Bryner and G. Braga, is available at: www.nist.gov/manuscript-publication-search.cfm?pub_id=912504.

'Live Burns' in Spartanburg, S.C., Will Benefit

Research and Firefighter Training

Fire researchers from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and colleagues from fire service organizations will turn abandoned wood-frame, single-family houses near the site of an old Spartanburg, S.C., textile mill into proving and training grounds for new science-driven fire-fighting techniques this week. The objective of the study is to improve firefighter safety and effectiveness.

Experiments conducted in eight different houses will demonstrate fire-fighting methods-individually and in combinations-for strategically ventilating and isolating fires to prevent-or at least delay-flashover, the extremely perilous phenomenon that occurs when heat builds up in a burning structure's contents and components to the point that they burst into flames simultaneously.

In conjunction with the experiments, the International Society of Fire Service Instructors (ISFSI) will videotape how firefighters implement size-up, flowpath control, and exterior fire attack, also known as transitional attack. The ISFSI will then develop training modules that will be available to firefighters across the country.

Other collaborators in the field experiments include the International Society of Fire Service Instructors, the South Carolina Fire Academy, the Spartanburg Fire Department, the South Carolina State Fire Marshal's Office and the Spartanburg Public Safety Office. The project is funded with a DHS/FEMA Assistance to Firefighters Grant.

In July 2012, in another team effort, NIST fire researchers gathered data in experimental burns in 20 abandoned townhouses on New York's Governors Island, about a kilometer from the southern tip of Manhattan.

The Spartanburg fire tests are being conducted in an area slated for a major redevelopment initiative.

NIST Fire Research Returns to Governors Island

to work with FDNY and UL

A team of researchers from the NIST Engineering Laboratory's Fire Research Division spent three weeks this past summer working with the Fire

Department, City of New York (FDNY) and Underwriters Laboratory (UL) to examine the different tactics in fighting fires that started on different levels of the structure. Experiments were conducted with fires starting in the basement, in the living room on the first floor, and in a bedroom on the second floor. The objectives of the experiments were to examine different ventilation conditions and how they affect the growth of the fire, and then examine different tactics that the fire department might employ to rescue potential victims that might be in the home and then extinguish the fire.The tactics included additional ventilation, vent, enter, isolate and search (VEIS), and exterior fire attack with manual hose streams.

Measurements made during the experiments included temperature, heat flux, and gas velocity at doors and windows. In addition, temperature and gas concentration (oxygen, carbon dioxide, and carbon monoxide) measurements were made in bedrooms remote from the fires to examine the viability of a "potential victim" throughout the fire and the impact of various tactics on the conditions the victim would be exposed to. The results were presented by representatives of FDNY, NIST and UL at the Fire Department Instructors Conference in Indianapolis, IN on April 25 th, 2013. Watch the video here >>

During the experiments, The Daily Plant, a science show on the Discovery Network, came to the island to film. The segment provides an overview of the fire experiments that were conducted on the island. Watch the segment here >>

In 2008, NIST conducted a series of wind driven fire experiments with FDNY. The fire experiments took place in a 7 story building on Governors Island. As a result of those experiments, FDNY added several new tools to their fire fighting arsenal and modified their tactics for fires in "fire proof multiple dwelling units." For more information on those experiments and the impact of positive pressure ventilation fans to pressurize the stairs, wind control devices, and highrise nozzles see the wind driven fires section of this website: http://www.nist.gov/fire/wdf.cfm.

Safety Alert

www.nfpa.org/scba
Exposure to high temperature environments, which firefighters can encounter during fires they are attempting to extinguish, can result in the thermal degradation or melting of a Self- Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) facepiece lens, resulting in elimination of the protection meant for the user's respiratory system and exposing the user to products of combustion and super heated air.

For details, see the report, Fire Exposures of Fire Fighter Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Facepiece Lenses (NIST TN 1724, November 2011.)

Wind blowing into the broken window of a room on fire can turn a "routine room and contents fire" into a floor-to-ceiling firestorm. Historically, this has led to a significant number of firefighter fatalities and injuries, particularly in high-rise buildings where the fire must be fought from the interior of the structure.

