Camp Staff Training Online - Expert Online Training

 
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Camp Staff Training Online - FAQ

  1. What is “Leadership Essentials”?
  2. What new videos will be introduced in 2009?
  3. Why should I subscribe to Leadership Essentials?
  4. How do I subscribe to Leadership Essentials?
  5. Can I watch a sample?
  6. How much does a yearly subscription cost?
  7. How long will my subscription last?
  8. How can I make Leadership Essentials more affordable?
  9. How will I know my staff are watching?
  10. How will I know whether my staff understood the content?
  11. How do I know that Leadership Essentials is helping my staff?
  12. Can I play the modules during staff training week?
  13. Can I burn a DVD copy of the modules?
  14. Should I enroll my entire staff or purchase a smaller subscription for my newer staff?
  15. Do I need to track statistics?
  16. Can my staff create their own accounts?
  17. What if I run into technical difficulty?
  18. What if I have a suggestion for some new module?
  19. What if I'm a camp director and I want to see more before subscribing?
  20. What if I want to upload my own materials?
  21. Can I upload my own videos for my staff to watch?
  22. What payment methods are available?
  23. What are the technical requirements?
  24. What if certain video scenes don’t match our policies or philosophy?
  25. If I download modules to my laptop PC, can I keep them forever?
  26. Are modules available a-la-carte?

Answers

  1. What is “Leadership Essentials”?

    Leadership Essentials is a premium online video training system that allows you to begin training staff as soon as they are hired. The library contains a wide array of video modules that your staff can view, followed by online quizzes to verify their knowledge. The Leadership Essentials library provides a realistic look at the responsibilities of a youth development professional and provides in-depth preparation for both international and domestic staff at day and resident camps.

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  2. What new videos will be introduced in 2009?

    See the Full List of Videos.

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  3. Why should I subscribe to Leadership Essentials?

    There are many benefits to using the Leadership Essentials library to train your staff:

    1. You can train your staff as soon as they are hired, from the comfort of their homes anywhere in the world! (web-based/internet-accessible)
    2. Jump-starting your staff training with Leadership Essentials can reduce your liability exposure from under-trained staff
    3. Staff will be better prepared by the time they arrive so you can cover key topics in greater depth
    4. The online quizzes are a great tool for testing staff knowledge. Quizzes consist of multiple-choice questions which are automatically marked. Detailed results can be seen from your Camp Director Dashboard.
    See a full list of Features and Benefits of Leadership Essentials.

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  4. How do I subscribe to Leadership Essentials?

    You can subscribe online by visiting the Subscribe page and paying online with your credit card using PayPal.
    NOTE: This is 100% secure, and you do NOT need to create a PayPal account.

    If you'd like to pay by credit card but not with PayPal, you can call us at 877-237-3931 and give us your card number over the phone.

    If you'd rather pay by check, you can mail a check (payable to CampSpirit, LLC) to:

    Chris Thurber
    32 Park Street
    Exeter, NH 03833
    USA

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  5. Can I watch a sample?

    Even better! You can watch two full-length training modules for free. Two favorite modules, "Camp Staff and the Internet" and "Campers with Attention Deficits" are available now for you to watch. The video modules are 6-9 minutes long and contain many examples of staff demonstrating how to interact with campers.

    Watch the Sample Videos

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  6. How much does a yearly subscription cost?

    See the full Price Table.

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  7. How long will my subscription last?

    Subscriptions to the Leadership Essentials library can be purchased any time during the year. However, all subscriptions expire on December 31st of the purchase year. You can renew your subscription each January, when new and revised modules come online.

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  8. How can I make Leadership Essentials more affordable?

    Leadership Essentials is already a highly affordable way to train your staff. It's less expensive than CPR or Lifeguard training and with twice the number of modules for a fraction of our 2008 prices, we've worked hard to add value and shave dollars from your 2009 subscription.

    To make Leadership Essentials even more affordable, consider our Buddy Program. Partnering with another camp or two to bring your total staff count to at least 100 will give you the incredible price of just $10 per staff member. Some camps have also secured corporate sponsorship from local vendors, including restaurants and sporting goods stores. The vendor helps to pay for your LE subscription in exchange for your advertising their product or service to your staff.

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  9. How will I know my staff are watching?

