Easy? Not easy but worth it.

I got my 6th Level 1 approved. Now, soon the 6th Level 2 - just have to wait for the VPE to learn how. "It is easy for you, Julie!" I was told. Pathways beginnings were not "easy" to me, I had a lot that bothered me. I was persistent, and I got a great Mentor and good pals to discuss the problems.

Today, I went out and looked down at all the steps waiting for me. Is it easy to go down, and later up so many steps? 

It is not easy at all for me.

One step at a time, I learned to go down with my bad leg and up with the good one. One step at a time.

Is it worth going out? Was it worth going in the garden today? Is it worth going Level after level and Project after project? 

Nothing is easy in life. For me not easier then for anyone else. But when it is worth it!

Today, we tried to see how we can change my password, so others from my club committee could use my Zoom Pro from September on. A lot of time spend on it with Zaldy Co, our Sergeant of arms, and the President of Emperor online.

Zaldy's Emperor online had a meeting online later, and I evaluated the only speaker, who begun her pathways Icebreaker. It was a heartbreaking personal story.

Before the story, we all answered the same Table Topics Question, inspired by the Speech Contest: Stand Up...

So many different answers we got to the same title, the same question asked from us!

I was very happy to out in the garden towards noon, and then to assist to the Emperors Online meeting. I also listened again, to all the ten contestants, and wrote down what I learned.

First, I do like authenticity and humor. Stories of personal life. Second, one does not have to tell "all the truth" even if we inspire our stories from the truth. And thirdly, more problems and setbacks you have in a story, more interesting it becomes.

Of course, it has to satisfy and most of them finish well.

Failed many times at university? Finally, the fifth time you passed "cum laude".
Failed to hold a job after many years? You got into Toastmaster! Failed at a District contest three years ago? You got into world stage because, you did not give up, you stood up.
Failed at marriage after eight, long, blissful, interesting... month? There are many men in the convention! 

As for me, today, lots of pictures taken from the garden and had a great time. Got home. Arrived up all those stairs slowly, step by step. One step at a time. 

80 pictures of flowers and garden's mood taken today in wonderful weather

Humor path?

I will of course buy it, as soon as it arrives, at the end of year or perhaps even earlier? It seems they begun to work on a Humor or "humour" path at the beginning of this year already.

Making laugh is a SKILL something that can be learned: I can testify for it! So do not wait, till it comes! Any speech - almost - can be given in "any style" and humorous is one of it! Making laugh was one of the biggest features, besides the usual personal stories, in this year contest.

I was convinced for almost all my life "I can not do humour, I have no funny bones" Even if I made laugh once, as I read a story I wrote and rewrote, the audience and the atmosphere, the lightening even, had most to do with it that my story that was supposed to be not funny at all. It gave a message through a moment of my life. I will never forget that moment, when my phrase about my aunt was interrupted with a huge laughter. "She was lucky, she lost her husband" What? "at 68 and two year later, a very nice 80 year old man fall for her". They did laugh and laugh at the beginning so much, I could barely finish my phrase and go farther to speak how the old gentleman and my aunt, opened the door and beside a great dinner he cooked for us, he gave me an advice I needed and could never forget.

Almost ten year later that laughter, and many others that followed that evening, I got many laughs during a very serious story again, this time in a London theatre. That is when I decided, I have to learn how to make audience laugh WHEN I want, not by chance. I was almost 77.

I read books, not enough. I tried in the toastmaster club, it worked, so so. I decided to give a try and went to a Standup Comedy workshop. (<---Link -->) I went back to a showcase, two years later as "guest comedian" Be aware, a Standup Comedy club is not "politically correct" for Toastmasters. And from the first workshop of 6 weeks 3 hours, two others as long followed, before I got out of my own. We have to go out, and I did only at 77 and went on to 77 comedy clubs. In my blog CompetentCommunicator.blogspot.co.uk/ there are many examples of my standups, most also explained why I think parts of them worked, even if most of them I just got as podcast, not many where taken also on video and with good light in plus.