Wind-Driven Fire in a Ranch-Style House in Texas, 2009

On April 12, 2009, a fire in a one-story ranch home in Texas claimed the lives of two fire fighters. Sustained high winds occurred during the incident. The winds caused a rapid change in the dynamics of the fire after the failure of a large section of glass in the rear of the house.

Wind Driven Fire in Home, Texas, 2009. Aerial view of damage to the structure. Photo credit: Houston Fire Department.

NIST performed computer simulations of the fire using the Fire Dynamic Simulator (FDS) and Smokeview, a visualization tool, to provide insight on the fire development and thermal conditions that may have existed in the residence during the fire.

Based on the analysis of this fire incident and results from previous studies, adjusting fire fighting tactics to account for wind conditions in structural fire fighting is critical to enhancing the safety and the effectiveness of fire fighters. Previous studies demonstrated that applying water from the exterior, into the upwind side of the structure can have a significant impact on controlling the fire prior to beginning interior operations. It should be made clear that in a wind-driven fire, it is most important to use the wind to your advantage and attack the fire from the upwind side of the structure, especially if the upwind side is the burned side. Interior operations need to be aware of potentially rapidly changing conditions.

See full report, Simulation of the Dynamics of a Wind-Driven Fire in a Ranch-Style House - Texas (NIST TN 1729, January 2012.)

For more information, including simulation video, see the Wind Driven Fires page.

Self Contained Breathing Apparatus

Fire fighters are exposed to highly variable environments including elevated temperatures and convective and radiant thermal flux, which can put a significant burden on personal protective equipment. Thermally degraded and melted self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) facepieces have been identified as a contributing factor in certain fire fighter fatalities and injuries in the United States. The SCBA facepiece lens is often considered the weakest component of a fire fighter's ensemble in high heat conditions.

NIST conducted experiments (with the support of the Chicago Fire Department, the Department of Homeland Security, and the U.S. Fire Administration) which demonstrated a range of realistic thermal exposures and environmental conditions that firefighters could be exposed to. The environments that caused the failures were identified in an attempt to characterize the thermal performance of SCBA facepieces.

For details, see the report, Fire Exposures of Fire Fighter Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus Facepiece Lenses (NIST TN 1724, November 2011.)

For more, see the Personal Protective Equipment page.
NIST Engineering Laboratory (EL)
Research Areas Fire Fighting Technology Electronic Safety Equipment Fire Dynamics Firefighter Fatality & Injury Studies Fire Fighting Tactics Fire Forensics Fire Protection Personal Protective Equipment Staffing Studies Structural Collapse Wind Driven Fires

Connect with NIST Fire Research

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Fire.gov is a collection of resources from the Engineering Laboratory's Fire Research Division at NIST. These Web pages provide links to fire related software, experimental fire data and mpeg/quick time movies of fire tests that can be downloaded and/or viewed with a Web browser.

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Making AI your friend

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A note from Google and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai:
Every technology shift is an opportunity to advance scientific discovery, accelerate human progress, and improve lives. I believe the transition we are seeing right now with AI will be the most profound in our lifetimes, far bigger than the shift to mobile or to the web before it. AI has the potential to create opportunities - from the everyday to the extraordinary - for people everywhere. It will bring new waves of innovation and economic progress and drive knowledge, learning, creativity and productivity on a scale we haven't seen before.

That's what excites me: the chance to make AI helpful for everyone, everywhere in the world.

Nearly eight years into our journey as an AI-first company, the pace of progress is only accelerating: Millions of people are now using generative AI across our products to do things they couldn't even a year ago, from finding answers to more complex questions to using new tools to collaborate and create. At the same time, developers are using our models and infrastructure to build new generative AI applications, and startups and enterprises around the world are growing with our AI tools.

This is incredible momentum, and yet, we're only beginning to scratch the surface of what's possible.

