Changes are here, they will be made...

As we approach June, there are some Toastmasters who feel like their world, as they knew it is falling appart. Their education program changed, three years ago, but they still can use the old, also, till end June.

Many who begun the new, got used and to see the importance of the new, Pathways system. Basecamp improved every month last year. But for some, still seems like a menace.

What can we say to them? How to make them try out at lest the web based program? Dip their foot in, look at it with beginners eyes, learn enough to be able to continue giving feedback.

In truth, verbal feedback can be given as usual, in the meeting. And written one, well it can be read and filled... Roles, do not change in the meetings. Still, it would be better, instead of a feared ghost, at least know enough to tell what is that really pains still. What the Summit team has still to change.

And decide, that they have to publish somewhere the changes they make.

For me, French citizen in London, the date arrived. Brexit alas decided, approved. Till end of year it will be implemented. I am not happy, still anxious. But I know, I just have to keep up, find out what impact it has in my own life.

Take our time

Taking our time is not so easy. Slowing down, more complicated nowadays as it was. Alas, I have time but do not use it always, wisely. Forget also to show a moment in time, scene by scene, instead of telling or peaching. Really entertaining.

Thousand years ago, already was known. One place, one time. One scene at a time. Julie, remember!

We can have each project - if we want

 A long discussion. Some do want to receive beautiful manuals. With all projects.

At the beginning, I also wanted printed. Of course, we can download and save all projects. Pass them to someone, even if that is not legal. Print them.

Nowadays, all projects from our path. Old and new path we have. Who needs a glossy cover? 

Look, how I assembled them.

When I was still printing. The ink cost a lot, and the characters are relatively small. With time. I get used to read on my iPad. Change the sizes at my need, my will. 

Other discussion? Do you still write with a crayon? Not a pen? Not computer? 

Or you say the story you prepare in a recorder? 

Record on video?

Alone, or telling to someone and looking for feedback, letting it grow.

Being in the moment. Not as easy as I thought. Showing instead of telling.

Meet online

Meeting old pals is always a pleasure. And when cannot go out, online clubs are great.

Yesterday, I met at one early meetings some, and one of them even later. 

And I met a toastmaster from near London with whom we go way back. He was ill longtime. I do not go out a lot either lately. We were at 9 am both at the Firebirds Collective meeting.

Andrew, à tenor with wonderful voice and great movements, but also great storyteller, come for the first time. He also immediately participated and gave great feedback to the speaker. Linda, was from Leads, UK. Other members? Mathilde from Germany, Samir from London as me. We had a member from India too. And my friend Geni from New Zealand.

How to print a certificate for a club member

Login to TMI then to the Basecamp, from your Profile, here "Welcome Julie", as Basecamp manager. See bellow the first blue rectangle's Checkmark. If more then one club's BCM then choose which.

That is the first step, in the profile, or ... point from smartphone. There are three options available to you, first Approve a level, last is Tutorials. This is after opening the Tutorials and clicking on the third rectangle, Level Completion.

Then look up the short tutorial videos. At the Level completion the Printing is the third, after you click on it. Short, fast, I had to look twice to remember and again, when time passed. You can request any of the videos, then are available to you after login as Basecamp manager.

In the first rectangle as BCM, Approve Levels, I found a member of my club, waiting approval for the last speech and Level completed this week. Clicked on Green and wrote a short note to him "approved". Remember well his name, lager you have to Search for him, specifically, to get to his path and transcripts.

Launch, shows to short video once, Request does add it to your Active Projects of BCM, and even if looked once, you can look at it, again and again.

The member is on Presentation Mastery path, he also opened and looked at The Navigator. I opened the Curriculum first, then went to his Level 1 "View Details".

Here are the Details of his Level 1, the last item is View Certificate.

Here is the Certificate. Now, I could save it, send it, print it. 

To be presented to him to the next club meeting in a festive way.

I am just the Secretary, so I send the certificate to our club President, to print and present him.

Instead of general, tell a personal story

Rabi Lau on importance of personal storytelling  Instead of numbers, or at the same time as giving the context, isolate a community, a family, one person. That makes more sens to students, to all of us. We understand suddenly better, we can sens it almost as happening to us. Use a case, an image, a moment.  Told ten years ago, about his visit to the camp he was held as child, after 50 years he was last there, in the camp.

