New Basecamp homepage arrived

Is it better? well, we will have to see. Some still not, other improved and I think, hope not true that the evaluations provided are NOT the fillable online forms. Hope, I am wrong.

This is how it looks. Try it out, see for yourself.

Some improvements like a suggested video. A direct access at left to Tutorial and Ressource. Profile and learning takes us to our paths.

Club Leadership Handbook

Once upon a time, the outgoing President was send 7 Club Officer Handbooks, to give to the Toastmasters from the next Toastmasters year, which begins, as usual, in July, but they are voted - as much as possible, till end of May each year.

I went to see and the Division Leadership Handbook come, from the Resources. In order to get the CLUB Officers Handbook, I had to login into the Toastmasters.org website. Leadership Central. Club officers. Then click on the Officers Roles and then Club Officer Kit and from there, finally got the Club Leadership Handbook.

Once there, I could open, save or send it. Free. Even, send in Kindle format to my Ipad, easier to read in different sizes for me. Yeah, size matters, to my eyes.

There are a lot of different tools and resources near there, all very interesting and some new.

Alas, the Club Leadership Handbook is not yet updated for the coming toastmasters year, it does contain the last year material, when the old and new program cohabited still. Even the DCP points for the club, are not yet updated yet, but we got the new ones through a regional director! I put on the top of the announcements in the Pathways Discussion Group.

Mother of my grandmother told me...

The mother of my grandmother, Paula, was 92 and me 12, when she told me stories from her life. She finished each of them "You see, Julie, one never know what a bad thing can bring, a good new that we never thought or expected."

I often pondered it in my own life since.

In 2014 I broke my leg and feet in 5 places, as too many called me "Break a leg!" before Division Governor elections. I was elected - with broken leg, leg in cast. My stupid, Hungarian leg, took the wishes literally. The French are simpler, they just with you "shit"... (merde) of course, one can also fall in it and break a leg, eventually.

While in cast, a few Toastmasters come to visit. And one of them showed me how to create a video looking at the green point on top of my Mac laptop screen. Others, directed me to go to the Toastmasters Linkedin, where I was invited to Netizens, the only online toastmaster club at time.

From a small town in India to London, UK

From Netizen to Firebirds Collective, where I become the first speaker then later first workshop leader, and later on, when creating Online Clubs was permitted by Toastmasters International, created with a pal, the first speciality club, Witty Storytellers Online.

We were the 4th club online, this fall, our 4th anniversary. All that let me discover also Remote access possibility, and in March 2017 let me beginning Pathways. By May, this was born, and thank for all who read it again and again!

I looked down from my window, exact 6 years ago, day to day, my hospital bed was delivered. Sitting on it today to write, after having assisted to two online meeting today from home.

Florian workshop direct also on Facebook

Assisted to Florian, D91 Director workshop delivered to the District called Wild East Europe (from where I am originally) only through "Facebook direct" and learned about Vision, made me think and understand, how good idea was to take Visionary Communication as my first path in 2017.

Now, I took the second time, the Visionary Communication path, alas the old version disappears, no more even in the Completed could be find.

Florian's workshop will help me better think about my current vision as that is still ahead of me now.

Path MS finished, but...

I just received this letter from TMI, that, in my opinion shows how much adding path completion AFTER level 5 mixed all up. Even the TMI services do not really absorbed, dealt with it.
"Congratulations! Your completion request for Path Completion—Motivational Strategies was approved on 5/9/2020 6:00:00 PM. This means you have fulfilled all of your educational requirements, and are now Proficient in this path! Finishing an entire path in the Toastmasters Pathways learning experience is a major accomplishment. You should be proud of this achievement!

Because this path is complete, you will now find it on a different page in your Education Transcript. Access the path by going to your Education Transcript, selecting the down arrow on the Active button and selecting Complete. This path will remain on your Completed page, where you can access and view completed projects at any time.

To see or print your certificate of proficiency, view the Training Details section for your Level 5 Completion item. Watch the Accessing Certificates tutorial for more information on how to view and print certificates. You can also request an official printed certificate from Toastmasters International World Headquarters."

So, as it is normal, and happened before, the path was déplacés from Active to the Completed folder, where it can be found. To see the certificate of Proficiency, marking the path completion, view Training Details for Level 5 ? Also, instead of getting automatic as before a Certificate of Proficiency, from now we have to ask specially for it? 

This is what I find Choosing Completed & Curriculum. Two of other finished paths, Visionary Communication and Embracing Humor are not here, as I begin them agains. 

Opening MS, going to level 5, Zi find only the Level 5 completion certificate.