We're approaching this work boldly and responsibly. That means being ambitious in our research and pursuing the capabilities that will bring enormous benefits to people and society, while building in safeguards and working collaboratively with governments and experts to address risks as AI becomes more capable. And we continue to invest in the very best tools, foundation models and infrastructure and bring them to our products and to others, guided by our AI Principles.

Now, we're taking the next step on our journey with Gemini, our most capable and general model yet, with state-of-the-art performance across many leading benchmarks. Our first version, Gemini 1.0, is optimized for different sizes: Ultra, Pro and Nano. These are the first models of the Gemini era and the first realization of the vision we had when we formed Google DeepMind earlier this year. This new era of models represents one of the biggest science and engineering efforts we've undertaken as a company. I'm genuinely excited for what's ahead, and for the opportunities Gemini will unlock for people everywhere.

- Sundar

Introducing Gemini
By Demis Hassabis, CEO and Co-Founder of Google DeepMind, on behalf of the Gemini team
AI has been the focus of my life's work, as for many of my research colleagues. Ever since programming AI for computer games as a teenager, and throughout my years as a neuroscience researcher trying to understand the workings of the brain, I've always believed that if we could build smarter machines, we could harness them to benefit humanity in incredible ways.

This promise of a world responsibly empowered by AI continues to drive our work at Google DeepMind. For a long time, we've wanted to build a new generation of AI models, inspired by the way people understand and interact with the world. AI that feels less like a smart piece of software and more like something useful and intuitive - an expert helper or assistant.

Today, we're a step closer to this vision as we introduce Gemini, the most capable and general model we've ever built.

Gemini is the result of large-scale collaborative efforts by teams across Google, including our colleagues at Google Research. It was built from the ground up to be multimodal, which means it can generalize and seamlessly understand, operate across and combine different types of information including text, code, audio, image and video.

Gemini is also our most flexible model yet - able to efficiently run on everything from data centers to mobile devices. Its state-of-the-art capabilities will significantly enhance the way developers and enterprise customers build and scale with AI.

We've optimized Gemini 1.0, our first version, for three different sizes:

Gemini Ultra - our largest and most capable model for highly complex tasks.

Gemini Pro - our best model for scaling across a wide range of tasks.

Gemini Nano - our most efficient model for on-device tasks.

State-of-the-art performance

We've been rigorously testing our Gemini models and evaluating their performance on a wide variety of tasks. From natural image, audio and video understanding to mathematical reasoning, Gemini Ultra's performance exceeds current state-of-the-art results on 30 of the 32 widely-used academic benchmarks used in large language model (LLM) research and development.

With a score of 90.0%, Gemini Ultra is the first model to outperform human experts on MMLU (massive multitask language understanding), which uses a combination of 57 subjects such as math, physics, history, law, medicine and ethics for testing both world knowledge and problem-solving abilities.

Our new benchmark approach to MMLU enables Gemini to use its reasoning capabilities to think more carefully before answering difficult questions, leading to significant improvements over just using its first impression.

Gemini Ultra also achieves a state-of-the-art score of 59.4% on the new MMMU benchmark, which consists of multimodal tasks spanning different domains requiring deliberate reasoning.

With the image benchmarks we tested, Gemini Ultra outperformed previous state-of-the-art models, without assistance from optical character recognition (OCR) systems that extract text from images for further processing. These benchmarks highlight Gemini's native multimodality and indicate early signs of Gemini's more complex reasoning abilities.

See more details in our Gemini technical report.

Next-generation capabilities

Until now, the standard approach to creating multimodal models involved training separate components for different modalities and then stitching them together to roughly mimic some of this functionality. These models can sometimes be good at performing certain tasks, like describing images, but struggle with more conceptual and complex reasoning.

We designed Gemini to be natively multimodal, pre-trained from the start on different modalities. Then we fine-tuned it with additional multimodal data to further refine its effectiveness. This helps Gemini seamlessly understand and reason about all kinds of inputs from the ground up, far better than existing multimodal models - and its capabilities are state of the art in nearly every domain.

Learn more about Gemini's capabilities and see how it works.