We have to work to develop our funny boness! Humor is not something we "just do" if we want to get laugher after laugher and each time. Of course, not all audience laughs at every one of our bits, but if we work on them enough, eliminate those who are our dear kids but do not work, add new ones in middle to test, with time, we begin to "feel the audience" and have a good repertoire. But it is not learned with the first try!

So do now wait till we get the Humor Path: begin to work on your funny bones now, from the Icebreaker. What if they do not laugh? So what? Just go farther, and next time try same or perhaps a bit different. In comedy every word and the placement of every word is important. The length of pause, the intonation, the body language and movement, and in Pathways, almost every Path has a speech that can be given in "any style"! Why not dedicate, without waiting, one or two path to humorous style?

Level Recognition : two steps

Once we did all that was needed and crossed all the "i" all tasks, projects and speeches done in a level, we signal it again to BaseCamp and to VPE, and the VPE or another Base Camp Manager (President or Secretary) approves it by a click, we get a Certificate of Level Completion to print, save or see.

As you can see, I finished this at 18 May. Then I looked, not one of my clubs "needed" it. Told myself, "after end of June". Promptly forgot about it.

Then I got to this one a little later : only three more speeches later.

1st June date as I see, still before the 1st July date. Begun the Study and Give speeches from the Level 3 electives, while journaling about my emotional landscape.

Only yesterday, did I realize looking at my awards in Club Central, that not one of my Motivational Strategies Levels was yet "officially awarded to me".

Base Camp recognition is one, then an Officer from the Club I choose - as I have now 4 I am member of, has to "put it on in Club Central". They are separate.

I choose one of the clubs where I have given speeches but not awards for a while and wrote to them: "please acknowledge my Level 1". Was a bit surprised, as they asked me "when did you give your Icebreaker"? I remembered where I gave the speech and what I spoke about "It was yet  your best" the President told me - yes, I remembered this too. It was about how I came to the photography late in my life. "Your English is not good enough" I was told when I wanted to participate to a writer conference, in Paris, where I lived then. And one of them told me "why not go to a photography workshop: Paris discovery, instead?"

I went to the Easy-Speak, found the date I asked for the icebreaker from my London club. Then I remembered "I must have also a Certificate in the Base Camp"! And found indeed these two and each has a date of delivery.

It is for me, the first time I am asked some proof before putting my award to the Club Central. Each VPE and President has her own way of dealing with it. It is also the only club where I am not club officer. In the other three I am officer, in the committee with different roles.

As I asked only recognition of Level 1 (not level 2 also) from this club, now I will have to wait till they do it then only change the club to another, and ask the VPE of the second club to put on my Level 2. It is end August, almost normal I forgot the May or June awards, but should not have put them so far, if I was not all inside the Level 3 projects since beginning of June. 10 done so far, two more to go.

As usual, I have path at different level completions. Some path, Team Collaboration, still at Level 1, other Dynamic Leadership, at Level 5, but I put them also on hold, as I concentrated at the twelve Elective Projects of Motivational Strategies since three month. Perhaps, in one more month, it will be done, and I can take on some from other Paths.

I decided, my French path, that I have begun to help the clubs as Pathways Guide, from afar, will be dedicated to Paris and my adventures in Paris discovery and life.

I was 30 years old when I went there the first time, and that first time is a sad memory. The important from it was that I survived but never forgot. Also important is that new, sunnier memories covered that first grey, rainy, hurting memory of long time ago.

Later, I come to live around Paris, and went "inside" from time to time, discovering it by bits.
Finally, I loved living inside Paris: I was almost 50 by that time. I lived "inside" 23 years, in a tiny flat on top of Butte Montmartre, then 7 in the suburbs in Argenteuil. From Argenteuil while living alone, after the discovery of Paris through a Photography workshop, I decided to take each of Paris 20 arrondissement one by one, and each week go with my camera to a part I did not know yet. That series of photos made me "known" around the world. Other photographers come to walk with me from time to time and asked me to show them parts of Paris. I will have enough photos for all my French path and lots of memories to take stories from.

But first, on to finish my Level 3 MS projects. Still three Projects to go, and neither are easy for me.

Task by task, project by project, we grow and learn

Meeting by meeting, step by step, role by role, speech after speech. That is how we learn.

