District 4 on Pathways, discovered from Pathways Discussion Forum

Gloria Gibbon begun a discussion in the Pathways Discussion Forum that shows how useful a discussions thread in the Forum can be, with many opinions and different toastmasters adding to it, one after other with their experience and views.

One of the comments to that discussion, lead me to the most stunning website or Facebook page: District 4 Toastmasters displaying all Pathways Paths and Projects on one page! Not seen before, by a click revealing information as wanted. I dedicate all this post for you to discover it too. 

One click to choose the Path, one other click goes to a Level, another to the project! And you stay on the same page!. On the marge in right, all other information links. I tried of course, other Level and project, here it is, with two other clicks on same page!

It made me curious, where is this District 4? I went to USA Toastmasters Regions and Districts map. D4 it is hidden almost on a tiny surface: meaning there are a lot of clubs there near each other. Hidden almost between 101 and 57 but very near 57 the first Pilot District! TM Region 2.

It is in the Silicon Valley, San Matheo county, the San Francisco peninsula. 

As TMI is closed this weekend, I can not see when they rolled out. But "near 57" is significant too.
What it is sure for me, that their website and links shows what the Silicon Valley is famous about. Great innovation and programmers that can show the same informations we have perhaps elsewhere but in a really easy way to use. 

I do believe, TMI should have those informations in their web so more can see and use them. On another page, D4 has divers useful Pathways Resources. I would say, all those informations in two pages, that is wonderful! Even if we get to go elsewhere later:

One of many Resources curtesy from d57 is George Marshall's Pathways Fast Start, in 24 pages and big images they are also very useful and can help at the beginning. Augmented screenshots and short explaining, take us page by page image by image from login to closing your first project. 

While there are a few other wrinkles in Base Camp, that I would still add to George's document to prevent some problems and help understanding, his Fast Start is a very important document to look at. I can be very useful.

To finish this post, let me show you some other discussion from the post I begun, only a few of so many that finally let me discover district 4!

If you did not yet, go and answer the Pathways Discussion Forum questions to become a member, and you can then make your own discoveries and ask your own questions. Almost 4000 of us are there now to answer and discuss very fast!

Do not miss all the information available so easy to find on the d4. Of course, then come back to my blog, for more and different informations and varied experiences.

I finished, delivered the project, how I tell the Base Camp?

1. How to access my Path? Can I have two Path?

2. How to open my Project?

3. I delivered it already, twice, how to let know base camp that I finished?

    ---> answer the Auto-Assessment (before) then close by answering the (after) Save

4. If the checkbox is not there, go elsewhere and return to refresh

5. Eventually, evaluate the project for TMI: how you liked it (if you want).

In this case, Vic and me also discovered that he was told what to do but did not read the project before delivering it twice. And the VPE must have ordered his second path.

"It it interesting  I will come back and read it one screen at a time."

I am sure, from now one, he will understand how important can be to use the web to read the project and understand it better, before doing what it ask, then delivering the speech.

I am sure, both of us learned from this interaction. He will look at this video and go back again to the Project. And from now on, to each project he will do, "I feel like a beginner in Pathways, I like it" he told me with appreciation. 

I for sure, learned not to tell too much at a time, and listen, discover what IS the real problem. Yes, closing a project was important to show him, but making him discover where the Paths are, how to open a Project and read it page by page, was even more this time. 

Never suppose that "they know" or that they "have already done this". It takes time, but with time we learn and we appreciate. And each interaction is special. Interesting.

Icebreaker or Reflect on your path? Personalize your path!

Every path begins with an Icebreaker and finishes with Reflect On your Path. Those are always the first in level 1 and the last in Level 5. I just discovered, while I cleaned my downloaded folder this picture and video (you can see bellow). 

Told Remote Access all the way to Virginia from London, it was my Dynamic Leadership Icebreaker, the 6th December 2017. At the time, my Leadership Development path was not yet finished, only "almost"; so I could say it was more a preparation for it's Reflect on your Path. 

Yesterday, at Witty Storytellers, see bellow, I finished Level 4 of Dynamic Leadership, so about 5 month to arrive to there, and I know, that now I will linger longtime on its last level. 

Meanwhile, I have two new paths where I am just finished two new Icebreakers. 

Last week it was a Real Icebreaker: I told the story, with some pictures showed too, about how I become photographer when I was refused to attend the Paris American Writers Conference. "Your English..."