Blogging gives me a lot

I would not go so far as to say, I may not exist without blogging, but daily blogging, expressing myself, knowing I am read, making contact and hoping it may even help someone, adds more meaning to my life.

It is cold outside and my heating stopped yesterday noon. We are still waiting for the repairman to come and fix it. Meanwhile, we put lots of dress on us, and I took out a warm wool cover. Good days ahead, soon.

Online toastmasters clubs

I found today an end of year 2017 in my Facebook memories. Or perhaps, it was from January 2018. Our club between the first few online clubs created. Witty Storytellers Online, was the 6th in line. Nowadays there are more then 26!

In plus, we were the first Speciality online: all about Storytelling! Personal storytelling. From Advanced club, we decided to become Community club, so we  can welcome also beginners or not yet toastmasters to become TM in our club.

Everyone has a story to tell! In fact many stories.

Firebirds and Netizens chartered the same time, even if Netizen is told to have been before with 5 days. They paid faster it seems. Truth, they also existed a lot longer online, a lot longer before chartering.

Huron is a society club, closed.
Buddies was first all from Chinese Toastmasters, new ones and, first payed by a benefactor. Nowadays, it is a lot more diversified.

Witty Storytellers Online, the first ever Speciality online club, was created by me with a group from which most arrived from Firebirds. We also remained members of Firebirds or other clubs we come from for long years. I am still (or again) member of Firebirds Collective, was absent only for one year.

As for now, 27 online clubs formed, and here they are from TMI website. Choose at least one! So much can be learned in an online club: online presence more and more necessary to learn too.

And a lot of camaraderie. Knowing each other most often better then from a club we can touch each other. We touch each other emotionally. We see our children. Each other rooms, most often too. Learn Zoom, that is mostly used nowadays.

Level 2, before Level 1?

From September on, one can do, on Basecamp, the Levels in any order.

I did not like, for long time, level 2. But...The Level 2 of EH is a delight, and why not try, this time, go directly to it? Only three Projects and three, if important tasks. And one of them, Introduction to Toastmasters Mentoring is in all Paths, but this time, I can to tell about me, as protégée in a Humorous way.

What an interesting challenge!

It will take time, to complete this Level, and see how that happens. But what a great challenge to tackle all projects with wit and humor even if not specifically asked.

Last time, with Visionary Communication I just done the Research Project first in Level one, this time, one more step, outside the "usual".

NOW we can again select a path we Completed

I tried it out for you. Plus, I decided to take a path from beginning again. The only paths not available to me, where those Active in my Basecamp that I am in Level 4 or 5 now.

I hesitated to take or not the 11th path, the one I did not try yet, but no, decided replacing rather the Humor path. Love its projects and end more.

Attention! One can continue only after choosing the web (or the other) option AND the language.

Again as bellow, we have to confirm our options before going farther. Here how it should look, before we are allowed to continue.

And again, conforming is necessary and is shown as above.

 Then only we can click on Continue and go farther. 

Take an Assessment if you hesitate which path you need, want.

I knew I wanted Engaging Humor, but looked again at its projects.

Then I looked to be sure at all projects. Only those currently I am on where forbidden. It is normal, I am doing them currently, on level 4 or 5, with long projects I can not rush.

And then finally, I was allowed to choose EH but again, had to click on Continue before. Many times, many times, first choose then click on Continue.

And finally, I was told to pay for it. That part, will not show here. All the joy for 20$ again. I was warned, the old EH transcripts will disappear. After I paid, it did not arrive instantly.  But at third look in my Basecamp, it was there!

Now, I can be again a beginner, and do the path even better, differently as last time.

Use the Search box of this blog

I got now almost 800 posts, and do not suppose anyone will read all of them.

Interested in a subject? The Search-box is there for you. It does search inside the context.

Interested to understand more about Level 1? Best add it between "  " if not, he word Level alone is searched. Once there, you can go through different posts that come available, all with the same subject, presented differently at different times, since May 2017.

Level 1 remains still my preferred Level. I love all three projects, that have to be completed in 5 different times. Love to tell stories, love to improve on what I told, and my research in subjects I needed to learn or learn more about, helped me a lot in theses three last years.

Where to click?