Saturday, Global Trainers Online meeting: Social speech number 1. Sunday, Firebirds Collective meeting, Evaluator. Monday, Royal Roads remote access, Social Speech number 2 and project completed.
10th from 12 Elective from Motivational Strategy. This picture is from Royal Roads Toastmasters, Virgin Islands Canada, John's speech about the importance of giving specific advices as evaluator. I loved his title "And then Krishn happened!" and him standing up, using remote access to advance in his slides and of course, this slide specifically too. I still have to learn that skill to click on a slide from afar on my computer. Tuesday, early morning up to visit Witty Birds, and I succeeded to offer a specific evaluation that was appreciated.

As Monday I have delivered the second of my Social Speech "right time right place" my evaluator told me, now I will be able to deliver the Focus on Positive.

That is what I am doing also with my lasts posts, try to focus on everything positive.

It is never all rose in life, but we can always focus in what goes well. We then feel more confident and progress faster.

Same faces in many places online, but always someone new comes in too. I understood today better the speech I already heard Sunday, and could take from it the positive instead of getting stuck in the part I did not agree with. I did mention it also but did not remain there or gave it too much importance.

Focus on Positive! That will be also my next Project. The task is long and important, but the speech after it can be done in only 2 to 3 minutes if so desired. That IS the difference between TASK and Project Speech in Pathways. Journaling, thinking about how to find the positive from whatever comes is very useful in my life, anybody's life, not just inside toastmasters. And even if I stop writing about it, I will not stop applying it again and again. It brings sunshine in the life.

Can we be "proficient" in a SKILL without practice?

I'm reading "Design for How People Learn (Voices That Matter)" by Julie Dirksen and wanted to share some new quotes with you. I wrote already in April, when I discovered it.

"Is it reasonable to think that someone can be proficient without practice? If the answer is “no, it’s not reasonable,” then you know you are dealing with a skill. Here’s the thing. A lot of learning experiences purport to teach a skill, when really all they do is introduce the skill." Indeed, we do not have to expect to learn a skill as soon as it is introduced to us!

Start reading it for free: http://amzn.eu/3By9bhV

"We should be able to take what we have learned and apply it to multiple circumstances. Able to troubleshot when things are not going smooth or where we thought it will be going.""Create a forum online and encourage learners to report back on their experiences. • Send periodic emails with examples, tips, and opportunities for learners to self-evaluate. Have virtual critique sessions that allow learners to post work and get feedback from the community."

"Effective Practice is a Lot like Flow Have you ever been so engaged in an activity that you looked up and realized hours had passed, but it felt like only 15 minutes had gone by because you were so intensely engaged in what you were doing? If so, you might have been experiencing what the Hungarian psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi called flow, which he describes as joy, creativity, the process of total involvement with life.”

We do not remember when all comes and goes and is given to us. She proposes for the Trainer to create "Friction". Make us work for the knowledge and practice the skill.

And this is the beginning of Chapter 7 which I begun to read this morning the second time. 

As I look well to the Chapters, I can almost see the names of the Levels: Fundamentals Knowledge, Skill, Expertise. As I go through chapters one by one, I understand better and better how Pathways Experience Education System was build. And, most important, why.

There is a lot more in the book! As well as I liked the Blended Learning, I understood more from this book. It also has delightful pictures as examples in it, drawings! 

A woman place is in the House...

I had a tee-shirt, found in Washington DC, in 1977: "A woman place is in the House" it said in front. Then, in the back it was written "And the Senate!"

We were at that time, very few women Toastmasters, the very reason I begun to go to a club the first time. Over the years, more and more women come in, but so few won at the International Contest. This year 4 from 10 where women, and the first three winners: Women! Not "housewives" but women who had hard times and overcome failures and heart ache, got wounded emotionally and got over it.

The first to come in Contestant number 1 was from China, Sheri Su and made all laugh after laugh. She won the second place.

The third place was won by Anita Taylor "It is what it is" and this time the advice was asked not from "mother" as men do but from father!

The first place was won even less "conventionally" by Ramona Smith with boxing and telling "I will find someone from so many attendees", well that took me back to my joining!