With the Motivational Strategies path, I came back again to the idea expressed in my DL icebreaker: to devote it to only one theme, this time not Storytelling importance but that of memories gathered through Photography and expression of a belief that arrived to me all the way from my great grand-mother: from every bad something very good may arrive. 

Here are my three path that will remain with me now for long time. 

Dynamic Leadership does finish with 6 month leading a team. I am in more then one teams now but do not lead any of them. Perhaps from July? Or, I have to organize a team. 

As for Leadership Development, yes again, this time in French, I still have to find where to speak in French. I am allowed to tell my stories also in English, but where would be the challenge? I did buy it to get the Icebreaker, but not only, also to learn all the French expressions through Pathways and refresh my French. Next week, presenting Pathways to a French club in Tunis, best go and read again how different Toastmasters related words are used. 

Motivational strategies? I am a little worried today. Flickr with my 13 million hits and many great groups was just sold to SmugMug, about which we do not know a lot. Yahoo did buy it a few years ago, now sold it. While it is true that Yahoo was not specially good to Flickr these last years, the fear is still there, what this company, with strange name, about which I never heard before, will do? 

I have stories prepared about different pictures and what surrounded the time I have taken them, will have to find clubs to tell them, one by one.

Let me now add here my video about how finally, with my first Dynamic Leadership path, in English, I have chosen my path well : the one I needed. 

Record, record, record! It is such a joy to get back to what and how I told the story beginning of December. A few days only after the wonderful storytelling event. Videos are as much to be cherished as stories and pictures.

Enter my Base camp; Thika Toastmasters, Kenya Pathways Presentation Q/A

Thika Toastmasters from Kenya, were ready to offer me as much time as we needed, after I met the President and some committee members. 

The connection was wonderful, we heard and seen each other well, and they had also interesting questions.

All went well? If only...

I forgot to begin recording, and it was past the first part, when more questions and answers arrived that I started it only. Nor realizing before, that I was giving a great presentation, and indeed I was, with wonderful connection, without recording it! 

With Thika, my third club from Kenya visited and also my online club too, only remains the French club from Tunis in May.

Here is the part, I did record. The best quality of connection so far. Eton Hotel is well equipped but also they arranged a very good web connection. At the beginning, they did show me the audience, then decided those who wanted to ask questions come near the computer one by one.

Kwanza Kenya TM club Presentation & the questions answered

35 minute Pathways presentation to the meeting in Kenya with questions and answers 

The Kwanza Kenya club has already 35 years and has wonderful and varied Toastmasters. Some very experienced, some new, and all interested and eager, to learn more about the new program.

Enter Base Camp & the Level Completion Video Tutorial

Welcome to Pathways Learning Experience! The day will arrive and we can choose our path : at left! Discover the Navigator : at right. And finally, enter Base Camp : middle. As I am also Base Camp Manager, Secretary at Lewisham Speakers, I can enter As Member or as Base Camp Manager. Let me enter as Member.

I am in! I am in Base Camp. Instead of rushing to see my path and project, let us begin and check Compatibility and make sure the Popup Blocker of my browser is disabled. 

There are many other checks, but the disable the Pop-up Blocker is the most important as all the projects are and many tutorials on pop-ups. Toastmasters recognizes your system and helps you if all not as it should be, explaining the steps to follow.

Now it is time to enter through Home, strangely not a click on the name but under it, the Educational Transcript, where all your paths and tutorials you opened reside.

After completing all the tasks in the three projects of level 1, it is time to close the level. A year ago, when I arrived at that stage I was confused. A pdf opened, I read it, did not understand what I have to do. And when I closed it, did not understand I have to click on the button that now transformed. Then wait. I waited, and nothing happened. I got a pal who did it for me, all the way from Toronto, the first time.

This morning, I discovered that there is a Tutorial Video: Close a Level, and with Replay Video Recording software, that I used first for GoToMeeting, and now not often, recorded it.

Enjoy. When you will need it, you can look at it again. It is short but it does tell what to do. I wish I knew where to find answers while I waited, in vain, for my level to close and for me to be able to open the projects at the next level. 

The tutorial is not complete: after the level is approved, at the last "project" which is not really a project just the level completion, Print my Level Award appears. Only when you finish a Path, you get it from TMI direct, all the Level Awards you can print yourself, or the VPE can print it for you and present it festive in a club meeting. 

Last picture I add here, even if there were many things I did not understand at the beginning, is how to log out from Base Camp. That one, my son showed me when he visited, telling me "everyone knows that this small round wheel is for out and it is always in the upper right corner". 

Well, I was not between "everyone". I got out by closing the tab, till then, not "clean". 