So I was lucky, I was one of the lasts getting it by post. Even if it happened before finishing, yesterday, the  path, with my reflection delivered and evaluated, by a round robin evaluation. 

But opening the Path completion I did find the certificate of proficiency for the path. 

Not exactly as the letter said, but even better!

Fast Track

1. What is Fast Track?

Fast Track is a fun and interactive way to learn skills from Toastmasters International. Users can start with an optional self-assessment, watch three instructional videos, record themselves giving a speech, and then re-take the assessment to track their growth. The first course focuses on learning public speaking skills and we hope to expand to cover other subjects.

2. How much does Fast Track cost?

Fast Track costs $4.99 USD per course.

3. Why was Fast Track created?

Everyone learns differently, and Fast Track is aimed at people who need to learn skills quickly. If someone has a big presentation at work or a wedding speech coming up, Fast Track is designed to help them!

4. How can I purchase Fast Track?

To make your purchase, visit bit.ly/TI_FastTrack. Next, click on the course you are interested in, scroll down, and click “Add to Cart.” Follow the steps to create an account and complete your purchase.

As you see, it has 3 main lessons: 1. speech preparation 2. Voice variety 3. Body language.

5. How can I access Fast Track?

Once you’ve purchased Fast Track, you can access the course on your computer, phone, tablet, or TV. Complete the course at your own pace.

6. Can I go back and watch the videos again after completing Fast Track?

Yes. If you purchase the course, you are free to go back and watch the educational videos at any time.

Mark Complete / Approve / Certificate for Level

When I ask, after all project of Level are completed (or at least, the minimum of elective projects also for the higher levels, "Mark Complete" first a page comes up (with blabla) that I dismiss, closing the tab and it comes back to here. Mark Complete click on it. Then, I wait for one of the Base camp managers to approve my level. In fact, I never wait, find one of three and ask them to approve it.

The Basecamp manager (this time it is me logged in Basecamp as Secretary, who find inside the first of three boxes, called Pending Requests. Have to click on the grey (ok) to approve.

A click on the red x would refuse it. There are not many grounds to refuse...

After clicked and approved, logged out as BCM and logged in as member. Here what I find.

Level Completion approved, now I can view and Print or screen dump the certificate, by clicking, always in the middle of the button View Certificate.

Here is my Level 2 certificate, I just got a few days ago.

From TMI we get send (or did until now) a certificate of Proficiency, when we finish a path. Sometimes, it is nice to get the Level Completion from the Club, even if we show or send it to the VPE or President to show.

With new features, confusion arrives

I got in MAIL my path Proficiency : beautiful! 
For which path is it, in fact?
It is for MS!
What?

I got my award for finishing Level 5 in the Basecamp, indeed, but Proficiency? I did not give yet my Reflect on Your Path speech, not had time to reflect on that path of Motivation Strategy, very long path for me to finish. 

As you can see, I did finish, indeed, all the five Levels, and did ask last week the Level 5 to be approved, and it was, but did not yet even Activate the next task which, now it is called Path Completion, and contains the Reflect on Your Path, and serves also to Basecamp to verify if all Levels have been indeed completed. 

This is my path where I did ALL ELECTIVE projects of Level 3 and 4, not only the minimum 2 and 1 respectively. Did not do all the Level 5 electives, as arrived there, lacked the courage to continue and do all. I felt, better begin new path or other path I loved and finished again... 

But as I spend so much time with the Motivational Strategies Electives, my Reflection will take more time. I will Activate, Read it again, Work on it as much time as it takes.

Meanwhile, I wrote to TMI about their error, so they try not to do same to others, and also verified online in the FAQ where the difference between Level 5 and Proficiency is well explained: nowadays, not the same!

For newcomers to Pathways: a few posts I recommend

12 old posts I would recommend to those who start now in Pathways

those posts could avoid some "beginners problems" I experienced as user or coach

Click on one and a new window with the blog post will open

------  republished from December 2017 ----- 

Before you chose your Path : do not chose by the title, as I did first time

Configuration setting : let them pop up! all projects are on a popup

How to log out? for long time, I did not know how

The importance of feedback : when one project can hide 3 tasks

How to Finish a Project, etc: I become "expert" first falling in this

More detailed "Finish my Icebreaker?" a coaching example

What IS in those 5 levels? : just an overview of levels

Evaluation forms in pathways: very similar to each other

Some curious interface issues: best to know about them

Do not chose Printed Path, here is why - I fall in this too

How we enter changed!  we like change, do we?

Every day I can go to another online club