    As a director, you will have full access to a dashboard of features, including instant reports that show statistics on each of your staff members. It tells you how many videos they have watched, how many quizzes they have passed, and even how many times they have logged into the system. Marks will indicate who has watched which modules and truly understood the content.

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  10. How will I know whether my staff understood the content?

    You can monitor your staff's understanding in three ways. First, you'll be able to see their most recent score on the quizzes that accompany each module. Second, you may assign the discussion questions on the site, or write and assign essay questions of your own. Staff can e-mail their answers directly to you for evaluation. Third, you may wish to create a blog on the staff section of your camp's website. Virtual discussions can give you a good sense of how well staff understand the content in the video training modules.

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  11. How do I know that Leadership Essentials is helping my staff?

    Online learning has a proven track record of effectiveness. In fact, resent research from the MacArthur foundation found that "...youth engage in peer-based, self-directed learning online...and the outcome emerges through exploration, in contrast to classroom learning that is oriented by set, predefined goals." Leadership Essentials, and its companion library, Medical Essentials, are two innovative examples of self-directed learning using online digital media. Researchers in Australia and the US have also successfully used video training modules to teach parenting skills to entire populations. Learning outcomes at your camp can be tracked from your Director Dashboard by examining quiz scores and summary statistics for your staff. To learn more about the value of online learning, visit:
    http://digitallearning.macfound.org

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  12. Can I play the modules during staff training week?

    Of course. If you have Internet access on-site then you can simply view the videos online, but click the Fullscreen icon to enlarge the viewing size, and use an LCD Projector to show it on a large screen, with speakers.

    Alternatively if you don't have Internet access on-site then you can download a protected WMV Video File, validate it, then watch it offline at camp. If you require this method, please speak to us to get clear instructions on this process. This file can be played in Windows Media Player or RealPlayer.

    Be sure to follow each module with ample discussion about the unique application of certain skills at your camp.

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  13. Can I burn a DVD copy of the modules?

    The video training module library is copyrighted so burning DVD copies is NOT permitted. You have the legal right to watch these videos until the subscription expires on December 31st of the year of purchase and you'll be ready to renew your subscription in January, when new and revised modules come online. All users may, however, download copies of modules to the hard drive of their laptop in DRM-protected Windows Media Player format (WMV). And by connecting your laptop to an LCD projector, you may play modules for your entire staff during training week. Note that your modules are protected by DRM technology and will self-deactivate on December 31st.

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  14. Should I enroll my entire staff or purchase a smaller subscription for my newer staff?

    We recommend that you purchase a subscription that covers all staff who will have direct contact with campers. Although your senior staff have considerable experience, there are three reasons why all counseling and leadership staff should be included in your subscription:

    1. Having the entire counseling and leadership staff participate in "Leadership Essentials" training is better for group cohesion and skill consistency. A training program that only certain staff are required to participate in may cause unwanted tension among your staff.
    2. When your older, more experienced staff have learned the material in "Leadership Essentials," they will be in the best possible position to mentor younger staff. Plus, when veteran staff have seen the same material as younger staff, they will have key reference points for leading workshops of their own during staff training week.
    3. It's not that much more expensive to ensure that everyone on your counseling and leadership staff is trained with "Leadership Essentials," rather than incur the liability associated with a small cohort of poorly trained staff.

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  15. Do I need to track statistics?

    Tracking your staff's visits to the site, views of the videos, and scores on quizzes is optional. You may find that it's easier to simply send your entire staff an e-mail announcing your subscription to Leadership Essentials and then let them create their accounts and explore. However, tracking statistics gives you an excellent sense of who is taking their pre-camp training seriously.

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  16. Can my staff create their own accounts?

    Yes, you can set up your subscription to allow staff to register themselves and be automatically linked into your subscription. This saves you a lot of time, and is secure from abuse.

    Alternatively you can manually create their accounts, or upload a Excel CSV spreadsheet.

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  17. What if I run into technical difficulty?

    If you encounter any technical problems that you cannot work through on your own, please contact the team at TargetDirectories.com by dialing (877) 237-3931.

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  18. What if I have a suggestion for some new module?

    We welcome your suggestions as we work to expand the Leadership Essentials library to include new topics and even new writers and module hosts. Contact Dr. Thurber using the Contact Form.

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  19. What if I'm a camp director and I want to see more before subscribing?

    Camp directors can view more of the video library and explore the administrative features of the Director Dashboard by calling the tech team at Leadership Essentials at our toll-free number 877-237-3931. One of our representatives will be happy to create a temporary demo account for you.

