Support files added to level 1

 New materials, from old toastmasters magasines are added. 

At Level 1 I 

found these

New level 1

 

New level 1 in a few paths, soon to be implemented in more. 

I opened it on my Safari.

Remember : 4 screens.

 For those new to pathways and Basecamp here some screens to remember. 

Navigations, different.

Alas, in any case, we can accede to the last page, Congratulations even if not yet deserved. Ignore it. Pathways still has wrinkles, to be corrected some time. Also has lots of good material, projects and paths.

Before and after self-assessment: one have to answer to all questions. 

The last question is always, in all projects the same, indicating that all we learn is to be used (also) outside toastmasters. When you answered this last - and all other questions before - then you can submit, and your project is considered done. Of course, do it only when all tasks of the project were completed. Not when signalling you read. 

To everyone in Waiting Room, new from zoom

 It may seem a little improvement, but as the choice is now Password (I try to avoid) or Waiting Room for all, this seems important to me.

To Everyone, normal chat; or to Everyone in the waiting room. I just discovered this today, as I was named Co-Host in our Witty Storytelling Online meeting. 

I was told, blue with small clouds is better, so that will be for now. I delivered a part that I will cut and make know, about Humor / Making laugh / Never too late to learn how to.

Preparing Pathways High Performance Leadership

 

Got a committee, have to meet them together. A vision and even a plan. 

And so far, two team members agreed. Wrote down some personal stories related, found some videos. 

So much work still waiting!

Creating new zoom account?

 Lewisham speakers from London, decided to get its own pro zoom account, instead of using mine. 

So much to do and learn !

First, our president created a new email, gmail, for the club.

Then, treasurers did buy a Zoom pro for a year. Got a password to access it. 

Then, try it out, learn to configure, to use different features: that took more then once coaching, and of course, along even I learned observed new things. Happily I love learning and teaching, coaching.

What color we use to look through is so important!

New discoveries: had to diminish my window in basecamp 3 times

 I could not advance, in my project opened. Really unhappy about it.

Opened a new window, then finally I realized : it was too big. And could change the View, to less, and less and less. After 3 times, finally the arrow for advancing was there and for seeing the sections, had to make the window longer. 

With this (done three times in fact) I could get my Path finished, Visionary Communication finally between the Completed paths and the Path Proficiency certificate there. Curiously, I had to diminish that also three time, in order that all is there.

And miracle! it has the good date on it even!

3 old 1 new path on my board now

 "On my board" I mean still open paths in my basecamp. 

 

Dynamic Leadership is the last path, the free path I have chosen. I will not begin Level 2 projects.

In Dynamic Leadership, the three "old projects of Level 2": Introduction to Toastmaster Mentoring, that is in every path, plus the Understanding Your Leadership and Understanding your Communication.

Leadership style did not change, in three years, still "Innovative" also in fact all but the bureaucratic, in fact, it depends. A good leader changes styles depending of situation. Same with my communication style, in three years the answer did not change. Still "initiating" is on top, whatever it means.

In VC path I just have to give 10 - 12 minutes of Reflect on your path, I am not in rush and it is so important for me, all I want to say about it. It is the second time this path: it was the first finished in 2017.

In IP path alas, I have also to create a new HPL as the old is no more actual. 

And still have to remember, what I did and what not for the printed path, PM (first chosen in 2017 and still not finished, but it was archived - was I right to bring it back?

WSO TableTopics Contest: 6 or us

Witty Storytellers Online club Table Topic Contest with 6 contestants

--- Handicapped, I was surprised to win the 3rd price ---

The contest won by Wendy Smiley, Contestant nr 1 : 

her choice was to participate to the contest!

--- and so well told ---

The Table Topic question for all was "The Choice"

Great Contest Chair, our President, Graham Cairn

Changing places in Gallery view (or speaker view)

Speaker, with Gallery on the left

Speaker with gallery on the top

Another change of places - depending the speaker and the evaluator : one can just slide a video up and down, left and right (of all are allowed, not just those with video on).

 

Zoom : Move people in Gallery view

 I discovered, through a video, and then, experimenting, that In zoom gallery view, I can place each, one by one, higher or lower, even change place in a row. 

But after deciding I want to see only those with their video on, I got this message:

With non-video participants hidden, an option in the Videos, I was not allowed any more to move them. 

Use blue!

 

Blue background is used by many who know, and also good for those with white hair, and white letters on blue are read easier.

It symbolizes trust, loyalty, wisdom, confidence, intelligence, faith, truth, and heaven. Blue is considered beneficial to the mind and body. It slows human metabolism and produces a calming effect. Blue is strongly associated with tranquility and calmness.

this is my new background found as I looked for "blue" on Google

And another example of blue, as the "Risk of a second fracture" caught my eyes. White bones on blue. Alas I did got a second fracture on my left feet after I broke left bones and feet, about 2 y later.