Sophisticated reasoning

Gemini 1.0's sophisticated multimodal reasoning capabilities can help make sense of complex written and visual information. This makes it uniquely skilled at uncovering knowledge that can be difficult to discern amid vast amounts of data.

Its remarkable ability to extract insights from hundreds of thousands of documents through reading, filtering and understanding information will help deliver new breakthroughs at digital speeds in many fields from science to finance.

Understanding text, images, audio and more

Gemini 1.0 was trained to recognize and understand text, images, audio and more at the same time, so it better understands nuanced information and can answer questions relating to complicated topics. This makes it especially good at explaining reasoning in complex subjects like math and physics.

Advanced coding

Our first version of Gemini can understand, explain and generate high-quality code in the world's most popular programming languages, like Python, Java, C++, and Go. Its ability to work across languages and reason about complex information makes it one of the leading foundation models for coding in the world.

Gemini Ultra excels in several coding benchmarks, including HumanEval, an important industry-standard for evaluating performance on coding tasks, and Natural2Code, our internal held-out dataset, which uses author-generated sources instead of web-based information.

Gemini can also be used as the engine for more advanced coding systems. Two years ago we presented AlphaCode, the first AI code generation system to reach a competitive level of performance in programming competitions.

Using a specialized version of Gemini, we created a more advanced code generation system, AlphaCode 2, which excels at solving competitive programming problems that go beyond coding to involve complex math and theoretical computer science.

When evaluated on the same platform as the original AlphaCode, AlphaCode 2 shows massive improvements, solving nearly twice as many problems, and we estimate that it performs better than 85% of competition participants - up from nearly 50% for AlphaCode. When programmers collaborate with AlphaCode 2 by defining certain properties for the code samples to follow, it performs even better.

We're excited for programmers to increasingly use highly capable AI models as collaborative tools that can help them reason about the problems, propose code designs and assist with implementation - so they can release apps and design better services, faster.

See more details in our AlphaCode 2 technical report.

More reliable, scalable and efficient

We trained Gemini 1.0 at scale on our AI-optimized infrastructure using Google's in-house designed Tensor Processing Units (TPUs) v4 and v5e. And we designed it to be our most reliable and scalable model to train, and our most efficient to serve.

On TPUs, Gemini runs significantly faster than earlier, smaller and less-capable models. These custom-designed AI accelerators have been at the heart of Google's AI-powered products that serve billions of users like Search, YouTube, Gmail, Google Maps, Google Play and Android. They've also enabled companies around the world to train large-scale AI models cost-efficiently.

Today, we're announcing the most powerful, efficient and scalable TPU system to date, Cloud TPU v5p, designed for training cutting-edge AI models. This next generation TPU will accelerate Gemini's development and help developers and enterprise customers train large-scale generative AI models faster, allowing new products and capabilities to reach customers sooner.

Built with responsibility and safety at the core

At Google, we're committed to advancing bold and responsible AI in everything we do. Building upon Google's AI Principles and the robust safety policies across our products, we're adding new protections to account for Gemini's multimodal capabilities. At each stage of development, we're considering potential risks and working to test and mitigate them.

Gemini has the most comprehensive safety evaluations of any Google AI model to date, including for bias and toxicity. We've conducted novel research into potential risk areas like cyber-offense, persuasion and autonomy, and have applied Google Research's best-in-class adversarial testing techniques to help identify critical safety issues in advance of Gemini's deployment.

To identify blindspots in our internal evaluation approach, we're working with a diverse group of external experts and partners to stress-test our models across a range of issues.

To diagnose content safety issues during Gemini's training phases and ensure its output follows our policies, we're using benchmarks such as Real Toxicity Prompts, a set of 100,000 prompts with varying degrees of toxicity pulled from the web, developed by experts at the Allen Institute for AI. Further details on this work are coming soon.

To limit harm, we built dedicated safety classifiers to identify, label and sort out content involving violence or negative stereotypes, for example. Combined with robust filters, this layered approach is designed to make Gemini safer and more inclusive for everyone. Additionally, we're continuing to address known challenges for models such as factuality, grounding, attribution and corroboration.

