Instructor eNews, February 2012

Instructor eNews
FEBRUARY 2012
In Focus
Red Cross Water Safety project with China
– by Anne Porteous
The Canadian Red Cross has partnered with the Chinese Red Cross to
do a technical exchange and support training of Water Safety Instructors
in the Red Cross Swim Program. Western Canada was asked to work
on this project, which began with training 20 new WSIs in China last
fall. Western Zone MITs Paula Thulin and Anne Porteous, and Western
Zone staff members Kevin Paes, water safety services manager, and
Kimberley Nemrava, BC-Yukon director, travelled to China to conduct the
training.
Because China has some of the highest drowning rates for youth in
the world, the Chinese Red Cross decided to look at the successful
Canadian Red Cross water safety program. As a volunteer with the Red
Cross for over 20 years, I was asked in October of 2010 to be part of
the committee to strategize with the Chinese delegation around how to
implement a Red Cross water safety program in China.
Spotlight
Online update for
Instructors/Trainers
extended until March 1!
Thank you to those Instructors/Trainers of
the first aid program who have completed
their online update. We are now extending
the deadline to March 1, 2012, to allow sufficient time for those who wish to continue
teaching to purchase the new materials
and complete their update.
Survey for Instructors/
Trainers: Instructor Network
website
The Instructor Network website launched
in September 2010 and has continued to
evolve since that time. To assist in ongoing
improvements and enhancements to the
site, we are asking Instructors/Trainers
to provide their feedback through a brief
online survey. Click here to complete the
survey.
Once the logistics for training were determined, I was asked to be part of the Canadian delegation that would travel to
China and train 20 people to become Water Safety Instructors in October 2011.
Kevin (Paes) and Paula (Thulin) were fantastic to work with. For three days we revised the Assistant Water Safety
Instructor and Water Safety Instructor courses to meet the time parameters and translation challenges. We researched
why youth drown in China and used this information to form the messages for teaching water safety. Paula, Kevin and I
team-taught throughout the course, with three students and one staff member supporting us with translation throughout
the week.
I gained a better understanding of the importance of water safety on a global scale. China does have learn-to-swim programs, but not ones that include the messages of how to be safe in, on or around the water.
I was so taken by the Chinese people and their culture. They are such honourable people and showed us much respect.
I was sad to see this part of the project come to an end as we met so many wonderful people that made an impact on our
perception of China.
Instructor eNews, February 2012, Page 1 of 5
The instructors that we trained were hard-working and very grateful to be chosen as part of this program. We learned that
breaks were a very important part of the program (which we sometimes overlook) and the people of China are also used to
very large class sizes.
At the end of the training we were able to take in the sites of Xiamen, and toured an island where many ambassadors had
summer homes. We then flew back to Beijing and had an opportunity to tour the Great Wall and the Forbidden City.
Opportunities of a lifetime!
This was an amazing experience to be a part of something that could change a nation. I was honoured to represent the
Red Cross.
Red Cross Updates
Swimming and Water Safety
Swim Canada partnership and the CANSwim initiative
As a founding partner of the CANSwim Movement, the Canadian Red Cross was pleased to participate in Swimming
Canada’s announcement of the launch of Canada’s largest swim team in November 2011.
CANSwim is Swimming Canada’s movement to encourage every child in Canada to learn how to swim at least 25 metres
continuously by the age of 12. As part of this initiative, all Canadians able to swim 25 metres or more will be invited to
register as part of the team. The Red Cross joined Swimming Canada as a founding member of this initiative in 2009.
This program aims to promote swimming and water safety by demonstrating the value of enrolling children in swimming
lessons, and identifies swimming as a safety skill, fitness activity and gateway to various opportunities and sports within
aquatics. By recognizing those who can complete this challenge, we hope to encourage more Canadians to learn to swim.
Full details on CANSwim are available on www.canswim.ca. Further information will be shared with Training Partners in
the coming months.
18-year recreational boating fatality trend report
In November 2011, Transport Canada and the Canadian Red Cross published Boating, Immersion and Trauma Deaths
in Canada: 18 Years of Research. The most recent published drowning trends report provides an overview of 18 years of
data on all boating-related fatalities in Canada with an emphasis on recreational boating incidents.