I will for sure look again, after I let it soak in a bit, to all ten finalists. I adored at least 7 of them, and could learn, something from all. As a member and president of a Storytelling and Humour online club, I am looking always for great examples, and yesterday from Chicago many come to us.

And our International President is a Woman too, plus more woman got into Board of Directors and as Regional advisors.

Hoping, the Humor Path will arrive to us sooner not later, but meanwhile, will dedicate my French Path to Paris stories, preparing anyone to the 2020 Paris convention. Listening to the contests, my next 3 minute Social speech wrote almost itself.

Today, I was evaluator, at the Firebirds Collective meeting and was told by GE and the Zoom chat too, that my evaluation was very specific, both in commendations and recommendations, these lasts wrapped inside appreciation.

That is what I learned by repeating the Level 1 Evaluation and Feedback Project again and again.

Social Speeches: Accepting an Award

Wonderful Online Toastmasters Clubs, this time the Global Trainers Online early Saturday meeting, offered me occasion to give one of two of my short 3 minute Social Speeches. Accepting an Award, one of the four different types we can choose from. As the President of Royal Roads was present, (first in the picture) I felt it was most appropriate.

On the screen Brian, Last year's President of Royal Roads, who invite me to become Club Coach and helped me become the first remote access Club Coach. "Royal Roads college from Victoria, Ca was used long time for royal kids from London"! And of course, I live in London.

After my speech we had a round evaluation, and my speech was appreciated.

Here are the three points to include in an Acceptance Speech, and it seems I did well on all three of them. As image, I did show the Club Coach award that just arrived from Toastmasters International. One more step, was the title of my speech, as it brings me one more step nearer the Pathways D.T.M.

In a previous post, reading only the Evaluation form, I presumed that only one speech was asked from us, but in fact it is "one in a meeting". Yesterday, I did read, study more carefully the Project and realized that I have to give 2 different Social Speeches in 2 different meetings to accomplish it. So, now one is done, can prepare for the next one, as soon as the occasion comes. Will try to create at least two different one's to have it in "my pocket" whenever I can give it the best.

After having given the Acceptance speech, I begun to warm up to this kind of speeches too, where we can thank to all who helped us to achieve it. Pathways Projects ARE useful!

Pathways Reception in Chicago

Happy to see them together, all working to bring Pathways in faster, better in our Toastmaster clubs.

Would have liked of course to be with them, and my heart ached a bit yesterday when I enjoyed at the same time with them. Pathways Guides from Un-Districted around George Marshal who got also a Special Award for his services, and Mark Snow, who was recognized as the 1st Pathways D.T.M at the Chicago Convention. Our new President of Firebirds Collective and all my pals I see at Guide's meetings. Well some of them was there not all 30!

It is good that now, I begin journaling, I can write down all the good looking at the cup half full! While it would have been fun to be with them, it was also great to look out at the window and admire the sunset, to help someone who did not know, again someone else, how to close Icebreaker. To read a great Kindle romance.

One more Level 3 Elective

There are many reasons to Activate, Launch, Print or Save more then the 2 minimum Projects from the 12 or 13 level 3 at our choice. One is to be able to "know", understand, learn from them Other is to "know" when someone needs help or advice or feedback. All of those in fact!

Beyond the minimum 2 it is not for getting a point or going to next level in the path, but next level of ourselves. In fact, it is the best reason. For Motivational Strategies, I do go one by one, visiting and volunteering to speak in many clubs, "clubbing", as soon as I am ready and prepared with the next project.

This is how it looked yesterday, and I was prepared but had not booked a speech.

Suddenly, someone booked in for a speech wrote "I can not come, sorry" and the space was ready for me.

The club did not suffer, I took no one's place. My Visual Aids were ready and prepared.

I delivered 5-7 with 5 slides around a message, and a book and a certificate. Three different Visual Aids. My evaluator, specialist of Visual Aids, loved it.

As you see, I am now at 9 / 12 completed. The three missing are Social Speeches; Focus on Positive and Interview. I have already done Focus on Positive another path, but of course they do not go from one to other. I will give it the 2 weeks journaling asked as last time, it was in December, it did help a lot. A reminder will be useful, I am sure, to look at the bright side of what happens around me.

