We are always somehow together, more or less dependent of others. More or less.
When we have problems, when we help others who need, even when we live alone, we are not in air. We interact with each other.
When we begin new things, we need even more each other and each may influence on others.
In the regions and districts and clubs where leaders embraced the new education program, a lot more advanced already. I do know some toastmasters who did finish already more then two paths, and alas also some who did not even sign up: “still time”.
Yesterday evening, I was asked by a guest, former Toastmaster “what about the new Education Program and succeeded to explain her briefly, even if not elevator short. “It makes sens” she answered. So I succeeded to explain why I love it and, indeed, it makes sens.
I hope, more and more will embrace Pathways.
How did Toastmasters in 1978 take the change of education program? I heard asking. Well, I was toastmaster from 1977 to 1980 in USA, where I worked at the time. I went to toastmasters, as someone told me "they are interesting and there are more men there then women". In three years, I was the sole single woman in the club, and the other woman was the wife of one of the toastmasters, stayed only two years. The news that the education program changed, did not even arrive to us. That time, the news was that clubs had no more right "to discriminate of sex, race, religion" to obey the new us laws. But they had the right to vote in or not the members they wanted in their clubs.
The huge difference was also from then and now, the absence of social media where to meet, discuss, know or protest, and even the absence of easy communication with TMI. They did not have even data bases, so my CC, 15 projects finished then in three years, was declared but never found.
In 2009 I finished my second CC, in a year or less, going to many clubs, and once even back to visit my old Toastmaster club in a basement of an Italian Restaurant, 1000 feet from the Washington MONUMENT. I went to find a man, I did find likeminded people. And learned to speak with confidence, all during the rest of my work life. And after.
30 Apr 2019
29 Apr 2019
Pathways, end TMI April stats
This stats is from end April, send to Regional Advisors who send it to Districts who do not send it to all clubs and members alas.
Does it say, after a year of all regions rolling out the weals are moving?
Would have to seen other month to compare. Still, they are some general conclusions I can take out from it.
There are very few choosing Printed Path.
We have majority “in” but not enough “on”
What are your conclusions looking at these figures?
Does it say, after a year of all regions rolling out the weals are moving?
Would have to seen other month to compare. Still, they are some general conclusions I can take out from it.
There are very few choosing Printed Path.
We have majority “in” but not enough “on”
What are your conclusions looking at these figures?
28 Apr 2019
We are not a "pass-fail" program
Cajetan Barretto posted a clarification he received from TI regarding the meeting roles and using credits from the projects. I found it so important, that today I post it here for all. It IS a Key Message from Toastmasters. Not only about Meeting roles, that are not tracked. Also that we are not a "pass-fail" program.
" It is true that to get from Level 3 to Level 4 a member must perform service as one of the following:
- Toastmaster
- Table Topics Master
- Speech Evaluator
Details of these roles can be found in both The Navigator and the handbook A Toastmaster Wears Many Hats. (Letter meant, "how to perform them")
While this is a requirement this is not something we actively track. We trust our members to perform these roles at some point in time during their Pathways journey, prior to level 3 completion.
Keep in mind, members should indeed strive to meet all manual project requirements. If one of the objectives of a project speech is to use gestures effectively and the member focuses instead on vocal variety, the member has not met the project objective and this should be pointed out by the evaluator. However, the Toastmasters program is not a "pass-fail" one.
Toastmasters International is not a school; it is an organization devoted to helping people develop their speaking skills in a positive, helpful, non-threatening environment. Instead of "failing" a speaker whose speech does not meet project objectives, an evaluator should point out what the speaker did well and also point out the areas where the speaker could improve, as in a normal evaluation.
If you have the opportunity to perform as one of the above roles please do so, as this is a part of the Toastmaster learning experience. However, this is nothing to worry heavily about. While serving in one of the above roles during a project won't be able to count towards this requirement there are many opportunities as a Toastmaster to perform the club meeting roles. I wish you the best along your Toastmaster journey!"
---
I did deliver this morning my Engage my Audience with Humor. While at times, I did get laughter, I may have left to many sad aftertaste, to long also before the humor arrived. No one asks me, but I will deliver it somewhere again, differently. Feedback is always useful! Of course, it also depends on the audience and... I convinced many to try humor! My key message worked for many of them. Would have worked better if I left out some sad parts? That is what I will have to try.
" It is true that to get from Level 3 to Level 4 a member must perform service as one of the following:
- Toastmaster
- Table Topics Master
- Speech Evaluator
Details of these roles can be found in both The Navigator and the handbook A Toastmaster Wears Many Hats. (Letter meant, "how to perform them")
While this is a requirement this is not something we actively track. We trust our members to perform these roles at some point in time during their Pathways journey, prior to level 3 completion.
Keep in mind, members should indeed strive to meet all manual project requirements. If one of the objectives of a project speech is to use gestures effectively and the member focuses instead on vocal variety, the member has not met the project objective and this should be pointed out by the evaluator. However, the Toastmasters program is not a "pass-fail" one.
Toastmasters International is not a school; it is an organization devoted to helping people develop their speaking skills in a positive, helpful, non-threatening environment. Instead of "failing" a speaker whose speech does not meet project objectives, an evaluator should point out what the speaker did well and also point out the areas where the speaker could improve, as in a normal evaluation.