The main focuses of the report are personal, equipment and environmental risk factors. The report reveals that between
1991 and 2008, boating accounted for an estimated total of over 3,000 fatalities in Canada, 86% of which occurred while
participating in some form of recreational boating activity.
The research was conducted by the Canadian Red Cross, with support from Transport Canada’s Office of Boating Safety,
to provide a profile for prevention, as well as a guide for survival for current and future boating enthusiasts, including owners and passengers of a variety of motorized and human-powered water craft. The full 18-year report can be downloaded
from the Drowning Research section of our website.
Introducing Swim @ Camp!
The Canadian Red Cross is pleased to introduce the newest addition to our suite of learn-to-swim programs – Red Cross
Swim @ Camp! Based on the successful Swim @ School program, Swim @ Camp is a participation-based swimming and
water safety training program designed specifically for camp settings. This program is ideal for the camp environment due
to its highly flexible programming options and ability to support all swimmers regardless of their past experience with swimming and water safety. Red Cross Swim @ Camp offers an opportunity to teach valuable swimming skills and water-safe
attitudes to help prevent water-related injuries and fatalities.
Swim @ Camp will officially launch in March 2012. Information on marketing and programming tools will be posted on our
websites in advance of the launch. Check www.instructornetwork.ca for updates.
Instructor eNews, February 2012, Page 2 of 5
Community Water Activity Safety Campaign
The Canadian Red Cross and the Lifesaving Society are pleased to announce the commencement of a new joint project.
The Community Water Activity Safety Campaign (CWASC) is being conducted with contribution funds from the Public
Health Agency of Canada as part of their Active and Safe Injury Prevention Initiative.
The purpose of the project is to reduce the incidents of injury and drowning in youth (ages 0-19) involved in sport, recreation and active living, in remote open-water environments.
The campaign will make available educational tool kits and lifejackets to over 250 remote rural and Northern communities where we have been invited by local champions. The locally driven campaign will be supported by community-based
media (both radio and community news) delivered nationally. The campaign is intended to reach out beyond current Red
Cross and Lifesaving Society programs and also enhance the activities of other water safety and injury prevention partners
within our networks.
The application process and information brochure are being finalized and will be available in early February for mail and
electronic distribution. There will also be a preliminary website available for the invitation and application information.
The educational kits will be available in April, followed by the lifejackets (subject to logistics of supply and shipping). A
formal and media launch date has not yet been finalized.
Any inquiries can be directed to the new project manager at the Royal Life Saving National Office, Roxanne Standefer at
rstandefer@lifesaving.ca.
Reminder: AWSI candidate materials on Instructor Network
Information and resources for Assistant Water Safety Instructor candidates are available from the home page of the Instructor Network website.
How to access:
•
Go to www.instructornetwork.ca
•
Click on “Become an Instructor”
•
Click on “AWSI (Assistant Water Safety Instructor) Documents”
Here you will find the following:
•
AWSI Course and Teaching Experience Documents
•
AWSI Course and Teaching Experience Candidate Evaluation Forms
•
AWSI Teaching Experience Activity Plan: RCSP Starfish to Sea Turtle
•
AWSI Teaching Experience Activity Plan: RCSP Sea Otter to Whale
•
AWSI Teaching Experience Activity Plan: RCSK 1 to 5
•
AWSI Teaching Experience Activity Plan: RCSK 6 to 10
•
General Documents
•
Code of Conduct
•
Instructor worksheets
Water Safety Instructor Trainers are asked to share this information with their AWSI candidates.
First Aid
First Aid Instructor DVD
The Instructor course presentation DVD is a new teaching resource developed as a result of feedback and recommendations from our Instructors, Instructor Trainers and Training Partners. Building on the previous PowerPoint presentations,
the new DVD contains four detailed presentations to assist instructors in facilitating courses.
As per the 2011 National Program Standards for the first aid program, the DVD is a required teaching resource. This is to
ensure consistency in the delivery of first aid courses across the country, maintain a standard of high quality instruction,
streamline facilitation, and ensure all content is covered in a given course. The presentations offer a visual representation
of information in the manual and helps instructors convey the must-knows to all course participants, regardless of their
learning style.
