Designed to Deliver, in Toastmasters February Magazine

Paul Sherman, wrote an article in the February 2019 magazine of Toastmasters. About Mark Snow's and my experience of Pathways. It helped Mark in his professional carrier.

I am for the moment the oldest Pathways DTM and Mark Snow, who was also the first Pathways DTM, the youngest. Today, I will assist with hundred others to his Pathways Workshop he gives from Australia. 5 am for him (tomorrow already) while still only 7 pm in London for me. But we will be together, again, as in the article, Designed to Deliver.

Here a few lines from the it, please read all! There is a lot more of what Mark experienced, and later, another day, I will take it paragraph by paragraph to comment. Worth reading.

"Julie Kertesz, DTM, of London, England, has been working in Pathways since it launched in 2017, and she praises its expansive offerings and customized nature. As she progressed in the program, she created storytelling events, blogged regularly and explored photography as a motivational strategy. Kertesz is 84 years old.

“In designing the learning experience, the Pathways development team used the most current research in adult learning.”

"A member of online and in-person clubs, Kertesz—who has a Ph.D. in chemistry—likes the rigor of the program. Like Mark Snow, she has earned a DTM in Pathways. “I am completely energized by Pathways and the people I have met through or because of it.”

— Julie Kertesz, DTM

She says she has grown in many ways working in Pathways, noting, for example, how a project on negotiation skills helped her resolve a disagreement about a club issue with the vice president education." 

“Each project brings its own joy and learning,” she says, “and some came ‘home’ in my private life and helped me to look at the positive side of something I was just very upset about.”

This three books not in the article I understood from them about modern instructional design principles

"Snow and Kertesz say the instructional-design principles rooted in Pathways have produced an innovative and engaging learning experience. What stands out to Snow is “the enhanced focus on experiential learning and self-reflection.” 

The new program, adds Kertesz, “gives us a wonderful occasion to grow.”

"In designing the learning experience, the Pathways development team used the most current research in adult learning, says Sue Stanley, Toastmasters International’s senior instructional designer. Specifically, the program reflects the following key principles:

• To learn best, adults want to know why they need to learn something. What is the value to them?
• Internal motivation is the driving force to learn. Adult education needs to be self-directed.
• Hands-on, experiential learning is key, as is a focus on critical thinking.
• Adults want to apply what they learn—to do something tangible with their knowledge.

Pathways, which contains a mix of required and elective projects, offers a personalized style of learning. Participants can tailor their experience to their own goals. And working online offers flexibility: You can work on projects whenever and wherever you want."

Wherever possible, concrete experiences are built into the program to emphasize the learn-by-doing approach that has been fundamental to Toastmasters’ education programs over the years, says Stanley. For example, for the project 'Managing a Difficult Audience' (in the Presentation Mastery path), members behave like difficult audience members so the person doing the project can practice handling that situation."

There would be so much more to say! Of course, all is not here, read it!

Indeed, I just finished second time Managing a Difficult Audience, it was funny and instructive this time too. Now, I am tackling Podcast, even harder to learn all there is available, all that is needed to make ONE HOUR total, at least, but it will indeed worth!