Responsibility and safety will always be central to the development and deployment of our models. This is a long-term commitment that requires building collaboratively, so we're partnering with the industry and broader ecosystem on defining best practices and setting safety and security benchmarks through organizations like MLCommons, the Frontier Model Forum and its AI Safety Fund, and our Secure AI Framework (SAIF), which was designed to help mitigate security risks specific to AI systems across the public and private sectors. We'll continue partnering with researchers, governments and civil society groups around the world as we develop Gemini.

Making Gemini available to the world

Gemini 1.0 is now rolling out across a range of products and platforms:

Gemini Pro in Google products

We're bringing Gemini to billions of people through Google products.

Starting today, Bard will use a fine-tuned version of Gemini Pro for more advanced reasoning, planning, understanding and more. This is the biggest upgrade to Bard since it launched. It will be available in English in more than 170 countries and territories, and we plan to expand to different modalities and support new languages and locations in the near future.

We're also bringing Gemini to Pixel. Pixel 8 Pro is the first smartphone engineered to run Gemini Nano, which is powering new features like Summarize in the Recorder app and rolling out in Smart Reply in Gboard, starting with WhatsApp, Line and KakaoTalk¹ - with more messaging apps coming next year.

In the coming months, Gemini will be available in more of our products and services like Search, Ads, Chrome and Duet AI.

We're already starting to experiment with Gemini in Search, where it's making our Search Generative Experience (SGE) faster for users, with a 40% reduction in latency in English in the U.S., alongside improvements in quality.

Building with Gemini

Starting on December 13, developers and enterprise customers can access Gemini Pro via the Gemini API in Google AI Studio or Google Cloud Vertex AI.

Google AI Studio is a free, web-based developer tool to prototype and launch apps quickly with an API key. When it's time for a fully-managed AI platform, Vertex AI allows customization of Gemini with full data control and benefits from additional Google Cloud features for enterprise security, safety, privacy and data governance and compliance.

Android developers will also be able to build with Gemini Nano, our most efficient model for on-device tasks, via AICore, a new system capability available in Android 14, starting on Pixel 8 Pro devices. Sign up for an early preview of AICore.

Gemini Ultra coming soon

For Gemini Ultra, we're currently completing extensive trust and safety checks, including red-teaming by trusted external parties, and further refining the model using fine-tuning and reinforcement learning from human feedback (RLHF) before making it broadly available.

As part of this process, we'll make Gemini Ultra available to select customers, developers, partners and safety and responsibility experts for early experimentation and feedback before rolling it out to developers and enterprise customers early next year.

Early next year, we'll also launch Bard Advanced, a new, cutting-edge AI experience that gives you access to our best models and capabilities, starting with Gemini Ultra.

The Gemini era: enabling a future of innovation

This is a significant milestone in the development of AI, and the start of a new era for us at Google as we continue to rapidly innovate and responsibly advance the capabilities of our models.

We've made great progress on Gemini so far and we're working hard to further extend its capabilities for future versions, including advances in planning and memory, and increasing the context window for processing even more information to give better responses.

We're excited by the amazing possibilities of a world responsibly empowered by AI - a future of innovation that will enhance creativity, extend knowledge, advance science and transform the way billions of people live and work around the world.

More about Gemini

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Introducing Gemini: our largest and most capable AI model

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Gemini is our most capable and general model, built to be multimodal and optimized for three different sizes: Ultra, Pro and Nano.

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Links to all of the standard operating procedures

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Case of Cameron Todd Willingham

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Death by Fire With this special collection of classroom activities, students will examine the changing science of arson investigation and consider whether the state of Texas may have executed an innocent man.

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Three decades after the Clean Water Act, iconic American waterways like the are in perilous condition and facing new sources of contamination. (read more ")

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Death by Fire With this special collection of classroom activities, students will examine the changing science of arson investigation and consider whether the state of Texas may have executed an innocent man. Are We Safer?The ConfessionsFootball High SUBSCRIBE TO THE FRONTLINE PLANNER Enter your e-mail address.