If you have the opportunity to perform as one of the above roles please do so, as this is a part of the Toastmaster learning experience. However, this is nothing to worry heavily about. While serving in one of the above roles during a project won't be able to count towards this requirement there are many opportunities as a Toastmaster to perform the club meeting roles. I wish you the best along your Toastmaster journey!"
---
I did deliver this morning my Engage my Audience with Humor. While at times, I did get laughter, I may have left to many sad aftertaste, to long also before the humor arrived. No one asks me, but I will deliver it somewhere again, differently. Feedback is always useful! Of course, it also depends on the audience and... I convinced many to try humor! My key message worked for many of them. Would have worked better if I left out some sad parts? That is what I will have to try.
27 Apr 2019
"We were not told of Meeting roles!" Really?
A Toastmaster just panicked, complained: I did not know about the Meeting roles! TM never told! Really? I went to the discovery and found lots of places where it is told, in many ways.
I put this on top, to see how it comes on when I share this post. We put in the last role, I add it as soon as I have finished a role, opening the Gear near my portrait, and choosing My Account.
Later, anyone who goes to my Profile, which is the Portrait for me, can see the lasts roles I hold.
That would be the short answer. But TMI explained the Meeting roles in many ways and places that I would like to show you here.
At the time, we can see the different ways we get information. FAQ, Materials, Online Classes, etc.
Enter Base Camp through Pathways -> Go to Base camp (not through Welcome) we arrive here:
This lets us beside Choose your path, used seldom, or going to the Navigator, enter our path through BASE Camp after having chosen if we enter as members (and in which club) or log in as BC Manager. Let us enter! What we get?
The first square leads us to Navigating BASE CAMP that I warmly recommend to all, new or old. This is not at all "The Navigator" called also "Toastmaster Navigator" even if the name is similar. Click on it! We get informations that curiously some Toastmasters tell "I was not told about"
Here are just other folders we have to click on and get many other informations about, and also a line FAQs: Meeting Role Requirements. That is the beginning of pages when you open it, giving detailed information about roles we have to do before finishing Level 3.
But try it and continue, it does not finish with one page, it explains "how to enter them" too.
We find also information about Meeting Roles if we enter the Tutorials and Resources, click on grey. Not only one kind of information but in many ways. Video Animation, called Online Classes, and Material, with pages written, giving complementary informations about the Meeting roles.
Personally, I love to look at the very short and clearly animations, here is the front page we get and I will not show the video, of course: enjoy it yourself.
This one shows step by step, how we enter our meeting roles. It presumes mostly that you already read the material about them, that explains longer, when and how. Mostly, that we can do the roles many times, and at any level, as long as till the end of Level 3 we have, beside Evaluating, been Toastmaster and Table Topic Master.
Quick Reference Guide: Tracking your Meeting Roles, is not considered "online class" but Material, from Tutorials also.
Each one of them adds to our knowledge about the Meeting roles.
It was a long time, I opened any of them, as "I know" so perhaps it got so much in me, that I just do it.
Today, I was Grammarian, did not yet add it, but as soon as I finish this blog post, I will.
Is still anything else I may show?
Perhaps just to tell that for some, we are asked to Launch or to request.
What is the difference between them? Launch takes us there immediately, while Request, adds it also to our Educational Transcript, so we can see or read as we want.
That remains in our Active folder or Educational Transcript, till we do not say "Mark completed" and then it will go to the Completed folder.
While we enter the roles inside the Gear in "My account" they can be seen by others and the VPE too, in "My Profile".
Here is how it looks for me today, before entering my todays Grammarian role, by changing the last date I did it.
A bit confusing of course, for all those with multiple paths, so that is why in fact Base camp does not check if you did or not, and lets us go to Level 4 leaving it to us and the BCM. Our roles do not either say where we did it. We did, that is all, and the last date. More roles are shown, not only the "must" three roles. So we can enter them (or not). I do. You can see, I have not been Ah counter or Timer for a long time. But General Evaluator? I did that role recently, just neglected to enter it as soon as finished.
So I publish this and run to enter my grammarian role, less I forget it too.
I put this on top, to see how it comes on when I share this post. We put in the last role, I add it as soon as I have finished a role, opening the Gear near my portrait, and choosing My Account.
Later, anyone who goes to my Profile, which is the Portrait for me, can see the lasts roles I hold.
That would be the short answer. But TMI explained the Meeting roles in many ways and places that I would like to show you here.
At the time, we can see the different ways we get information. FAQ, Materials, Online Classes, etc.
Enter Base Camp through Pathways -> Go to Base camp (not through Welcome) we arrive here:
This lets us beside Choose your path, used seldom, or going to the Navigator, enter our path through BASE Camp after having chosen if we enter as members (and in which club) or log in as BC Manager. Let us enter! What we get?
The first square leads us to Navigating BASE CAMP that I warmly recommend to all, new or old. This is not at all "The Navigator" called also "Toastmaster Navigator" even if the name is similar. Click on it! We get informations that curiously some Toastmasters tell "I was not told about"
Here are just other folders we have to click on and get many other informations about, and also a line FAQs: Meeting Role Requirements. That is the beginning of pages when you open it, giving detailed information about roles we have to do before finishing Level 3.