Different blue backgrounds different occasions, many shades of blue.

So do use blue, it does works! It also works with blue tea-shirt used, as I do. Or, at least, a blue mask and background with blue sky behind me. 

The next step

A path has about 15 projects, at minimum; a lot more if you add to them more "elective" projects then the minimum required.

That is a lot. Depending our time, availability and interest plus the number of clubs we are member, we can go through them slowly or faster. 

Don't think about it all at once.

Take one Level, one Project and one task at a time.

I love to be able to begin a new path, be again at Level 1, have the same required tasks, do them differently then before. I may begin and try to think again with a beginners mind, but in fact I am no more at the level I was end March 2017 as I first begun, or even last year.

I changed. My knowledge changed, the path opened too, access to path changed.

Each time we got questions in the Pathways Discussion Forum, I measure how much I learned, and as I read answers to them, how well some are able to express themselves to answer.

Beginning, Humor Contest and the two Anaka's stories

Lewisham Speakers club first online contest begins: I was chief judge The Anaka's are new toastmasters, happily married couple from Nigeria and Great Britain. Liked both their stories, even with the timing and hesitations before beginning.

Julie "Free" & Warmups

Alas, 90 seconds hesitation in the middle of my speech. 

I should have:

1. Let the post I wanted to show on screen and verify again it is there

2. I should not have changed its initial title, then found it faster

3. Keep spoking while I was looking...

But perhaps, even so, the almost 8 minutes are not for nothing, and in plus, I left - at the beginning - the meeting opening, Fernando sg arms and Donovan as 4th Nov. president, as Toastmaster of the Day, as Warmup leader : "who inspires you?" answered by all present.

My first paths, VC, PM, LD

This picture posted 3 years ago: it took me 7 month to finish the first two path, Visionary Communication first, then Presentation Mastery. Leadership development was already on the way. 

The Motivational Strategy, begun in 2018 took a lot longer for me, but mostly because I did all Level 3 Elective projects, all but one Level 4 electives too, and more then one from Level 5. 

To this list, of course I add today the Embracing Humor path, also finishing, like the Presentation Mastery with a longer, keynote like speech. It does teach us about the importance of personal storytelling, different beginnings or ends, depending on the audience.

Some other paths, ask for 6 month at least in a committee or some other leadership role in a voluntary organisation: take a bit more time. One of those, I am beginning now, I am Secretary in 2 Toastmasters clubs anyway. One can lead from the top but also from the bottom. Dynamic Leadership, is a great path that I begin now second time. 

Three paths I do not recommend for beginners are those finishing with High Performance Leadership. Those take the most time and work, need a team plus a committee to survey and counseling. 

You can find more detailed prescriptions on my other posts, look between my most read ones... for example the one beginning with Welcome. 

A new beginning!

 Always loved to begin a new school year or a personal diary with a new notebook! 

Almost same feeling now, after I got gift of the Dynamic Leadership path (second time).

Of course, sometimes, beginnings are confusing, here is a page of Glossary TM provides (alas, some definitions are outdated already), so I added only this page.

I still not see the reason we should call, sometimes a Path "Curriculum", and not many of us uses any more the E-portofolio, only we see. Change names and shorten before you upload if you want to do so as each Level has a folder without making difference.

Elective and Required projects descriptions alas not on same page. 

Elected, are projects we select from a range of others, and Required are the project we must do for a specific path. Of course, Level 1 projects all same in all paths, all Required, and at the beginning, most Level 2 were too, but nowadays, only the Introduction to Mentoring is Required in all Level 2. 

180,000 visits to Pathways experience!

Round numbers are beautiful, aren't they? 

I love round numbers and was waiting for a few days already to get here, pass the 180,000 visits to here, to my Https://pathwaysexperience.blogspot.com. Hurrah! 

Thanks you a lot.

Free path, new path: How to choose?

Recommended for all beginners in Toastmasters or Pathways. To learn communication skills, learn about audience and tell personal stories, to persuade, to create smaller then bigger meeting, to learn and tell about change. So much in those path!

Those bellow take longer, need in plus for you to lead minimum 6 month, each are interesting in their way. 

Choose those if you do have already or soon a leadership role, in any capacity: even being a Basecamp manager, VPE, President, Secretary, or any leadership role in or outside Toastmasters, that lasts 6 month at least. I just begun, second time the Dynamic Leadership path, a very good project on Change. The first time around, it also helped me Negotiating.

Only if you like High Performance Leadership and are ready for long time, deep leadership roles, use these. If you are new to Toastmasters, in my opinions, these three are to be avoided.

A free path for us!

 All of us who paid, or will renew till December, get because Coronavirus a free path in plus!

Lettre from our International President 

And here is mine: I have selected Dynamic Leadership. It has a good project about Negotiations in level 3 and an excellent about Change on level 4. And I get to go again through the first levels!