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2016 About homeless kids in the OC

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Additional resources

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Beyond the Elements Reactions Interactive | PBS LearningMedia

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Explore four chemical reactions that are critical to society and life on Earth with this interactive from NOVA: Beyond the Elements. Students interact with molecules and chemical reactions represented in multiple ways while learning about combustion, photosynthesis, the Haber-Bosch reaction and cement synthesis and considering the effects—both positive and negative—these reactions have on our daily lives.

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from UL - Interactive

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A technology resource for your classroom

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Skip to content Index

Artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the ability of a computer or computer-controlled robot to imitate human brain functions. Machines use the application of computer science through algorithms to process large data sets to perform tasks typically associated with intelligent beings, such as the ability to reason, discover meaning, generalize, synthesize, and learn from past experiences. Through rapid advances in computer processing, speed, and memory capacity, AI is used for more and more sophisticated applications such as medical diagnosis; computer search engines; voice, face, and handwriting recognition; and chatbots.

Generative AI refers to AI able to generate text, images, or other media in response to prompts. Generative AI models process large data sets of natural language, code language, and images to create new content in these forms (natural language, code language, images) and other data forms. Examples include ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and Bard. Many applications are using generative AI in the fields of art, marketing, writing, software development, product design, healthcare, finance, gaming, fashion, and education (in teaching, learning, student support services, and administrative supports).

AI prompts are any form of text, question, information, or coding that communicate to AI what response(s) are being sought.

Other terms for AI include machine learning (ML) and deep learning.

Refers to the process of evaluating or measuring an individual's skills, knowledge, or performance against predetermined criteria or standards. Assessment gathers information about what someone knows, understands, or can do to make informed decisions about their progress, abilities, or areas for improvement. Common methods include:

Written exams/tests that assess knowledge and understanding through questions or prompts presented in written form.

Oral exams/presentations that assess verbal communication skills, comprehension, and the ability to articulate ideas effectively, commonly taking the form of individual presentations, group discussions, or oral exams.

Projects/assignments that require individuals to apply their knowledge and skills to real-world tasks or scenarios. They may be individual or group-based and may involve research, problem-solving, creativity, or practical application of concepts.

Practical assessments that assess hands-on skills and abilities such as laboratory experiments, artistic performances, or technical demonstrations. These types of assessment are common in science, art, engineering, and carder and technical education.

Portfolios compile samples of an individual's work to demonstrate achievement and competency in specific areas. They often include written essays, artwork, and design projects.

Observations directly observe an individual's performance or behavior in real-life situations, such as classroom activities, clinical settings, or workplace tasks.

Standardized tests assess knowledge, critical thinking, or other formal assessments with uniform administration and scoring procedures. They are commonly used for comparisons of learner achievement in K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and college admissions.

Assessments often vary within K-12 schools, colleges and universities, and the workplace.

Elementary and secondary schools focus on foundational knowledge and skills across various subjects. They may include standardized tests mandated by state or national education authorities, as well as teacher-created assessments tailored to specific curriculum standards.

Colleges and universities focus on more specialized, deeper understanding, critical thinking, and application of knowledge within specific disciplines or majors. Assessment methods may include exams, research papers, presentations, and practical demonstrations, depending on the academic program.

Employers focus on practical skills, problem-solving abilities, and job-specific competencies relevant to the position. Employers may use a variety of methods such as job simulations, interviews, skills assessments, and performance evaluations to assess candidates during the hiring process, and evaluate employees' ongoing performance and development including assessment to guide upskilling and reskilling needs.

B

R egional education service organizations in the United States, commonly found in Colorado and New York. These entities provide shared educational programs and services to multiple school districts within a defined geographic area. BOCES aim to enhance educational efficiency and effectiveness by offering specialized resources, such as career and technical education, special education, and professional development, which might be challenging for individual school districts to provide independently. BOCES operate as collaborative entities, fostering educational partnerships and resource-sharing among participating school districts to address a variety of academic and operational needs.