But try it and continue, it does not finish with one page, it explains "how to enter them" too.
We find also information about Meeting Roles if we enter the Tutorials and Resources, click on grey. Not only one kind of information but in many ways. Video Animation, called Online Classes, and Material, with pages written, giving complementary informations about the Meeting roles.
Personally, I love to look at the very short and clearly animations, here is the front page we get and I will not show the video, of course: enjoy it yourself.
This one shows step by step, how we enter our meeting roles. It presumes mostly that you already read the material about them, that explains longer, when and how. Mostly, that we can do the roles many times, and at any level, as long as till the end of Level 3 we have, beside Evaluating, been Toastmaster and Table Topic Master.
Quick Reference Guide: Tracking your Meeting Roles, is not considered "online class" but Material, from Tutorials also.
Each one of them adds to our knowledge about the Meeting roles.
It was a long time, I opened any of them, as "I know" so perhaps it got so much in me, that I just do it.
Today, I was Grammarian, did not yet add it, but as soon as I finish this blog post, I will.
Is still anything else I may show?
Perhaps just to tell that for some, we are asked to Launch or to request.
What is the difference between them? Launch takes us there immediately, while Request, adds it also to our Educational Transcript, so we can see or read as we want.
That remains in our Active folder or Educational Transcript, till we do not say "Mark completed" and then it will go to the Completed folder.
While we enter the roles inside the Gear in "My account" they can be seen by others and the VPE too, in "My Profile".
Here is how it looks for me today, before entering my todays Grammarian role, by changing the last date I did it.
A bit confusing of course, for all those with multiple paths, so that is why in fact Base camp does not check if you did or not, and lets us go to Level 4 leaving it to us and the BCM. Our roles do not either say where we did it. We did, that is all, and the last date. More roles are shown, not only the "must" three roles. So we can enter them (or not). I do. You can see, I have not been Ah counter or Timer for a long time. But General Evaluator? I did that role recently, just neglected to enter it as soon as finished.
So I publish this and run to enter my grammarian role, less I forget it too.
26 Apr 2019
Testing features
Eventually, and for sure, a newcomer would open up, after Login to the Toastmasters.org, with email and password (my computers and devices all save it for me, so I do not have to remember), then open the Welcome X, in my case of course Welcome Julie, that appears in Yellow on burgundy background on top. It is the fastest way to go to your Path and project, once you have chosen a Path. Also to verify if your path was indeed selected.
What? Go to your transcript?
Yes, they moved it up! That was a great discovery. No more is my address and telephone number on the top of it, that before I had to hide before publishing. No more do we have to go down to use it.
What if someone does not know what Transcript is?
He may have already heard about Path and Basecamp, but not "transcript"! So I tried.
What if I click on the Enrolled in X paths?
For a newcomer, it would be 1 path. For me it shows 11 even if in fact, two are not "new path": one is same in French, other is Same in Manual, that I will never complete.
Enrolled in X path works!
It goes directly to the same Transcript page or folder where the Path reside, together with all Classes and Forms we Launched - and did not Archive or Complete. The same from where we return when we Chose HOME (in grey and under the Burgundy).
If we go like this, we can still hide all what is not Path choosing Curriculum (= path) or go to the Active and choose Completed, after we finished a path to go back to its any level or project.
It does not lead us to the Base Camp, nor to this window.
That is what we get when we go through Base Camp and in this forget all the Burgundy window from this page. I got here then went to discovery of different blue squares. Education Transcript, to which they added now, hurrah, Access my Path, is where the "go to Transcript" would lead.
Navigating Base Camp, has basic advices about how to close a project, how to close a level, and so on, and it has nothing or not much to do with the new Toastmaster Navigator. See bellow.
Here are just some of the answers you can get, from the Navigating my Base Camp, opened. I had to click to each of the three above blue squares, to open us the additional titles. Each titles lead to a short Animation, after you Launch it or ask to add to your Transcript.
Yes, it takes time to discover what it is there, but it takes more time and headache not to do it. So many questions asked in the Pathways Discussion Forum would be avoided if we just spend some time with theim.
So do not hesitate to click, and discover!
Some would be as before, if you ever been there, others may have changed. My Feedback and my Badges could be cut from there, I do not find a lot of use of them. Complete a Level! that one should be read also. It is just under the Work in my Projects.
In the Contrary, reading from the Speech Evaluation blue square, I found some interesting new bits, but outdated material. I will write another post again, just about Evaluations. So, after me, the two first squares would be enough.
And of course, all we get when we click, once inside the Go to my educational transcript (paths).
Above the Burgundy line, are a two tiny useful squares, to Logout or to go to our Account, change the last time we did a role. And, the other, to get to our E-portofolio, which is PERSONAL. I still upload my Evaluations there, one folder by level, but alas not differentiated by paths. So better put the path initials in it, and delete some not necessary part of the initial name. The Badges are also inside the e-portofolio, I did look at them perhaps 6 times in two years.
In the Burgundi line, HOME is leading back to the above Educational Transcript.
Tutorials and Resources are to be studied so we know how to use them. Spending time there, we also gain time! And Check Compatibility can be useful at the very beginning, or when our system changes.
Of course, even if now the Grey Shadow with the same name appears when we go on them, we have to know that the click is on the Grey Shadow under, with the same name, and not in the burgundy. Still annoys me, even if I know with my mind now.
