Wednesday, November 27, 2019
AFSC 3S2X1 Education and Training Specialist
AFSC 3S2X1 Education and Training SpecialistAFSC 3S2X1 Education and Training SpecialistThese airmen oversee all the education and training programs for maintenance, operations, and support personnel across the Air Force. They prepare education services and develop curriculum and instructor activities, and in many cases administer the training courses themselves. The Air Force categorizes this job as Air Force Specialty Code (AFSC) 3S2X1. Duties of Air Force Education and Training Specialists These airmen develop and evaluate education and training programs in departments across the Air Force. They develop and validate the standards by which airmen in many facets of the service are trained, and they determine whether existing courses and programs are adequate. They also collect and analyze job performance data, conduct occupational analysis surveys and compare individual knowledge and skills with job standards. Its up to them to determine the most cost-effective method to deliver Air Force training and education programs, and to choose instructional design, methods and media. In addition, these airmen recommend actions to correct any deficiencies in education and training programs, and they oversee evaluations and surveys. Theyre constantly revising programs and instruction, coordinating user feedback with career field managers and education and training providers. And ultimately, they administer education and training programs, serving as program managers for offsite and onsite training. Qualifying for AFSC 3S2X1 Education Specialist To be eligible for this job, youll need a high school diploma or its equivalent. You have to have normal color vision and depth perception and need to have a state drivers license in case you need to drive government vehicles. Like all recruits to the Air Force and other branches of the U.S. military, youll take the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) tests. Education and training specialists need a score of 59 in the general (G) qualification area of the ASVAB, which is a composite score based on the Word Knowledge, Paragraph Comprehension and Arithmetic Reasoning sub-tests of the ASVAB. There is no Department of Defense security clearance required for this job, and U.S. citizenship is bedrngnis a prerequisite. Training as an Air Force Education and Training Specialist Following basic training and Airmans Week, airmen in this job spend 38 days in technical training at Sheppard Air Force Base in Texas. Youll learn the basics of developing curricula in line with Air Force and Department of Defense protocols, and how to be an instructor for airmen. Civilian Equivalents to Air Force Education and Training Specialists Youll need additional training and certification to become a teacher, but this job will prepare you for some of what youll need to know. The skills you learn will help you qualify for project manager, curriculum development and training proctor jobs in the private sec tor. Youll also be well prepared if youre interested in tutoring or offering informal instruction.
Friday, November 22, 2019
How to Stop Being a Doormat at Work - The Muse
How to Stop Being a Doormat at Work - The MuseHow to Stop Being a Doormat at Work A contributing employee. A strong team player. A go-getter.Yes, theyre all positive and desirable qualities- particularly in a work setting. In fact, theyre all things that employers actively look for when combing through candidates for a position.But, we all know tzu siches a line here, and its all too easy to cross. Suddenly, you transition from being seen as helpful and supportive to being viewed as your offices nicht auslagerbar pushover. Instead of feeling like youre offering significant value, you find yourself with everyone elses busy work piled on your own desk. You want to be accommodating and cooperative, but ideally you could do that without opening up an invitation to be walked all over.I know that this can be a fine line to tow. Believe me, Ive been there. But, its manageable Here are four tips to successfully walk that tightrope between being a doer and a total doormat. 1. Know Your Own Re sponsibilitiesWhen youre on the clock, whats your main responsibility? To get your work done. Your is the keyword there. Youre in the office to take care of your tasks and responsibilities- not necessarily everybody elses.Now, theres nothing wrong with being helpful, and you never want to be the person who belligerently shouts, Thats not my job all over the office. However, you need to remember that your own work comes first- no matter how selfish that seems. You shouldnt push your own to-dos to the backburner in favor of helping someone else out. So, sit down and determine where your responsibilities end and another persons start. You likely already have a good handle on this (and have just been ignoring your own hesitations), but go ahead and ask your coach if youre confused on whether or not something is truly your piece of the puzzle. This will not only help you in prioritizing your to-do list ahead of everyone elses, but will also allow you to determine if you even have the ban dwidth to help with additional projects. 2. Speak UpYes, this is the tough part- especially if youve established a reputation in your workplace as a timid easy mark whos eager to please. But, if you truly want to change your experience, then you need to first change your behavior.How do you do this? Start small by providing your opinion in a team meeting, particularly if you think you have a suggestion for an area or responsibility where someone else in your department could really shine. It gets that load off your plate in a constructive and complementary way. And, by all means, take credit for your own work. If you put in the time and effort, you deserve some recognition. That doesnt make you anmaend or greedy- it makes you human.Finally, the most important point Learn to say no. I know that this can seem unnatural and uncomfortable if youve grown used to being a yes person. But, its a critical skill if youre going to start turning things around. As mentioned above, jotting down w hat responsibilities fall under your job description should help greatly with this. Itll make it easier to turn people down (and provide some solid, fallback justification)- at least until you have your own specific tasks crossed off your list. 3. Establish GuidelinesSometimes I think that team projects were invented as a tool to force one person to carry the entire load- particularly if youre the one most dedicated to getting the job done well. After all, unless someone tattles, your boss will likely never know if one employee took care of absolutely everything while the others kicked their feet up on their desks and relaxed.This is why its so important to set boundaries with your colleagues early on. Make it crystal clear who is responsible for what portion of the project, including specific tasks and deadlines. Beyond that? You should also emphasize what will happen if those requirements arent met. Explain that your team wont band together to sweep that co-workers laziness under the rug and take care of that duty yourselves in an effort to save face in front of your boss. Instead, youll share with your supervisor exactly why that portion of the project remains incomplete.Yes, it seems a little brutal and cutthroat. But, if you stick with your standard method of picking up that persons mess and carrying on, youre just right back where you started. And, that irresponsible team member will likely never change his or her ways. Of course, its important to have some understanding here. Things come up that are beyond peoples control- such as a sick day or a personal crisis. But, your team should operate with the understanding that each person is responsible for his or her individual piece, barring any serious complications. 4. Stand FirmWhen youre trying to change others perceptions of you, consistency is key. After all, youll only look weak and uncertain if you start with a firm refusal only to eventually be worn down and talked into handling someone elses work a nyway. Even your strongest No will always mean, Well, maybe. So, once youve set these rules for yourself, its important that you make an effort to stick with them. People will begin to respect your opinions and convictions, and your final answer will finally be seen as just that- your final answer. Theres nothing wrong with wanting to be a supportive and contributing team member. In fact, I encourage it. But, everybody soon realizes that theres a pretty big difference between being nice and way too nice. You want to be viewed as a peer and an equal- not a doormat. So, use these four quick tips, and youll finally be on a level playing field with your colleagues- rather than constantly under their feet.