When we arrive here, the first impulse is to click on the TITLE of the path. Instead, as it is  suggested in the text, above, but written in light letters, with a lot of text bellow it, on the Bordeaux BUTTON far at its right, called OPEN curriculum. In plus, we have to click in its MIDDLE instead of the arrow pointing down. 

Alas, as we arrived here, with a name Transcript, it seems natural to choose it instead of opening the path's 5 levels, going to our path and not its description. And I am someone who prefer to learn by doing, first, so I would suggest, play with the Levels and projects that come a bit, before looking to the tutorial how to, as suggested. 

Even if parts of handling Basecamp are strange, it has the advantage of being consistent, always the same. Not only, level from level, but even Projects from Projects.

DCP points

A little while, still two education systems give clubs DCP points. In this club, with one Level 5 one becomes distinguished. Alas, only if the club gains 8 new members and does not loose. As yet must have 5 members plus the, last time at mupinimum.

Each of my 5 clubs gets awards

As  you can see, all my  five clubs get the  award they need. This time, Lewisham Speakers become Distinguished because of my Level 4 award.

I am now on height Levels  in all of my Projects. Not easy! Moderator of a Panel  or Leading a Team, or Creating a Project with a team. None I  can do alone.

I have 4 path on board now, longest is Motivational Strategies, but in MS I did ALL projects till level 5 bar the Podcast and new England that ½  to understand. The French LD takes also long, has to be finished also in team. Only the Preparation of a Professional speech is doable alone, but... takes time. To prepare well,  as well clubs time to listen.


The task  for the Panel. That 'is what I will tackle first.

Probably create two panels, for  two paths, and use Ménage a Project, to  prepare them,

Not  so  easy when my main preoccupation is  now  to loose some  more weight!

Start with a child's mind

Start with the beginner's mind. A child mind.

Open, ready to discover what comes.

Thinking in the moment, ahead, and not back. That is what most "seasoned toastmasters" need when going to Pathways discovery.

To many ask questions "where are the speeches from the competent communication manual"? How many less one has to do to...? In fact, not only there are not easy, short and exact answers, but they would be misleading.

Instead of comparing what was, go creatively to discovery of what is. Like a child with delight, and courage.

TM and Rotary

I hope you will join us in supporting this collaboration. You can do so by:

• Welcoming a Rotarian to visit a Toastmasters club
• Inviting a Rotarian to be a guest speaker at a Toastmasters club
• Considering opportunities to hold a joint Toastmasters/Rotary club meeting
• Learning more about Rotary and visiting a local Rotary club

These can meet some of the evolving needs of our current and prospective members and diversify our membership.

We are assisting Rotary to develop a structured, in-depth leadership and communication development program for their members, with a phased rollout of eight courses scheduled for 2020. It is currently in the early stages of development; updates will be provided as they are available.  

For FAQ and to learn more, please visit www.toastmasters.org/Rotary.

Why Pathways? What is the difference? Paul White images

--- from NOVEMBER 2017 ---

Paul White, Distinguished Toastmaster and Chief Ambassador of District 27 in Virginia, is also a great storyteller and illustrator.

Speaking on the difference between Toastmasters Legacy program, the one that many still uses today, and the new Pathways Education, he shows this two images first and tells:

"In the legacy program we acquire tools, learn about organisation, vocal variety, and get many other tools to work with for speaking better.

The new Pathways program is about Using Tools we acquire on the way. It does take us to another level.

Using tools in many different occasions is a lot better.

What a difference between having tools and learning how to use them!

Of course, that is not the only thing that is different, aside from the one is based on information that we find through internet, "Base camp" as we go level by level in our path. It is lot more customized to our needs.

What? did he really put my head in that picture? Haha! Now I can dream myself back in that body, many many years ago.

Before, we did have to fit in the program, and we learned to do so. After all, some of us, but only 1% learned and got to become Distinguished Toastmasters. And only 10% arrived even to finish their 10 first speeches and become Competent Communicators as it is called.

That is of course also from Paul as all the other drawings used in this post.

In the modernised Pathways education program, we can chose many path to begin with and go in many different directions, depending on us and our needs.

That this time is Paul who does enjoy choosing his Path, his first path was Presentation Mastery, and at the end of the Path, not only he had become Presentation Mastery Proficient, but indeed he begun to give Professional Speeches, sometimes more then an hour, in and around Washington DC!