C

Career and Technical Education, often abbreviated as CTE, refers to skills-based teaching at the middle school, high school, and postsecondary levels . CTE programs provide hands-on and realistic experience, where students learn technical and employable skills required for specific jobs or fields of work . CTE programs are typically developed with input from industry partners to be responsive to workforce needs .

CTE is also referred to as work-based learning (WBL).

Career networking (also known as job seeking through networking) uses an individual's networks (family contacts, professional colleagues, friends and other personal contacts) in career development. Career development can include job searching such as learning about career fields, job opportunities, and companies an individual may be interested in working in; and ways to achieve career goals. Technology is increasingly important to career networking; for example, social networks like Meta (formerly Facebook) and Linkedin, and online job-matching platforms like ZipRecruiter, Monster, and Career Builder.

See Topic: Social Capital

CASE refers to the 1EdTech standard that enables consistent format and exchange of information about learning and education competencies, skills, or academic standards in an open, machine-readable format. The CASE Network was launched by the 1EdTech community to enable all 50 U.S. states to use interoperable academic standards and national learning standards. Through CASE, it is possible to electronically exchange outcomes, skills, and competency definitions so that applications, tools, and platforms can access the data. This enables school districts, schools, and other users in the learn-and-work ecosystem to act upon this data and support instruction accurately. The Network has built a central repository of K-12 state academic standards and competencies frameworks (414), and other national learning standards. These are available in 11 categories: English Language Arts; Math; Science; Social Studies; World Languages; Computer Science; Fine Arts; Health; Physical Education; Career/Tech; Other.

Community college baccalaureates are new forms of baccalaureate degrees conferred by community colleges, which have historically awarded the associate degree as their highest credential. About half of the states provide authorization for some or all of their community colleges to award baccalaureate degrees.

Competency-based learning, or competency-based education, often abbreviated as CBE, is a framework for instruction and assessment focused on students demonstrating defined learning objectives or competencies rather than content completion and curriculum schedules . Students in such a framework typically work at their own pace, using learned knowledge and skills to demonstrate mastery of a subject . At some institutions of higher education, competency-based education courses be

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MERLOT - Multimedia Education Resource for Learning & Online Teaching | Learn & Work Ecosystem Library

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OverviewMERLOT (Multimedia Education Resource for Learning and Online Teaching) is a curated collection of free and open online teaching, learning, and faculty development services contributed and used by an international education community of higher education institutions, industry partners, professional organizations and individuals who work together to provide users of OER (Open Educational Resource) teaching and learning materials.

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Scroll to the bottom and look at the documents.

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Government jobs.

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Almost. Stories from the relieved.

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National Emergency Training Center Library

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National Emergency Training Center Library

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Topic guides!

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State jobs in California

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Padlet poll- for assessment!

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Which questions make you say huh? Background investigation for police officers and sometimes firefighters, fire inspectors, fire investigators

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Study tools that are awesome!

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A website with some links. This can be used for formative and summative assessment. The learning research is impressive.

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Sketchnotes Gallery: Students Draw to Demonstrate Thinking — WRITING MINDSET

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I could talk about sketchnotes all day. I could also really talk about how I think sketchnotes merge seamlessly with thinking maps . Both of these tools create a visual method of note-taking for students that defies the traditional norms of the column notes or teacher-guided notetaking. They also h

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Conscious competence. I was honored to have this selected as Best of Web! About TED-Ed Best of Web

TED-Ed Best of Web are exceptional, user-created lessons that are carefully selected by volunteer teachers and TED-Ed staff.