Thursday, November 21, 2019
Wearable Robot Helps Children Walk
Wearable Robot Helps Children Walk Wearable Robot Helps Children Walk Wearable Robot Helps Children WalkResearchers from the University of Toronto have created a wearable robot that gives wheelchair-bound children the ability to walk. The Trexo, as they call it, looks like a sleek, custom-made walker, with a few robotic joints. Those joints help children, who would otherwise never take a stride on their own, put one foot in front of the other.Founders Manmeet Maggu, Trexo Robotics CEO, and Rahul Udasi, the companys CTO, came up with the idea as students and eventually started their own business to design, manufacture and market their robot walker. Bringing the Trexo from student vision to marketable medical device has been a long process. Rahul Udasi (l) and Manmeet Maggu found that designing the Trexo was easier than bringing it to market. Image Trexo RoboticsThe two robotics engineers honigwein while studying mechatronicsat the University of Waterloo. In 2011, Maggu learned his four-month-old nephew had cerebral palsy and would likely never walk.That was a turning point, he says. We started looking into it and realized that being in a wheel chair for your entire life can have some negative consequences. Those can include blood clots, muscle degeneration, and kidney failure. We wanted to help my nephew get out of the wheelchair.A robotic device to help kids do that had already been invented. The only problem was that there were only two in Canada, and they cost $500,000. Its not really accessible to most families out there, including mine, Maggu says. So he set out to fix that.The pair decided to go back to school to develop a prototype of the kind of walker they had in mind. They both matriculated at the University of Toronto, where Udasi went for a masters degree in the robotics department while Maggu pursued an MBA. The university has many accelerators to help students create startups while in school. Maggu and Udasi were able to win grants a nd prizesfirst prize from the universitys Entrepreneurship Hatchery, first prize from the Help Edge competition, and a grant from the Ontario Brain instituteto the tune of $80,000.With ansicht funds they were able to complete their first prototype. They took it straight to India so that Maggus nephew, now eight, could give it a try.When he got in it he gave a smile, and I knew he was enjoying it. Manmeet Maggu, Trexo Robotics CEOThey started him off with an air gait where he could practice moving his legs with the robot suspended above the ground. Over several sessions he learned enough to traverse the room. The boys parents were absolutely thrilled.Want to advance your engineering career? These 12 skills will help you do it.But there was much work to be done. The actuation system on the first prototype was fairly basic, among other issues. There was a lot we had to rethink, Maggu says.First there was the issue of size. Would they have a different walker for different age groups? Wo uld it be able to adjust over time? Could they get the necessary power in a compact design? Then there was the issue of software and control, which was difficult because, as Maggu puts it simply, Different children have different difficulties.mora crucial than any of that was the issue of comfort.It cannot be stressed enough how important it is, says Maggu. Using a device for 30 minutesor an hour or twothe smallest discomfort can really amplify. You could build the most amazing technology, but if it isnt comfortable and usable, it will not work. One by one, the pair knocked out these problems. They created two sizes of the Trexo, one for three- to six-year-olds, and another for six- to twelve-year-olds. Both have telescoping legs and adjustable waist and arms supports so the walkers can grow with the children. They worked with an ergonomics expert to create removable padding shaped to meet the comfort needs of children of different sizes and with different challenges. They streamlin ed the walker to make sure it would fit any place deemed wheelchair accessible. They powered the walker with a battery and further developed the software and control system to better detect a childs intent.The result is a robot that looks like a walker for the elderly with two dangling legs between the handles. Those legs have actuators at the hips and knees (the ankles remain passive). Straps and cushions abound.Having made their walker a useable reality, they had to make it a commercial reality. The duo joined Techstars, one of many programs that help young entrepreneurs, which helped them define their business model, taught them how to build their business, and connected them with investors. That definitely helped us tremendously, Maggu says. The company was nominated for the Best New Startup award in the Canadian Innovation Awards.The Trexo has now been approved by Health Canada, and the company is getting ready to go commercial. But they need to fine-tune the software and zustr om a few more tests before they hit the market. The two are also working with the Cincinnati Childrens hospital to create a pilot study. Theyll also be trying to get the walker approved by the Federal Drug Administration.A lot of work and thought has to go into that as well, Maggu says. Building the device is easier.Michael Abrams is an independent writer.More inspiring stories from the wide world of engineeringSpeeding Up 3D Printing by a LotWaste Heat Recovery Revolutionizes Diesel Engines For Further Discussion
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