I uploaded the evaluation of Creating Effective Visual Aids to my e-portofolio, added it to the MS folder on my computer. And read it twice, very happy with all that was written there! Even my voice variety improved, no more monotone while presenting slides and my message come out clear, not only through the images but the stories too.

Next, I prepare today Deliver Social Speeches. I believed, we have to deliver two, but in the evaluation it is written "one of the four different types".

A Toast? An Acceptance speech? Honor someone, for an award or eulogy? or Honor an Organization. Eliminating eulogy or honoring someone, this time, or accepting something that someone should give me, even a Toast, this time I will try for Honoring Toastmasters International. As it is at convention. It can be a 5-7 but it can be also done in 2-3 minutes! I will choose the shorter one but craft it with care.

Other then gestures, which I did not realize are also important when you show a slide show, images, I got super points and interesting observations.

I told the audience we have more then one story in our life: we have more then one life. More then one chance in life. Here, my evaluator ask me to tell stories from my different lives.  Also, most of the time, I went back to Zoom's Gallery view to see all the audience reactions.

My "unusual images" where not bullet points of course! They also went with my decision of showing at least one picture at every one of my speeches for this path. What will I show as image for Social Speech? A great challenge before me!

Stand up as storyteller of course, when I present in person, but online, is a lot more difficult. But for sure, I have to learn to present farther from my computer, pointing. Ah, learning never ends!

Do not give up! Find a way.

I am good to find answers because I do not give up when one way does not work. I try different ways, till the answer comes. In plus, if it really does not work, I ask. This time, I found a way.

Yesterday the VPE of my land club come to me and told me that our last member's name was misspelled on TMI site. How to change it? As Secretary, I could login to TMI's Leadership Central, then Club Central. We tried to find how to Edit Name of member in the Roster. Many things can be changed there but not the name. So, what to do now?

Next, I tried the Search in the site, it did not give more useful answer for us.

Then, I went to my own account through Welcome Julie. Of course, the new member would have to access his own.

One has to go to a few steps to arrive to the Name Change. Address and phone number is also there, even if not in this picture. Click to Manage my Data (and my consent, which is a new optin now).

Success! Here it is the Contact Information, and from there, another link to Change Name.

We can Edit the Name and we are asked Select the Name Change Reason. We can even add a secondary email at the same place! Do not forget to Save.

So finally, we found out how to do it! Even if each Toastmaster has to go and do int by itself and not the club officers. 

Anyway, each of us when in Pathways get used to go through TMI to enter our Base Camp or directly our Educational Transcript folder where our paths and classes reside.  Classes are called those "extra" things we asked for, we got, we launched to understand more.

What is more important, as in the title, whatever you need to do just now, do not give up! 

Volunteer at TMI Convention by Michelle Alba Lim

5 reasons to volunteer, said Michelle in her presentation, and told us stories about all of them.

Gain new skills: for sure! Meet new people: one of the best raisons for me.
Make a difference, well I help I can at least for one and it is already worth it.
Give back, is a great word for me, I believed then not then again.
Feel valued as part of a team, or a club, or an organism was always very important, for me for all.
Have fun: sometimes more then others, but it is always a pleasure when something seems succeeding.

8th Elective Project from Level 3 MS delivered

I decided to study and deliver a speech from all the Level 3 electives of Motivational Strategy. As one is part of Level 2, there are 12 (minimum 2 necessary to get through it). Delivered Make Connections through networking, 5 to 7 minutes. Two stories of my last networking events, one of them online that lead to a great meal, learned from an Italian Toastmaster and adapted. As I adapt also my project speeches. This time, I added sweet potatoes to the mix. It was a great meal learned at a Networking event !

Michelle Alba-Lim about Volunteering

Volunteering was the theme of the meeting, and Michelle, volunteer 13rd time at the Toastmaster Convention offered us a wonderful presentation. Here, shown through Zoom slide sharing. I love to slide the two parts so they become equal. On my full screen I can see then well the presenter but also read the slide's text.