After I finished my Visionary Communication Path, not only I opened this blog, now almost 20 000 visits, but also begun offering Panels about different subjects. First about Zoom, that I did not know well at the time, then about Pathways as Panelist and also as Panel Moderator. I also continued to make Pathways more known everywhere I went and in any social media I could, which was my vision in that path: help the Transition.

In Pathways, the Essence of Toastmasters and Ralph Smedely's was retained, here is another image.

The club meetings do not change. We learn by doing. Based and helped by peer evaluation and mentoring, it is self-paced and self-evaluation without "pass/fail" and recognitions (coming faster.

But in plus, we have with pathways all that you can see bellow.

While we were presenting a Panel about Pathways with Paul online to audience from New Zealand, he showed us all what it does brings us, using different devices. How many different "competencies" we can chose from and yes, all the different resources including video clips we can find in our Projects.

Paul in this image, in the middle (second row second) listening to me, upper right in blue, giving feedback to his story he just told us in our online club. Listening from Vancouver, from Berlin, from Australia and New Zealand, from Manila and Oregon and London: we ARE there all at same time!

Paul White used the Connecting with Audience project, elective in level 3. It also was an example for me that even when we do chose the same path or same project, we can interpret it in so many ways! About that, another post with more details.

A year ago: The Navigator - on any device!

Post written a year ago, read it. I decided not to publish it again with new date. 

1. Does not exist, as far as I knew in written form. All printed are the old one.
2. Exist and can be seen through any device: computer, laptop, tablet or smartphone. 
3. It exist, for anyone, can be read even if not yet Toastmaster or chosen a path.
4. So much wonderful material, information and shown in new ways.
5. During a break, in my London club, we went through with a new member, I helped her to chose a path, and she could choose it through her phone. 

Yes, it stops there. I hoped, soon we can see a Project through my iPhone also, but for projects, I need at least my iPad. But one day... I still hope. 

Meanwhile, so much info can be found through our smartphones!

Those only two images taken with my iPhone, before coming to the iPad to continue this blog. 

Happily those are connected, and what I put into Photos with one I can find in the other.

One click showed the Electives of Level 3, the next hides them. I always hoped, and still do, one day all electives will be separated from the Paths: after all they are all basically the same, and once we become member...

True, nowadays with the first path we get, we can go see them, save or print all or any. But still.

Go play with the Navigator (the new Pathways Navigator) from any of your devices. You will gain time, not loose it.

With so many new things, from last January to December, what will the new year bring us?

Countdown to en 1 July 2020

Countdown to a New Education Era

From TM magazine January 2020

    

If you haven’t already transitioned to Pathways, get ready to do so! July 1, 2020, will mark the official changeover from Toastmasters’ traditional education program to the Pathways learning experience. 

When Pathways launched in 2018, existing members were given a two-year transition period. During this time, you could—and can up to June 30—work in the traditional program, in Pathways, or in both. (All new members are required to work in Pathways.) Starting on July 1, the first day of the 2020-2021 program year, Pathways will be the only education program available to members.

You’re encouraged, however, not to wait until then to enroll in Pathways. The earlier you plunge in, the more comfortable and confident you’ll be in navigating the program.

It’s worth remembering that although change is challenging, it also leads to growth and sg personal and professional goals. You can develop a wide variety of competencies, from blogging and networking to leading meetings effectively and communicating better in relationships. 

Several updates have been made in recent months:

• All 11 paths in Pathways have been “unlocked,” meaning that as soon as you get your chosen path, you can access any project in any of the path’s five levels. Being able to view what’s available in the higher levels may help you plan your projects and chart your learning.
• It is now easier to access Pathways projects. You can get to Base Camp—Pathways’ online learning management system—through your Toastmasters Profile once you log in. 
• The changes in Base Camp access include a new onboarding experience for selecting paths and getting into Base Camp. Watch a demonstration of the new access process.

All Pathways educational content has been translated into eight languages: Arabic, French, German, Japanese, Portuguese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese. Content is also being translated into Tamil and Korean, and two paths will be available in those two languages in early 2020.

An important reminder: To earn any final education awards in the traditional program, you must submit your award applications to World Headquarters by June 30. And it’s highly recommended you not wait to the last minute to send them in. The deadline will not be extended.

--- in order to make it fit in the blog, I had to change the formatting. --- 
Errata: Pathways was launched in 2017 not in 2018.