Some advices for newcomers to Pathways

Pathways projects are wonderful.  Do not wait to get started!

New region begun In September 2017. 

Advice for newcomers. 

Edited a year later in RED

______ REPOST 2019_______

You may have some problems at the beginning. Here are some of the most vexing I found and how you can "deal with" them."

1. Check the Compatibility of your Computer system and the browser you use. Pathways explains how to do so recognizing your computer and even, the browser you use. Most important: Allow Popups! Pathways projects are on a popups. If you don't Disable the Popup blocker, your Path, Projects will not open up. Do not need to fear popups, in many months using my computer after I begun Pathways, I have not been bothered with popups.

This is on PC, on Mac the round is on top left

2. Open up Projects full screen. First the Projects may open small and we cannot see the navigation arrows on the left and right. When we open on "full screen" in your browser you will be able to see the navigation arrows and the triangle all the way down that helps to to go directly to some sections in each Project. When you are at "full screen" you will see the navigation arrows - <--- at one end and ---> at the other end. 

Make sure when you click to open a project or any other link that you open it in a new tab, so that you can close it, save it or print it. I have configured my browser so it does it for me automatically. 

3. it is best to save all your projects to your computer so you can easily reread them later, or print them anytime you want to read a hard copy when you are not near your computer. I do this now when I am at a Level 3 to 5 even when I do not take that project on this time. I save all the projects Level by Level but inside a Projects folder.

4. Learn how to fill or print the evaluation forms. There are free software on your computer - different depending on your system and computer. For Macintosh is different than Windows devices or Android. 

CAUTION:  Do NOT download the test "Adobe Acrobat Reader DC "like I did alas. If you do, it will quickly revert to a very expensive program that you have to purchase to use. Or find an alternative. You can print the Evaluation Forms from the Project, "Your Evaluation" page in any project. We can find now online fillable evaluation forms, from the Tutorials and Resources / Evaluations / English. Save the form, send it, ask the Evaluator fill it, then save it before sending it back, less it arrives empty. 

5. Perhaps the most important point to close any Project. In order to tell Base camp: this is done ---> Answer all Self Assessments questions and save them.

Each project, has an Assess Your Skills - Before you begin a project and another, Assess Your Skills - After you have completed all the tasks including giving the speech. After answering all the After and Saving, Base Camp will compare the two in a pop up. That indicates to Base Camp that you have completed a project and to you that you did answer all questions and saved it. Refresh, going away and back, instead of Launch you will see then Evaluate. It ask you to tell Toastmasters how you liked the project. As soon as you saved that "evaluate", the project shows again Launch. You can reopen it any time.

6. End of a Pathways Level. At the end of a Level, the VPE must approve the Level's completion. How? After you have finished, all the projects in a Level, you are able to launch and told to declare it Finished. Click on Mark Finished. 

It is then that the VPE will be informed by Headquarters (almost immediately) and also your request of Level Completion will appear when he opens the Base Camp, as a Base Camp Manager. Only the VPE or the other Base Camp Managers can approve. The President and the Secretary are also Base Camp Managers. Approving a Level in Base Camp, takes only one click, and you can then continue to another Level. 

Finishing a Level in Base Camp does not give you the Toastmaster Level award yet. It must be entered into Club Central in order for you and the club to receive DCP credit because TI has not linked the Base Camp information with the Education Award information on the website. Any committee member can enter your award to Club Central, but you, even if usually the VPE does it. It is up to you to decide, when dual, to which club and also when you want to offer it to any club. It does not have to be the same club that approved it in the Base Camp.

7. If a click does not work on a Title, HOME in the Red go under the title, click on the grey title that appears. In other places we have to click near the folder: do not give up, experiment. Sometimes you advance tby clicking "MORE" other times "NEXT" and usually, with -> the navigation arrows to move forward or backward or sometimes, rare even down. There is a small upward arrow at the bottom of the screen that allows you to jump directly to other parts of the project. Sometimes text appears when you click on a name.
Most important of all, JUST DIVE IN! ENJOY the program. The various small quirks that you encounter may be frustrating at first but TI is working on them and improving. As for now, just get use to them. With time, perhaps many will be changed but that may take time. The good news is that the program is very functional as it is, even with the small quirks and the projects awesome!

Whenever a problem surfaces, first discuss with your VPE and Base Camp Manager, and with your Guides and/or Ambassadors. Or ask the question in the Pathways Discussion Forum. Contact World Headquarters at last resort  You can also provide written feedback on the TMI website for what disturbs you most. And of course, most of all:

ENJOY

 ASK me! I am happy to help out. 

I am ready, willing, and able to help you online.