And here is my Level 3 of Engaging Humor opened at the main required project. I have already done the two minimum Elective Projects.
That it is for today. Hope, any of it, one of them are new to you. I am working on Engage your audience with Humor and finally I decided on the main message I want to convey in it and found a super beginning. Well, super as far as it seems today to me.
25 Apr 2019
Two books about Podcasting
I got them free to read, between my kindle unlimited deal of 10 books at at a time. So, I could afford to pic them up and read what it is inside.
Podcast 101 is shorter, and I opened it first. Alas, I do not recommend it.
It spends, more then half of the book, selling himself, his other books, his coaching, suggesting you come to his podcast and pay. While some useful bits too but not enough for my taste.
On the other hand BIG PODCAST is worth reading! I begun to read it second, because I believed it was only for Professional Podcasters, it is for all of us! I already learned a lot and also agree with all he does write.
BIG Podcast is also funny, agreeable reading.
I learned from it, that in fact I am, as many of us "podcast dabbler". Many of his beginning, told about the importance of choosing a message, very personal, about which we care a lot and which is specific to us.
In short, know what you’re talking about and pick a side."
As with blogging and storytelling and comedy too in fact. Many of what David says applies.
I'm reading "Big Podcast - Grow Your Podcast Audience, Build Listener Loyalty, and Get Everybody Talking About Your Show" by David Hooper and wanted to share his quote with you. You can start reading it for free at: http://amzn.eu/8uNz484 (let me know if it works).
David Hooper also tells that having a great microphone, software etc is less important then having an authentic content, courage of our opinions, a specific side and attitude.
Same with standup comedy, storytelling and blogging.
We have to have our own voice.
Stand for what we believe in.
Publish regularly.
Then, later, I am sure, he will speak in his book about different aspects of podcasting.
Yes, the title and description is also important. The beginning and end blabla (that is from me) added each time. If it is not too long. So many other aspects ARE important.
But first, the courage to say your opinion, take a side, have an authentic voice.
"You will not reach or please "all" but there will be always some whom life you may change forever."
So, remember, the most important in a good Podcast, or for a Podcaster is as in blogging, doing comedy, giving keynote, not the technical matters, even if of course they are needed, but:
Podcast 101 is shorter, and I opened it first. Alas, I do not recommend it.
It spends, more then half of the book, selling himself, his other books, his coaching, suggesting you come to his podcast and pay. While some useful bits too but not enough for my taste.
On the other hand BIG PODCAST is worth reading! I begun to read it second, because I believed it was only for Professional Podcasters, it is for all of us! I already learned a lot and also agree with all he does write.
BIG Podcast is also funny, agreeable reading.
I learned from it, that in fact I am, as many of us "podcast dabbler". Many of his beginning, told about the importance of choosing a message, very personal, about which we care a lot and which is specific to us.
In short, know what you’re talking about and pick a side."
As with blogging and storytelling and comedy too in fact. Many of what David says applies.
I'm reading "Big Podcast - Grow Your Podcast Audience, Build Listener Loyalty, and Get Everybody Talking About Your Show" by David Hooper and wanted to share his quote with you. You can start reading it for free at: http://amzn.eu/8uNz484 (let me know if it works).
David Hooper also tells that having a great microphone, software etc is less important then having an authentic content, courage of our opinions, a specific side and attitude.
Same with standup comedy, storytelling and blogging.
We have to have our own voice.
Stand for what we believe in.
Publish regularly.
Then, later, I am sure, he will speak in his book about different aspects of podcasting.
Yes, the title and description is also important. The beginning and end blabla (that is from me) added each time. If it is not too long. So many other aspects ARE important.
But first, the courage to say your opinion, take a side, have an authentic voice.
"You will not reach or please "all" but there will be always some whom life you may change forever."
So, remember, the most important in a good Podcast, or for a Podcaster is as in blogging, doing comedy, giving keynote, not the technical matters, even if of course they are needed, but:
I am rushing to continue reading. Outlining parts, be able to show pages. Sending quotes from.
24 Apr 2019
Podcasting? Level 4 Elective
First, I had to listen to some podcasts.
Second, I remembered I had stored recordings of my stories on Box, Vimeo and Dailymotion,
I also recorded some through voice memos.
Then, the question came, how to broadcast them?
Apple gave me an answer when I needed it, sending me a email about their Anchor app, as I wrote in February! Anchor not only helps prepare, but sends for us the result to multiple places, and does send email to us, any of them accepted it! So one story or a collection of stories can reach different audiences.
In the last row, are all the places some of my first stories were send.
Some of the things I did, tried to do with my recorded stories. In Anchor.
Still lot to learn and do.
Perhaps, with more humor in them, the podcasts, when I take them back again to work on them will be more a pleasure to listen to.
Second, I remembered I had stored recordings of my stories on Box, Vimeo and Dailymotion,
I also recorded some through voice memos.
Then, the question came, how to broadcast them?
Apple gave me an answer when I needed it, sending me a email about their Anchor app, as I wrote in February! Anchor not only helps prepare, but sends for us the result to multiple places, and does send email to us, any of them accepted it! So one story or a collection of stories can reach different audiences.
In the last row, are all the places some of my first stories were send.