But now, if you get till here to read, you will know also. As we log out of Base Camp, we find ourselves still logged in the TMI web and can logout from there too, or discover FAQ, or do some other club business, or even see all the things they "know" about me. Indeed, I got for example 14 awards in 9 years, and 22 awards in the last years since I begun pathways. Indeed, a lot more. But most important was the joy of doing all those Projects. I am looking forward to discover more or repeat some others better.

Research and Present, from Level 1

Level 1 is the same in all projects, yet I have listened to many presentations who did not understand what this project is about.

In my opinion, and yes a blogger offers an "opinion" not considered in this project as an "expert", also I believe many of us are in the domain we blog about, this project is not to find a Topic to speak about, between those you have passion about. Not only. A lot more. 
Here, from the project itself. I added the bold and the red color to it.

Purpose: The purpose of this project is to learn or review basic research methods and present a well-organized, well-researched speech on any topic.

Overview: Select a topic that you are not already familiar with or that you wish to learn more about. Be sure your topic is narrow enough to be an effective 5- to 7-minute speech. Research the topic and begin organizing the information, as described in this project. Practice your speech and continue to refine its organization. Present your speech at a club meeting.

It is not to take a topic you know a lot about already and present it in 5 to 7 minutes, even if you do it in a very interesting way. It is to make us DO a research about a topic that interest us BUT of which we are not yet familiar or want to learn more. Many times, later, in other projects, we will be told, "research it farther". So we'd better get used to search specific topics from books, articles, pictures, news, interview experts, put many sources information together. Then narrow them down. Take out some interesting parts and organize it in one of the ways described in the Project. 

Make the audience enjoy it, not only understand, while citing a source or two, in the way the project proposes. I am not so sure about how citations go into a speech, but we can always add them or make them available. 

A new Toastmaster from Malaysia wrote me: I am interested in "information technology security". So? He can present it like a detective story! Another, told us about animals or even other stellar systems. In each case, alas, I had the impression, not only that they did not care if the Audience is also interested in it, but they did not take a subject about which they did not already knew a lot.

Research is in my opinion the important part in this project. Gathering information from diverse sources. Analyzing it. Extracting some of it. And, when I do this project, also trying it out. For me, a researcher is not an article writer, a radio reporter, it is someone who tries to add something to the research. But at least, present it in a special way, funny, sad, scary, any way to make it interesting to those listening.

My first Research was Pathways (a year ago) combined with Transition. My second Research was Zoom, about which I did not know much then. Each time, I have taken on something about which I wanted to discover more.

This time, in my last path is will be New Learning Methods, blended or "more then blended" as they call it, as they apply to Pathways Structure and Projects. I have a lot more to learn and understand about this very wast subject, and then, narrow it down to one or maximum three main points for a speech. Would be easier to speak about my topics an hour, but the mastery will be to narrow it down and make it interesting and relevant to all who listen.

Say it with flowers?

I added 5 pictures on my facebook page and this is what appeared: together they look great, and the number of visits plus the three more looked posts show better as it is surrounded by flowers from the garden behind my building. 

The first flowers with a bench in the memory of Margot, my wonderful neighbor who died from cancer a few years back. In fact, I remember most her luminous smile. The tiny blue flowers I got very near so the background blurred as most photographers like. The red and yellow ones interesting by contrast, look like roses but are tulips variety. 

What I am doing with flowers in a blog about pathways? Well, you remember perhaps, this Motivational Strategy will be all about photos of different kind I have taken. What can I say about this one? That is the day, when I went down "just in time". A few minutes later, some of the flowers, not these one, in front, were "cleaned". We have to seize the occasion when it comes and not let it go away. 

This is the "just in time" story with the gardener smile "ah! you take them fast before I" and below, what we learn fast, takes less time, what we learn slow or can change slowly. Skills and changing attitudes are in the middle range. Take time.

And the slower we can change our foundation, our core values and personality traits. But those are the one who have the strongest influence at the end. Also from the book I wrote yesterday. So much to absorb! 

How can I blog to take into consideration all that? But finally, I do not want to change through this blog anyone else then myself. By reflection on what I do, I learn most.

I will make "how we learn" my new Research and Present in my newest path. 

How people learn? Not all are like us!

On my facebook page, till I do not publish this post on top of it, this is what you will find. I fall again for a new book. So well written, so easy to read! 