We can make connection and it serves different reasons, not all professional. But of course, then I told also my professional gain from the last Club Officer meeting I assisted and different ways I made connection with different people of varied clubs. Some hoping to invite me to their meeting or ask me to talk about Pathways. Others, to come and assist to my club new online meeting, once a month between brick and mortar meeting. And thirdly, how just listening and not speaking too much to others helped me a week later. Networking can lead to many different connections! And yes, even to a great lunch recipe.

My road toward the Pathways DTM

Here is how it is explained by TMI

Club Leadership: a year that can be also twice 6 month. I have been Secretary in one club and VP Education in another, for all along my Pathways Journey, more then a year in all.

Club Sponsor, I was from last year in July, we chartered the club in September. Got the Sponsor recognized. I was last year and still am the club's SgArm.

District Leadership. Pathways Ambassador for D91 recognized but I did not yet get it from TMI. I already been told, I got it from our district Chief Pathways Ambassador, and even a gift with it. In plus, as Pathways Guide to the Undistricted clubs, in September, will get another leadership recognized. Also inside the Pathways time.

Club Coach: for Royal Road Toastmaster. I got 2 days ago a beautiful award or recognition for it from TMI as the club got more then Distinguished and gained more then 5 members, with it's committee effort and Brian Dodds, and a little help from me, sending them members and giving advices, as much as I could. Perhaps, the first time, a Club Coach acted from remote access, but most of it's member met online anyway, and we had the accord of the District Leadership for it, from the beginning.

Education : 2 path finished required, and I will be able to choose which, from the 4 path already done.

The only task before me yet is the Distinguished Toastmaster Project. I am on it.

Looking back, all are "inside" Pathways time, even if I did not do it express. Getting a Pathways D.T.M. will be a special joy for me as I am one of the "oldest" but very strong enthusiast of Pathways Educational Program. As it is, as it will become, and as it can already be used.

Pathways Education Badges

First, you get one when you have chosen a path and activated it in the Base Camp. See my Team Collaboration Activated.  Last, you get the name of the path and it's symbol, as here for my Visionary Communication, Presentation Mastery second, Leadership Development and last for now, Effective Coaching, all five levels finished.

Between them, we get one more number at the levels. I did achieve Level 1 and Level 2 six times. Level 3 and Level 4 five times. Instead of Level 5, we get the Proficient with the Path name.

Here are only my educational badges, I also got two others, gifts from other Toastmasters. Unlike the Documents in your e-portofolio, the Badges can be seen by others.

Members of multiple clubs transcripts and awards

You do need to change your home club prior to submitting a level completion request on Base Camp. Not for submitting it to Club Central.

Members of multiple clubs will need to communicate regularly with their VPEs about level completions and how those completions should be awarded on Club Central for the Distinguished Club Program. No VPE or Committee member should submit a Level Completion without the Toastmaster accord.

Once a Pathways level has been completed, members will need to tell VPEs of every club to which they belong about the completion and communicate which club should submit the award to Club Central for credit.

Base Camp managers are able to view an individual member’s transcript and progress by searching their name. If a Base Camp manager would like to view the progress of all members in the club who are "in" as base club members, they can do so from the member learning reports. 

To access these reports, log in to Base Camp as a Base Camp manager and select the Member Progress tile. As a member or Base Camp manager, you can retrieve a list of everyone in your club by typing your club number or club name in the search box and then pressing enter. You will see the names of each member in your club. Select a name to view that member’s profile.

If you are a club officer and log in to Base Camp as a Base Camp manager, selecting the Pathways icon or selecting Home from the upper left navigation bar will take you to the Base Camp manager home page. This is the expected functionality. 

(From QA Master log for Guides)

L3 Understanding Voice Variety, a different Evaluation form!

Almost all forms are identical, only a few points at end differ, from Project to project's Evaluation form. I found one who is very different, in page two from the other ones.

Today, I delivered a speech, of course a personal story, or stories, for the Project Understanding voice variety, Level 3 Elective. The 7th elective from Motivational Strategy, where the minimum is 2 but there is maximum is all the 12. With the title "It hurts!" I did deliver a similar but not so well told story already for another project, online. This was in my brick-and-mortar club and it went really well.