Some of the things I did, tried to do with my recorded stories. In Anchor.
Still lot to learn and do.
Perhaps, with more humor in them, the podcasts, when I take them back again to work on them will be more a pleasure to listen to.
23 Apr 2019
Networking : Remote access, Online, Brick and mortar
Yesterday I participated to two remote access meetings. This is Feather Tongues from Oregon. Three interesting and very different speeches and online as well on site video and sound went very well. I evaluated Michelle’s Networking story. Preparing soon to tell mine.
Sunday was Table Topic master at an TM club from Suceava, in Romanian. Once in a mont it is all online. The other meeting is in a library. I got to be General Evaluator of the meeting. After the meeting, email and message with the President, whom I did not know before. Or not well. Now, we got to know each other a lot better.
And this is what classically is called Networking but in fact, all three were for me. Oregon, Rumania and the Division event in South England.
I went first of all to give courage and take video of the Mystery speaker, to return a favor she did to me six month ago. To encourage also our club member, he got the 3rd price! I did not know, that I will get a Triple Crown, and I got one too. I met one of the readers of this blog. We posed together with a Toastmaster I meet usually online.
All three events, this week were in fact for me Networking! And I did not do it for the project, I have to deliver, but they all will serve me well for it. These days, Networking is not only all in one room. The modern ages lets us network with Toastmasters from Oregon, then Toastmasters from Moldova and then those in South of England. My reasons to get to know, then keep contact, are not the same as from someone who needs to find a job, a workshop, or get in somewhere new.
I mostly need contact. Pathways is showing me ways, I follow my way, we helps each other. I mean, Pathways and me. Projects are clever and may help in different ways different folks.
Sunday was Table Topic master at an TM club from Suceava, in Romanian. Once in a mont it is all online. The other meeting is in a library. I got to be General Evaluator of the meeting. After the meeting, email and message with the President, whom I did not know before. Or not well. Now, we got to know each other a lot better.
And this is what classically is called Networking but in fact, all three were for me. Oregon, Rumania and the Division event in South England.
I went first of all to give courage and take video of the Mystery speaker, to return a favor she did to me six month ago. To encourage also our club member, he got the 3rd price! I did not know, that I will get a Triple Crown, and I got one too. I met one of the readers of this blog. We posed together with a Toastmaster I meet usually online.
All three events, this week were in fact for me Networking! And I did not do it for the project, I have to deliver, but they all will serve me well for it. These days, Networking is not only all in one room. The modern ages lets us network with Toastmasters from Oregon, then Toastmasters from Moldova and then those in South of England. My reasons to get to know, then keep contact, are not the same as from someone who needs to find a job, a workshop, or get in somewhere new.
I mostly need contact. Pathways is showing me ways, I follow my way, we helps each other. I mean, Pathways and me. Projects are clever and may help in different ways different folks.
22 Apr 2019
About Evaluation Forms, again
I read romance novels, and last week I was send a newsletter proposing me under a dollar some books with heroes from mafia!
What? Well, the most important, that they are written by a very good writer, and each book not only with different hero and heroine, that are flowed, that learn, that change and toward end they get together.
In preface, of this book, she tells us she begun premed, then found out what she really wants is to write books!
We all need to learn what courage is and what is not, and at the beginning of each chapter, of this book, there is a quote, a different one, about courage.
Evaluation forms gave me a lot of head ache from the day, in 2017 when Adobe proposed me a better PDF reader, "free to try for three month". Oops! After I downloaded it, and the time expired, I could not get back the free one, and Adobe asked too much for every month in order for me to be able to fill out Evaluation Forms! What to do?
I tried many ways, it can be done, but no more online, no more elegant. I went as far as up to Zoom with the Senior Designer of Toastmasters: she told me "it works here, then I will come back after weekend." I am still waiting after two years for her to come back.
Finally, they did realize what happened, and begun to think, what to do about it.
Evaluation in a club? Have a printer? We go to the Evaluate Section, from any Project and us print the form, give the printed form before the meeting (or ask someone to do it for us), the evaluator writes on it, gives us back. And sometimes, we can even scan it and save to the computer or to our e-portofolio to be seen only by us.
But in my online clubs, this was too complicated, and each of us found different ways to deal with it. Till, a day, I discovered, - we were also told - that the Evaluation forms from the Tutorials and Resources are "fillable" electronically! To show the difference, they got FFF in their names. Only precaution, to download, save and fill, then save again (usually I do save with a different name) before sending it in email or a message.
The following text is from the Evaluation Square, I opened yesterday, for this post specially. (1) Instead of having all the old Evaluation Forms, it redirects us to the Tutorials and Resources where after selecting Evaluation, we have to choose English or French or, and then the name of the project. Once chosen, we have still to Launch or Save it inside our Transcript page. It remains there, till we click on it as "marked completed."
Here is what I found:
From Base Camp is "fillable" FFF in the name when you save it, and can be completed and saved online - the first time I seen it recognized that all were not fillable. But the number 2 advice is no more valid I am happy to say. Of course, we can still save and print, but... in plus, from this month on, even the evaluation resources saved directly from projects are fillable! And contain, when saved, the FFF in their name.
For me, this seems a huge improvement.