And on top of it the drawings are all at the level I stopped when I was 12 years old. It did bring me back to my wall articles I put on in the vacation colony. Never learned more, never got to draw from then on in fact. So, when I have opened the introduction in the morning, and seen this, bellow, I knew I was done: I will have to buy it and read more then just the free sample. It is not cheap book, but it is worth it. And yes, did buy it afternoon.

You remember your best learning experience? Immediate a wonderful teacher of a usually boring subject come to my mind. We loved him and his stories, and through them we went on and learned... accounting. In high school. Aced his subject. 

As for a book? well, I did learn already from this book, but that is me. 

She proves and explain us that everyone is not as we are. Indeed, I love to learn new things, not everyone does. I love to experience new skills. Others fear them. I love to read, to teach, and so on. But we can be different. Even us in a given day... 

Some are "intrisic learners" do not learn to be rewarded or told "you are great". Even if it feels indeed good to be told so... Others need fast rewards and fast the feeling that they can do. In fact, that is what Level 1 of Pathways does. Gives courage and a scaffold to go up easier. Another great drawing. So many of them in the book!

This book costs as much as a path, but I will learn from it how to present better, how to blog more efficiently, thinking more of the differences between all of us. 

and here is another one, also from the book: do buy it, really so much information in those 320 or so pages, that publishing here a few can not replace.

At the very beginning, identify the GAP between what they already know, and what they need to know to be satisfied. Knowledge, skills, place to find out more. 

Link new knowledge to what they now and tell them to look for other informations. Last project of Level 1 from Pathways. Skills, had to be practiced. Do, reflect, do, again. Rome was not build in a day. But feeling we have already done a bit, in a safe environment when I could not be afraid to fail, is important. Again, confidence.

Some need special care, not because they are beginners, but experts. Some of their behaviors has to be unlearned. Not an easy task either! They can go very fast, then slow down, as I do now, to absorb new information, learn new skill. And writing about it, trying it out, teaching it in the future as I hope I'll be able to do, gives a new opportunity to "own it". 

Whether it's giving a presentation, writing or creating a blog, we need to share knowledge with others. In workshops and my presentations as Guide also. I really hope, this book, will be for me a great investment. 

And of course, again, I understand better why Pathways is designed as it is. And how difficult is it to satisfy all kind of learners, adults who are often so different from us and each other. Her name is also Julie! only the family name is different Dirksen. 

I leave you with the book cover. Not cheep. I did buy a Kindle version, £16.89 as I wanted to be able to read with the size I need, and also make some images bigger. The book costs slightly more. 

I will try to add more information from it as I read. Not too much as some are interested some not. But I do believe all of this is linked to Pathways and also explain how and why it was conceived like it is.

I never thought of myself as "designer" but that is just a label. Some call it trainer. Others, facilitator. And as read it, it can be even a blogger!

With the Nairobi Bottlers Toastmasters, Kenya

Zooming together from London, England all the way to Nairobi Kenya in good humour and understanding. They did laugh more then once. And also asked questions they needed to know, both Doris and Isaac. Valentine arrived later, as she finished her work. Probably, more questions will come as they look at the presentation again. Presented in this post in three parts so you could look at shorter parts as desired.
Generalities about Pathways at first


Going in some details, 2nd 

I had to stop sharing screen between the 2nd and 3rd part as they did not use the same program. The presentation slides where through my apple Keynote, and the Base Camp was accessed through my Safari Browser that I had to open before going back to share my screen again. Happily, Isaac interrupted me telling "we do not see!" as I was at first not aware they do not see what I do on my screen.

Part 3 inside my base camp and my project Inspire the Audience
This video beginning already not only inspired all but made them laugh again.

Today, I am rested, so I could look at the video differently. Not so bad after all for a first presentation as Guide from afar. I do not count the one I did within my own online club where I know all and where all were already on pathways. 

I learned looking all over : listen more carefully to the question asked. Add a few more slides that answer to some questions. Show how to enter TMI : not all have already done it. It is normal to learn from them as they learned from me. Most important? I did what Ralph Smedley asked! All was through an enjoyable atmosphere. 

Motivation Strategies will be all about Photos

A path is a path, but can be a lot more. 

I learned it with my Leadership Development Path, dedicated to personal storytelling. It was a joy to travel through the path! As I decided to take it "slow" and use as many Projects as I can from my latest path, Motivational Strategies, MS, suddenly I knew what it all will be about: photography. 

Before deciding, I already begun, with a hasty Icebreaker delivered remote access, when a speaker did not come. It was not yet about my passion of photography. So, to talk the talk and walk the walk, as I tell "repeat till it shines", I decided to repeat my Icebreaker, and I did yesterday at my "brick and mortar" club, near me. The club where I joined 9 years ago, the club which was formed 9 years ago: Lewisham Speakers.