    In addition, this Leadership Essentials site will soon have a video tutorial that showcases more of the Director Dashboard features, such as tracking quiz statistics, uploading original materials, and creating staff accounts.

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  20. What if I want to upload my own materials?

    Uploading PDFs, Word documents, or PowerPoint presentations is a great way to customize your camp's account. You will be able to upload these resources and your staff will have access to them. Your material will remain in an Approval Queue for a day to be sure it does not contain inappropriate material and then it will be available to your camp staff.

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  21. Can I upload my own videos for my staff to watch?

    In its current version, directors can upload documents (such as PDFs, Word documents, PowerPoint presentations, etc.) but not videos to their Leadership Essentials or Medical Essentials account. This helps us keep subscription costs down and keep bandwidth available for your staff. If you would like your staff to see videos that you've produced, we suggest posting them privately on YouTube. Then, upload a PDF or Word document to your Leadership Essentials account that lists the URL addresses of your privately posted videos and instruct your staff to watch them. This two-step process allows you to consolidate resources on Leadership Essentials but your videos will reside off-site.

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  22. What payment methods are available?

    PayPal
    We accept credit card, (PayPal for instant subscription), but you can also mail a check. Please make the check payable to CampSpirit, LLC and mail it to:

    Chris Thurber
    32 Park Street
    Exeter, NH 03833
    USA

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  23. What are the technical requirements?

    To use Expert Online Training you will need:

    1. An internet connection (preferably high speed; slower connections will take longer to load the videos)
    2. A modern web browser (we support Firefox, Internet Explorer 6.0/7.0). AOL and Safari browsers are particularly problematic. Mac users should download Firefox. We strongly recommend Firefox for all users:

      Download (MAC): Mozilla Firefox for Mac
      Download (Windows): Mozilla Firefox for Windows

      NOTE: Javascript must NOT be disabled.
    3. The Adobe Flash plugin installed in your browser. Download the Flash plugin
    4. To download the videos and watch offline, you need Windows Media Player. The copyright-protected WMV file will only work on this player. Also you will have to Activate the file on your computer (requires an Internet connection) before you can play it offline, on the same computer. If you plan to play this video on a laptop at camp, you must activate it first, then you can watch the video on the laptop without an Internet connection in the future. If you copy the file to another computer, the new copy will have to be activated on the second computer before it can be used offline.

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  24. What if certain video scenes don’t match our policies or philosophy?

    You have sharp eyes if you've noticed some procedural differences between what's depicted in the videos and how things are done at your camp. The child development content of Leadership Essentials has been carefully reviewed and vetted. But every camp has different dress codes, lingo, and safety rules. So...use any differences between your camp and what you find in Leadership Essentials as an opportunity to teach staff about your camp's specific policies and philosophies. For example, many directors send out mass e-mails that include rewarding contests, such as, "Free gift certificates to Austin's Ice Cream for the first 10 staff members who read our staff training manual and can e-mail me the answer to this question: In what way does our camp's dress code differ from what's portrayed in the video entitled Campers with Attention Deficits?"

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  25. If I download modules to my laptop PC, can I keep them forever?

    Your annual subscription to Leadership Essentials gives you permission to view all modules December 31. Windows users can also download a copy to view offline but the file will expire at the end of the term. It is protected by DRM technology and will self-deactivate on December 31. Many camp directors enjoy extending training by plugging their laptop into an LCD projector and speakers to show modules "on the big screen." This replay of key modules stimulates excellent discussion and can be followed by meaningful role plays. At the end of the calendar year, when your subscription times out, the modules will automatically become deactivated. You do not have the right to copy and distribute modules nor circumvent the DRM protection technology. This is a crime and a violation of your use agreement.

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  26. Are modules available a-la-carte?

    Our twin goals at Leadership Essentials are to provide superior online education and total customer satisfaction. To that end, we don't want to limit camps' access to critical material. Moreover, the expense of providing modules a-la-carte does not justify that option, so your subscription contains no hidden costs. Instead, your single fee subscription gives you access to all the materials on Leadership Essentials: 24 video training modules, online quizzes, statistical tracking, PDF uploads, and downloadable handouts. Customization happens not at the point of purchase, but from within your Director Dashboard. From there, you can define your staff groups and assignment bundles.

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