Improvements, small and big arrive in 2019 every month or week, even if we are not always told. TMI user interface team working hard on to bring them to us. Why complain if it is going to better and better? I was used to Versions, and being told what changed in each version of a program, nowadays we have to discover. Still, can enjoy them.
What I wrote before, in many posts about problems with evaluation forms, it seems it is solved, even if took almost two years. And meanwhile I did not stop. Found solutions to use what it is, how it is.
When it was needed, I did stand up and spoke. Even if I felt I was not listened to at that time, almost two years ago.
Finally, it was only postponed, and in plus, I was not the only one to speak.
I also try to listen to all of your problems, and now I can be said almost a Pathways Detective, can discover what is the problem.
When I do not know the answer, in the Pathways discussion forum we discover together each of us adding her or his knowledge to the problems we encounter.
In plus, I meet one by one often through messaging, or one to one in the land club, or zooming together, to see what problem each has. We still have problems, some easy to solve, some only a screen away to show and explain. Others, we are still waiting for to happen. It will. I am more and more sure, that we are also listened to.
Let me go back to the first quote: do not give up, continue! So much joys at the end. As for me, next Sunday, I will tell my personal story with message and humor in it from L3. Vive the Projects from the 11th path!
What? Well, the most important, that they are written by a very good writer, and each book not only with different hero and heroine, that are flowed, that learn, that change and toward end they get together.
In preface, of this book, she tells us she begun premed, then found out what she really wants is to write books!
We all need to learn what courage is and what is not, and at the beginning of each chapter, of this book, there is a quote, a different one, about courage.
Evaluation forms gave me a lot of head ache from the day, in 2017 when Adobe proposed me a better PDF reader, "free to try for three month". Oops! After I downloaded it, and the time expired, I could not get back the free one, and Adobe asked too much for every month in order for me to be able to fill out Evaluation Forms! What to do?
I tried many ways, it can be done, but no more online, no more elegant. I went as far as up to Zoom with the Senior Designer of Toastmasters: she told me "it works here, then I will come back after weekend." I am still waiting after two years for her to come back.
Finally, they did realize what happened, and begun to think, what to do about it.
Evaluation in a club? Have a printer? We go to the Evaluate Section, from any Project and us print the form, give the printed form before the meeting (or ask someone to do it for us), the evaluator writes on it, gives us back. And sometimes, we can even scan it and save to the computer or to our e-portofolio to be seen only by us.
But in my online clubs, this was too complicated, and each of us found different ways to deal with it. Till, a day, I discovered, - we were also told - that the Evaluation forms from the Tutorials and Resources are "fillable" electronically! To show the difference, they got FFF in their names. Only precaution, to download, save and fill, then save again (usually I do save with a different name) before sending it in email or a message.
The following text is from the Evaluation Square, I opened yesterday, for this post specially. (1) Instead of having all the old Evaluation Forms, it redirects us to the Tutorials and Resources where after selecting Evaluation, we have to choose English or French or, and then the name of the project. Once chosen, we have still to Launch or Save it inside our Transcript page. It remains there, till we click on it as "marked completed."
Here is what I found:
From Base Camp is "fillable" FFF in the name when you save it, and can be completed and saved online - the first time I seen it recognized that all were not fillable. But the number 2 advice is no more valid I am happy to say. Of course, we can still save and print, but... in plus, from this month on, even the evaluation resources saved directly from projects are fillable! And contain, when saved, the FFF in their name.
For me, this seems a huge improvement.
Improvements, small and big arrive in 2019 every month or week, even if we are not always told. TMI user interface team working hard on to bring them to us. Why complain if it is going to better and better? I was used to Versions, and being told what changed in each version of a program, nowadays we have to discover. Still, can enjoy them.
What I wrote before, in many posts about problems with evaluation forms, it seems it is solved, even if took almost two years. And meanwhile I did not stop. Found solutions to use what it is, how it is.
When it was needed, I did stand up and spoke. Even if I felt I was not listened to at that time, almost two years ago.
Finally, it was only postponed, and in plus, I was not the only one to speak.
I also try to listen to all of your problems, and now I can be said almost a Pathways Detective, can discover what is the problem.
When I do not know the answer, in the Pathways discussion forum we discover together each of us adding her or his knowledge to the problems we encounter.
In plus, I meet one by one often through messaging, or one to one in the land club, or zooming together, to see what problem each has. We still have problems, some easy to solve, some only a screen away to show and explain. Others, we are still waiting for to happen. It will. I am more and more sure, that we are also listened to.
Let me go back to the first quote: do not give up, continue! So much joys at the end. As for me, next Sunday, I will tell my personal story with message and humor in it from L3. Vive the Projects from the 11th path!
21 Apr 2019
Even "Recommended" may confuse some
He was finally ready to begin Pathways. Got to the Choose a path, then to the two pictures bellow: He knew how to login, and got even past this one:
So he went to Choose a Path.
But then he got to read this:
Where is the path they recommend me? The bottom was not easy to read.
Never got to the Take the Assessment part hélas as bellow.
I had to make the window very small to fit it all. Of course, it can be also scrolled down.
Then only arrives this popup, where we have to choose first the Language
Then the assessment begins, with lots of questions, and finishing with three main choices.
The first three topics chosen lead to other questions and yet others. Till it is "100% completed" the we get three Recommended Paths to Choose from, and in plus, under them all the other paths we can have.