The first page is the same as all others, "You Excelled, You may work on and Challenge yourself" the second page is called Speech Profile.

There are 18 criteria to give points under 6 categories : Loudness of Volume, Pitch, Voice Quality, Articulation, Rate, and at the end again, Vocal Variety (emotion, genial, natural) or (exaggerated, unfriendly, strained). I will have to scan to show all, as for example, only inside Rate, there are 10 variations to choose from. My pitch got 3 (middle from 1 to 5) but all the other between 4 and 5.

Most important, was how my evaluator explained in his feedback, that even if the project was Understanding Voice Variety, I told an interesting, captivating personal story where the voice went with the story without being strained or exaggerated.

I loved to discover the new Evaluation Form! I remember that I have given this project a year ago, and did not remember it had a specialized feedback form. I hope, with time, they will do the same with other forms and make them more appropriate to the Projects.

Evaluate as speech first, part of project second

Speeches in Pathways reflect the work a member has completed, but are evaluated as speeches first and a part of the project second. You will notice that each evaluation has at least one, and often two criteria that are specific to the project and some evaluations are completely different, based on the project or the requirements. 

The goal of the “To challenge yourself” section is to provide every Toastmaster, regardless of skill, a suggestion for how they can grow their skill as a public speaker and communicator. Some evaluators may not choose to provide feedback in this area, all feedback is at the discretion of the evaluator. It is a Toastmasters International fundamental philosophy, going back to the beginning with Ralph C. Smedley, that everyone can improve. 

Yes, Members are welcome to request more than one evaluation as long as the request fits with their club culture. 

Similar to the traditional program, this is mostly an honor system. WHQ recommends that member evaluations remain private, though completion of a speech and how that is verified can be established by the club. any record keeping for this process is at the discretion of the club, club leadership, and members. 

As Base Camp manager, I tried today to look into the e-portofolio of someone else: not possible. I could see the Badges, the Profile, the roles marked done with dates, the transcript, but not the Document, or any other part of the e-portofolio which remains strictly private. So it is up to each member if we add there something (filled evaluations for example) or we put it in a folder, hard copy or disc. 

Transcript, Curriculum and Details?

What can a Base Camp manager (VPM, President or Secretary) view if logged in as BCM ? What can we view, more then we do usually?

First, I logged in through "Welcome Julie!" to Go to my Transcript. Where all I work on resides.

In real, I do access a lot of paths, but not so many as it seems here. I stopped the Printed Presentation Mastery, and got a Web based one, but they still are considered 2 different. I begun a French Leadership Development, after I finished an English one, they are considered separate too.

The top of my Educational Transcript, explains how to use it. Some are "Launch" but as you see the small triangle down, there is another action you can got from there, and others "open curriculum".  Curriculum are named my paths. Here I looked at all of the types, there are also Classes, etc, depending what else I opened lately and did not mark "completed". I can look also instead of Active as here, to the Archived and the Completed Page. So what is other then Launch? I did not look there often.

One can look at what is called "Training Details!" I could see how much time I spend  with a Project, and also when I did open first time, and so on. My "Training Progress". This is from Dynamic Leadership, where I went back often and completed after looking through it in all for 2 hours.

Not only the total hours, this is the Negotiating The best Outcome Project, but when I requested and I completed it! I did not look a lot at that history, and it seems strange, as I know that I opened it more then at one time.

Now I logged out as Member and logged in as Base Camp Manager. 

Instead of Approving, I went to the Progress Reports, and choose Individual Progress. As you see, in the right upper corner I found Options, and Refresh : it has to be refreshed each time even if it takes time to do it.

I got all the paths that our 10 from 22 members have selected and how many on the same paths.
And that Option was outside the box. If we hover at top right inside the box, another menu pops up with option to ask for details.

Can see many interesting details of the Team! And one by one too. 

Another option to go to Global Search, and look to an individual member's Transcript. That is how I found one of them. 

 

From there, as Base Camp Manager, I could access at his Projects and see what they are and how far he got. Indeed, for the moment, finished the Icebreaker. I could also see the other Tutorials he opened.