I took with me a small book with pictures I have taken through the years, and from the middle of my speech used it. But first, I told the story how I discovered photography, around the time I was 70 years old, when in fact, I hoped to learn more of writing stories. Destiny was against my want, but knew better. That is the other theme it will be going all through MS: 'from bad things new arrises" as great grand-ma told me often.

Did not find my front teeth denture...

I never stopped taking photos from then on. I needed to interact with people, and I got it. People of all ages! Here very young a Halloween day, or older then me, met in Dauphinée. I needed a new passion: from my first digital camera I knew "that is it!" 

This four are just some of many I prepared to speak about, each have a long story behind it. "Breakfast in bed begins when I was 8  and finishes at 80", it will be a sour-sweet story of desires and at the end, independence. 

I showed a version of the vase and shadow, taken a day I felt desperate. It told me "you make a lot bigger thing of what happened then it really is. Each time I look again at this photography, here the "cleaned" version, I ask : Julie, do not project your problems and see them a lot bigger. How bad it is right now? As the vase or as its shadow?

I begun to publish on Flickr, photo website in beta yet in 2005, learned to use them to blog and created groups in it. There was no Facebook at the time, and I learned how to attract others interested at the same subject as me "how to take better photos". In 6 years, as group Administrator, I found every month a new specialist to explain us something new, and offer us workshop: the group grew to 2500 and offered lot to improve. In some ways it was what I do now with this blog. 

The advantage of photography? I do not have to speak, to write correct French or English! The photos speak for themselves. And of course in the group, we all showed our last creations. Even after the class: its name was not Masterclass but Afterclass.

"I was the best story I heard" Lewisham President told me. "I can not give you feedback, I was all inside it." I got a feedback on my evaluation form: explain what IS "Flickr". 

Beside, uploading (and showing in different sizes) and adding them to a Group, or not, we gather the photos in Albums. Here are some Albums (I do have a lot!)

Explored are the ones the Flickr system selects as bests. Home, is my latest taken around me. Paris Selection, All Palermo, All Morocco, Athens, Granada, titles speak. Then, I can gather the Albums in Collections.

Like "most appreciated"; London diversity; Paris walks; Met in is all about people met in different places I have been; A week in about my travels; and so on. I try to put them together so they make sense and could find them faster. Many pictures added in those years and many stories behind them. More then one path projects can hold!

From time to time, I will stop my Pathways discovery to show how diverse a Pathways Path and Project can be when given a theme and a subject. 

This photo remembered when I tell a truth that makes laugh, with me and not at me. 

"How cute is when front teeth are missing! When you are 7 years old, not when 77.

A horror story with 12 links: do not fall in the same trap I did

12 posts found when I searched in this blog "printed path" with their link: that shows you how strong I felt about it and the different posts I wrote about my own "horror story". For once, in this case, do not fell in the trap I did. 

In this post you have links to the 12 posts found are sorted by blogger in order of their "relevance" to the two words. 

All the way down, and perhaps I would begin by that one is a post from May last year, indeed, almost a year ago. 

I joined Pathways the 25th March, ordered Presentation Mastery Printed and the 13th May (and even beginning June still) I was still waiting for the first two Printed Levels to get to me... Of course, it can not happen to you! It was at the beginning, pilot stage. 

Meanwhile I did buy Visionary Communication web based and was happily working on it. If you read the What level you enjoyed most, 3rd Level, with all the wonderful Elective Projects for me to Activate, Launch, Read and as I want Save or Print and Deliver as many as I want. True, only 2 minimum are "counted" as "points" : so what? We have so many to choose from! 

Unless we buy Printed Material. I hoped, I get all the electives printed for me, I was utterly deceived I did not. We got 2 projects chosen for us.

So, for once, do not do like I did a year ago (only 0.4% of us fall for it): read a few of these posts, they will help you to choose the one best for you. I hope. 

Enjoy the posts (opening in new window) and your paths.

1. Printed or not Printed?
2. Printed or not: electives (not) to choose.
3. What IS an Elective Project? 
4. Suggest Specific Improvements
5. How to choose a path?
6. Why did I decide (wrong)?
7. Before you choose a Path
8. Projects may be the same but we change
9. 27 Elective Projects available (on a web path)
10. What level you enjoyed most? 3rd level 
11. How did I choose?
12. May 2017 PM(still waiting) and VC L2