In my case the "Choose this Path" are not relevant. I do have almost all the paths, and in almost all of them, but those they consider "finished" it is written "You cannot purchase this path at this time. This path is currently in progress on your Base Camp transcript."
I also regret, that Leadership Development I am on still - in French - is recommended again. And of course Innovative Planning, recommended alas biased to too many Toastmasters! That would not be so bad if it did not trap new comers to a path that finishes in HPL, at level 5 that is to be avoided when they begin! And it is the path, the most take, the less (almost) finish!
Anyway, under all this three there is an option to open and Choose any path we researched before and decided. In plus, if not yet chosen yet any, the first path does not cost 20 dollars: it is free!
Did you really not choose yet a path? Do it. NOW. Spring time.
Of course, first, read my posts explaining, why to choose some and not the others! Or select the 11th path the newest, in my opinion the best: Embrace Humor! From then on, once you have a path, you can go to Base Camp or directly to the Transcript page and click on Open Curriculum - strangely that is suddenly they call the Path for the moment. And from there, to your Project that you access with a click in the middle of the button Activate then Launch.
More I try to explain to beginners, more it seems complicated.
Hopefully, we get used to it then it seems so easy! As it is always the same, even if at the beginning it can be indeed be confusing. As many new to to toastmasters or to pathways suddenly begin in my land club, I realize better, why I was annoyed two years ago, when I begun. At the same time, I loved so much the projects I got, that I got through the roadblocks fast.
Exactly two years ago I told the story of how I have become woman, on a Eastern Sunday. I made the timekeeper, from a different culture, hide behind his colorful page! Indeed, it will be now exactly 60 years: I was almost 25 at the time. My story did not contain anything chocking, only that I did it without waiting to marry first.
No one told me to change that part of the tale, but between the first and second, in the Evaluation and Feedback, I read Transitions book and I understood a lot more about all that happened to me and had given a story that was more about Ends, bad bad ends for me at the time and how, after a few month they lead me to something new and having courage to be and think for myself.
I had a stronger, more important message, around the same event. A really improved speech.
Happy Eastern to you, whatever religion you are or not religious at all. We all have renewals!
19 Apr 2019
"Transcript?" Curriculum? Confusing
As I said, in yesterday's post, we can open directly and go in the heart of Base camp, after login to TMI through Welcome Julie! and use "Go to my Transcript". I hope, soon that will be changed to "Go to my Paths!"
That phrase makes some believe, that in order to read their projects, path, they have to open their transcript. I had confirmation of it just yesterday, from an other experienced Toastmaster. And, when you go instead of your account, through "Go to Basecamp" it opens to this, also confusing for her. "Where I go, blue or red Transcript?"
Just forget the red at the bottom. It shows only where you were last time, and if it is not what you want, you will not find the project or level you want there! Go with BLUE squares.
Nowadays, they added to the Education Transcript, Access my Path, that is how they should call it everywhere. Once we know, there are 11 path, for now, and which one we did choose, that would be the clearest.
I also opened this morning, the Navigating Base Camp: open it, videos inside with suggestions. It is not at all the Navigator there! Here is what you find. Play with it, discover. Come back from time to time. Work on my projects, or Complete my Assignments you get answers here and video animations even ! Yes, we have to Launch them first. But, we do not have to go all the way to the Tutorials in order to have our answers.
We really do not need all those details! Or need it very seldom. If you get here, click to the line under the name on the top, and Launch Curriculum player. Again "Curriculum player" instead of go back to my path content.
And if you get inside the Training Details of a project, the "Back" is on the bottom, instead of at the top. Anyway, we do not info on how long we looked to an project. Perhaps, we read mostly off line, perhaps we forgot it open. And no one will ask us the time.
Another confusion, even if this is explained in the beginning of some projects: How do I get a saved copy of the project? We have to open up the Select to move to another section, and jump to Your Evaluation. Present for all Projects, while some other sections may vary. As you go to Your Evaluation, we find the Print your Project: it also leads us to Save As or Save as PDF, no difference in content, just one of it lets us change the name.
Because of the cost of the color ink, I print few project, save all of them on my computer and copy them also all to a USB key, just to be sure. Yes, I can always download it again, even when I finished the Path, but why go to all that again?
Introduction, Assess Your Self-Before and After, are always there also, in the "Sections" and are important, signaling to Base Camp, when we finished the project.
Here is another popup of Section for the Visual Aids project, you can see which are the same and which are specific to the project.
You can also see that it is important to have the window open up enough, to see the arrows that go back and forward, and down to see the Select to move... triangle that pops up when we click on it.
When I want to go to see my paths, I go under HOME, click on the grey Home, and get back here. Can choose instead the Active, and see only Curriculum (Path) or all the other "classes" all what I was interested. When I finished with them, I can also say so, then are still there but between the Completed. Again: remember click in middle of Open Curriculum (Path) not on the title of the path.
To finish, with a smile, for Eastern, or any other spring celebration today, some flowers from the garden behind the building I live. I was out yesterday, and enjoyed them.
Enjoy what is around you and enjoy the Projects: I do both.