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It is not always about the "big save", often time it is the little things we do for others that make the difference. Three traits heroes have in common are courage, commitment and compassion. Review the stories below and see if you can identify the "little things" these people do that make them heroes. Look for examples of courage, commitment and compassion.
After reading the poem " He Sits Down on the Floor of the School for the Retarded", consider the following questions: Was the author wrong to lie? Why or why not? Why was the author uncomfortable? Can you recall a similar situation when you felt uncomfortable? What did you do? How do the author's conclusions relate to being a hero? Is compassion an instinctive quality or one that can be developed and honed?
Read the short story " The Use of Force" How far would you go to help a stranger, especially one not too agreeable to being helped? How did the Doctor demonstrate courage, commitment and compassion?
Samantha Power tells a story of a complicated hero, Sergio Vieira de Mello. This UN diplomat walked a thin moral line, negotiating with the world's worst dictators to help their people survive crisis. It's a compelling story told with a fiery passion. How did Vieria de Mello demonstrate courage, commitment and compassion?
They've been called the "Saints of Somalia." Doctor Hawa Abdi and her daughter Deqo Mohamed discuss their medical clinic in Somalia, where -- in the face of civil war and open oppression of women -- they've built a hospital, a school and a community of peace. Hear their story. Why did they need courage, commitment and compassion?
What trials unite not only Harry Potter or Frodo Baggins but many of literature's most interesting heroes? And what do ordinary people have in common with these literary heroes? Matthew Winkler takes us step-by-step through the crucial events that make or break a hero. See it here. Can you identify examples of courage, commitment and compassion in these heroes?
How can an anti-hero teach us about the heroic--and sometimes, the unheroic--characteristics that shape a story's protagonist? From jealousy to self-doubt, Tim Adams challenges us to consider how anti-heroes reflect the very mortal weaknesses that can be found within all of us. See it here.
Compare Mark's story from the video to the short poem " A Bed for the Night" by Bertolt Brecht. What message do they have in common? Are there examples of courage, commitment and compassion in the poem? Is the man on the corner a hero- even if he doesn't change the world?
A Bed for the Night I hear that in New York
At the corner of 26th street and Broadway
A man stands every evening during the winter months
And gets beds for the homeless there
By appealing to passers-by.

It wont change the world
It wont improve relations among men
It will not shorten the age of exploration
But a few men have a bed for the night
For a night the wind is kept from them
The snow meant for them falls on the roadway.

Don't put down the book on reading this, man.

A few people have a bed for the night
For the night the wind is kept from them
The snow that is meant for them falls on the roadway
But it won't change the world
It wont improve relations among men
It will not shorten the age of exploration.

Bertolt Brecht
What is a hero? Find a quote that best reflects the idea of a hero and tell us why you like it. A list of quote to help you get started can be found here.

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A life lesson from a volunteer firefighter

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It is not always about the "big save", often time it is the little things we do for others that make the difference. Three traits heroes have in common are courage, commitment and compassion. Review the stories below and see if you can identify the "little things" these people do that make them heroes.

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Create templates, documents etc.

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The activities in here can be used in your classroom tomorrow. 20 minute activity instead of a 20 minute lecture. Making students move, while they learn.

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6 Brain-Based Learning Strategies #Paperslide | Dr. Lodge McCammon

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Review todays discussion- Beginner

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Transfer opportunities that pay!

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Want to finish your Bachelor's or Master's degree, get your National Registry Paramedic certification, and fight fires all at once? Or maybe you'd prefer to complete your degree online and pay in-state tuition?

University of Alaska, Fairbanks may be just the place for for you!

Join us for an informative presentation about the programs available at UAF for our Fire Technology, Fire Academy, and Fire Officer students.

We'll discuss options for degrees in Emergency Management and Applied Business, both online and in-person, as well as scholarship and paid student firefighting positions. Also on the agenda is reduced tuition for veterans, online and WUE students, information about student life, academic preparation, and even some Alaskan pastimes like ice fishing, dry cabins, and zombie squirrels!

To attend, simply register in advance for the meeting using the link above. You'll receive a confirmation email with a link to join the meeting and add it to your calendar. Feel free to share the link if you have a friend that might be interested.

Don't miss this chance to learn more about what UAF can offer you!

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University of Alaska, Fairbanks - 🔥Polar Pathway: Fire Tech Transfer Opportunities by The SAC Fire Tech Team | This newsletter was created with Smore, an online tool for creating beautiful newsletters for individual educators, schools and districts

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What is the role of feedback- in building trust? Unconscious competence

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Simon Sinek - Trust vs Performance (Must Watch!)