Chapter 5, TRADOC Pam 525-3-7: The US Army Concept for the Human Dimension in FSO addresses The Cognitive Component- Training and Educating Soldiers. Among many insights in the excellent discussion, is the challenge to find creative ways to leverage digital technology in support of educational aims, particularly with a Millenial generation that is adept with all things digital.
Emerging from a discussion of the potential directions this blog may take are the following potential educational benefits with respect to furthering our appreciation for F100 and Army Change Management. Upon first review, all of these potentials seem suitable, feasible and acceptable to me (an important force management mental model for evaluating potential programs and/or changes) as we consider the T (Training) and L (Leadership) domains in the DOTMLPF construct (another important mental model for assessing and analyzing the magnitude and dimensions of change generated by a given proposal).
In a roundtable discussion with a number of very experienced TASS Bn instructors (minimum 5 years on the platform), the use and applications for this blog were very favorably received. In fact they brainstormed a number of these ideas as we considered ways to help them in one of their most challenging instructional challenges: teaching force management amidst all their other requirements.
and so, the first top 10 potentials for this blog:
1. we might meet the stratcom requirement for blogging, article writing;
2. we serve the educational objective of increasing the relevance of force mgt in our officers minds
3. we create an educational resource that becomes available for follow on classes in our building
4. we help the TASS Bns to tap into writings, essays, commentary, dialectic that helps them develop context and practical examples as they wrestle with a difficult subject matter that they are not expert in. Lets them connect their student questions with to evolving FAQ and the “mother ship” of F100 back here if needed.
5. we create a resource that is available for reach back from officer graduates
6. we ratchet up our learning (we are not starting each year at ground zero)
7. we have a growing body of knowledge on force management practice (as opposed to formal theory and principles) that is found nowhere else on the web or in the world: force management for non-FA 50s
8. this may actually turn into an ST supplement or simply become the Student Text for F100, but a better version because it is digital, cheap, flexible, cheap, dynamic, indexed, searchable, dynamic, cheap, and available instantly to all classrooms.
9. We could be publishing 1-2 page practical summaries of the top 20 standards in support of our ELOs, which are even more succinct “need to know” takeaways than those found in the force management primers (which are geared to FA 50 and go much deeper than we need or can apply in most cases)
10. We provide a venue for more professional writing from both faculty and officer students. Example: ie the satellites, with their wealth of FA 50 and slightly different demographic might be able to apply the knowledge, experience and wisdom of their student writings and faculty expertise to drive us higher
11. etc (must leave some room for others)