That phrase makes some believe, that in order to read their projects, path, they have to open their transcript. I had confirmation of it just yesterday, from an other experienced Toastmaster. And, when you go instead of your account, through "Go to Basecamp" it opens to this, also confusing for her. "Where I go, blue or red Transcript?"
Just forget the red at the bottom. It shows only where you were last time, and if it is not what you want, you will not find the project or level you want there! Go with BLUE squares.
Nowadays, they added to the Education Transcript, Access my Path, that is how they should call it everywhere. Once we know, there are 11 path, for now, and which one we did choose, that would be the clearest.
I also opened this morning, the Navigating Base Camp: open it, videos inside with suggestions. It is not at all the Navigator there! Here is what you find. Play with it, discover. Come back from time to time. Work on my projects, or Complete my Assignments you get answers here and video animations even ! Yes, we have to Launch them first. But, we do not have to go all the way to the Tutorials in order to have our answers.
Back to the Educational Transcript, and the Path. Here, as you see, at the left is the name of the path, Engaging Humor for me. I usually click on Open curriculum, but my pal thought she has to go to either View training details, that does not lead to the path or project as she wanted to read it, or she clicked on the name of Path, that again goes to Transcript, description, but not the Levels and projects.
Click in the middle of right button, Launch! or to see the Electives, on View Electives. Why should it be a name and not click on that and having to click on the right? I got used to it, did not even think how confusing that could be for someone else.
And if you get inside the Training Details of a project, the "Back" is on the bottom, instead of at the top. Anyway, we do not info on how long we looked to an project. Perhaps, we read mostly off line, perhaps we forgot it open. And no one will ask us the time.
Another confusion, even if this is explained in the beginning of some projects: How do I get a saved copy of the project? We have to open up the Select to move to another section, and jump to Your Evaluation. Present for all Projects, while some other sections may vary. As you go to Your Evaluation, we find the Print your Project: it also leads us to Save As or Save as PDF, no difference in content, just one of it lets us change the name.
Because of the cost of the color ink, I print few project, save all of them on my computer and copy them also all to a USB key, just to be sure. Yes, I can always download it again, even when I finished the Path, but why go to all that again?
Introduction, Assess Your Self-Before and After, are always there also, in the "Sections" and are important, signaling to Base Camp, when we finished the project.
Here is another popup of Section for the Visual Aids project, you can see which are the same and which are specific to the project.
You can also see that it is important to have the window open up enough, to see the arrows that go back and forward, and down to see the Select to move... triangle that pops up when we click on it.
When I want to go to see my paths, I go under HOME, click on the grey Home, and get back here. Can choose instead the Active, and see only Curriculum (Path) or all the other "classes" all what I was interested. When I finished with them, I can also say so, then are still there but between the Completed. Again: remember click in middle of Open Curriculum (Path) not on the title of the path.
To finish, with a smile, for Eastern, or any other spring celebration today, some flowers from the garden behind the building I live. I was out yesterday, and enjoyed them.
Enjoy what is around you and enjoy the Projects: I do both.
18 Apr 2019
Welcome Julie! Go to my Transcript is on Top now
Go to Toastmasters.org and Login : name and password. For me, my computer remembers them.
Welcome Julie appears on the top: for you of course it would be your name and not Julie.
Open the Welcome Xccc and this above appears.
Now, it is on top, the rectangle leading to our path, Go to my Transcript, leads directly to it.
Before, the Address and phone number was in the top.
Perhaps, a small change but it makes to enter Basecamp easier, faster.
Only when you want to buy a new path, choose the path, do we have to go to Pathways and from there to Basecamp.
The Transcript, reminds us to disable the Popup blocker, and shows us the path, that we open with Open Curriculum. Do NOT click on the title of the path!
The project we work on ready to be Launched, or the next project with Activate then Launch.
I still think, the names Transcript and Curriculum are strange for the folder were the path are and the Path themselves, why not call them more usual names? And why is so far away the name of the path, and can we not click directly on it, but have to click on the "open curriculum" on the right?
Remember to open up big enough the window that pops up each time, if it is not automatic for you each time a new popup opens, for me it opens up in a new tab and whole screen. In plus, once inside my project, I can with Cmd + make what is inside bigger or with Cmd - smaller too.
There are some small things but we feel better and better when know how to use them.
Welcome Julie appears on the top: for you of course it would be your name and not Julie.
Open the Welcome Xccc and this above appears.
Now, it is on top, the rectangle leading to our path, Go to my Transcript, leads directly to it.
Before, the Address and phone number was in the top.
Perhaps, a small change but it makes to enter Basecamp easier, faster.
Only when you want to buy a new path, choose the path, do we have to go to Pathways and from there to Basecamp.
The Transcript, reminds us to disable the Popup blocker, and shows us the path, that we open with Open Curriculum. Do NOT click on the title of the path!
The project we work on ready to be Launched, or the next project with Activate then Launch.
I still think, the names Transcript and Curriculum are strange for the folder were the path are and the Path themselves, why not call them more usual names? And why is so far away the name of the path, and can we not click directly on it, but have to click on the "open curriculum" on the right?
Remember to open up big enough the window that pops up each time, if it is not automatic for you each time a new popup opens, for me it opens up in a new tab and whole screen. In plus, once inside my project, I can with Cmd + make what is inside bigger or with Cmd - smaller too.
There are some small things but we feel better and better when know how to use them.
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