For example, he looked at Complete my Assignments Overview and The Navigator, and so on. Well done!

Going farther, I discovered I can even ask for Team: see all the members on Pathways in that club!

 My club Team is bigger, as 10 from 22 already "on pathways", and from that list, I can access any of them. When I went to my online club, I got a problem, for some reason could not access the Team. Have to look up, why this happens, probably as I know we are 85% on pathways, but most of us have multiple clubs and probably not logged in at this time. 

It is the first time I had discovered to be able to see my club's Pathways Team! Even the roles of Committee members can be seen there! Another way, a Base Camp manager could see then also one by one. If only we had so much time. 

Opportunity to Present speeches we want

Regardless of the project, the goal of Toastmasters is to give members the opportunity to compose speeches and present them to their club. The beauty of the Level 1 projects is that the topic and content of each speech is completely at the discretion of the speaker. Once a member has completed a project, they may repeat the project at any time. Repeating projects in a Level 1 will not affect your ability to access projects in Level 2.  

On level 3, one has to complete a minimum of 2 Elective Projects beside the Required one, in any order, but one can complete any number without additional points for it.

Members may repeat projects and levels as many times as they wish. However, members will receive recognition once for each level in their path, regardless of how many times they repeat the level. And speech, Project completed on one Path can not be transferred to another path.

You may access projects and resources in Levels you have already completed at any time. Repeat them if you so desire, no one else can ask you to repeat them. Working in Level 2 of a path will not prevent you from accessing resources in Level 1 of the path. Similarly, returning to a previous level in your path will not impact your progress in the path or any awards earned. To be tried!

A speaker may choose to repeat a project or speech at any time. Because Pathways learning is self-directed, it is at the member’s discretion to decide whether they would like to reattempt a speech 

Once a member has opened Level 3, 4, or 5, they can complete the projects in any order. This would also include opting to complete an elective (or many electives) before completing the required project(s) for that level. 

When a member reaches levels 3, 4, or 5, they can view all electives at that level. 

While only 2 electives are required at Level 2 and one elective at Levels 4 and 5, members may complete as many electives as they like. Please keep in mind that there is no extra credit or recognition given for completing more than the required number of electives. 

As you remember, I choose to take on all the level 3 electives for the Motivational Strategy Path. Even if, will not receive additional, credit for completing projects and those electives do not carry over from one path to another. I am in no hurry as I have already completed 4 path and soon the 5th also. The Motivational strategy is my 6th path. I also have the Team Collaboration path, my 7th where I am all at the beginning, at Level 1. 

I finished "Using Presentation Software" (again) Saturday and at the same time I listened to a wonderful speech (from Research and Presenting Project) about Networking. So my next project will be about networking, as I got a lot of useful information about it and different ways to view Networking. 

"Creating Effective Visual Aids", is almost but not exactly like the Presentation Software project. Visual aids do not have to be presented on screen or use special software. I remember someone bringing in bear bottles. Other books. Other presenting how to massage the arm when in pain. All those are "visual". But of course, I will have to read those Projects then decide what I will speak about and create a story from them. The same for the Projects I did not yet take on.

Understand vocal variety was one of my preferred Projects that I already completed three times, but each time with a different text and different ways. My vocal variety is not so bad even if my pitch is often to high. 

The problem is when I present a Power Point slide, often it does not go with it. So I am sure, I will have to repeat it at least twice to get it well, and also I would like to read some poems I found.

Focus on positive, will need 2 weeks of journaling, and I did not yet finish journaling for the emotional intelligence project, the required on level 3 here. Last time, it was December I have finished and it helped me to Focus on Positive in my life.

Prepare for an Interview, I never opened yet, but as an exercise I could do it. Probably, it will be the last from my 12 projects of level 3 before I decide to go farther. 

In fact, I could even try to go to level 4 (when the required is done) to see if I can complete and get "marked complete" the Prepare to Interview, going "back" to a completed level. As we are at the beginning of the Toastmaster year, no club of mine is urging me to finish Levels, so I can go slow , at the same time learn and experiment to be able to speak about the different projects when needed.