Instructor eNews, February 2012, Page 3 of 5
For those who are having trouble navigating the DVD, we have prepared a document with operating instructions to assist
you. This document can be found on the Instructor Network: First Aid/CPR/AED > First Aid/CPR/AED Teaching Aids and
Resources.
Please continue to submit feedback to: instructorfeedback@redcross.ca.
Corrections: First Aid Instructor Manual and Instructor DVD
Please note the following corrections to our new Instructor materials:
•
First Aid Instructor Manual (English and French versions) – page 51, the first note at the bottom of the page is a
recommendation only “Stand-alone CPR courses are not to be combined with Emergency First Aid, Standard First Aid
and Child Care First Aid courses.”
•
First Aid Instructor DVD (English version) – First Aid & CPR Course – the video on slide 81 incorrectly states the
compression depth for a child. The correct depth should be at least 5cm, 2 inches, as per page 50 of the first aid and
CPR manual.
•
First Aid Instructor DVD (French version) – First Aid Course - slides 77 and 80, CPR Course – slides 43 and 44, Child
Care Course – slides 80 and 81, and Marine Basic First Aid Course – slides 79 and 80 - should read “effectuez 5
poussées thoraciques” (not “poussées abdominales”).
All bulletins can be found online on the Instructor Network > First Aid/CPR/AED > First Aid/CPR/AED Program Updates.
HR Show
In February 2012, the Red Cross participated in the Human Resources Professionals Association (HRPA) conference and
trade show for the sixth year. Held in Toronto, it is the second largest human resources conference and trade show in the
world, attracting more than 4,500 professionals each year. This year, we had an exhibit at the trade show, offering information on our wide range of first aid training options for workplaces.
Google analytics on the Find-A-Course search function
Did you know that one of the greatest avenues for marketing is through our Red Cross public website and our Find-ACourse button? By the numbers, we receive over 275,000 hits per year. On an average day 955 people use the Find-ACourse button to find training in their area. Of these, 78% are new visitors. Red Cross also uses Google ads to actively
promote our Find-A-Course referral site so Canadians can easily find our Training Partners. We have seen a 6% increase
in traffic to Find-A-Course since 2010. Course dates listed on Course Manager are populated into the Find-A-Course
database.
News Board
WorkSafeBC approves amendment to Working Alone requirements in OHS Regulation. WorkSafeBC’s Board of
Directors has approved amendments to Part 4 of the Occupational Health and Safety Regulation, regarding a third option
to protect workers assigned to work alone in late night retail premises. Click here to read the story. (English only)
10 eye injury pitfalls to watch for at work. Many Canadian eyes remain unprotected, with eye injuries occurring at an
alarming rate. Click here to read the story. (English only)
Slips and trips prevention tips. Low level falls are one of the major causes of fall-related injuries among workers, according to statistics. Click here to read the story. (English only)
Survey says... Incident statistics and systems audits alone cannot provide you a full picture of how your company’s safety
program is performing. Click here to read the story. (English only)
Instructor eNews, February 2012, Page 4 of 5
Outside the Box
New Trends in Education: Accountability
Educators and the public are paying much more attention to how to assess learning and good quality teaching.
Accountability is consistently valued as a key element of efficiency, effectiveness, and responsiveness.
Accountability has become such an integral part of education policy that it “is no longer merely an important instrument or
component within the system, but constitutes the system itself” (Ranson, 2003) – examples:
•
The growth in public education toward the premise that more accountable schools are better schools.
•
The achievement tests that serve to keep teachers accountable for students’ performance. These tests also provide
useful feedback for instructional decision making by identifying areas for future action and serving as a fair selection
mechanism for grade promotion and/or graduation.
Canada, overall, fits the global trend of accomplishing educational reforms through accountability measures.
Have Your Say
This is your newsletter, so please feel free to contribute. We would like to hear from you about stories or information that
you would like to see in your eNews. Email us at Instructor.eNews@redcross.ca.
Instructor eNews, February 2012, Page 5 of 5