Destination in sight!

All visits completed (well except for one club that folded during the summer break) and 10 out of 15 virtual support sessions done and dusted. Almost across the finish line and I can see the shining banners fluttering in the breeze on the parapets of Castle DTM. They entice me forward now as I move into the final phase of being a Pathways Guide and can almost taste victory on reaching my destination. This has been an extraordinary journey of a Pathways Treader; through the dangerous waters of Information Gap, across the shining Seas of Enlightenment; into the mysterious chambers of Base Camp; collecting the wisdom of the Pathways Pioneers; harvesting the pearls of guidance in the Palace of Zoom; reviewing the writing on the glass walls by Outlanders; and developing a following of Pathways Champions.

… and then the small voice inside my head said, “wait a minute, you’re not quite finished”….

There are a few more tasks to perform before you can enter those hallowed halls.

Connect at a deeper level!

Connectivism

A timely networking opportunity arose when my Captain PQD invited our tribe of guides into the palace of Zoom one night to share our journeys. There I met others whose journeys had been different to mine and whose experiences and achievements gave me new perspectives. New insights, new challenges and further connections to those sharing the same learning, reassured me I was not alone. The networking with my peers was what I had missed – this is a new step forward for a connected learning experience.

…  ‘aha’ moment from connectivism – the importance of community building …

Revelations

Listening to my peers and learning from them, prompted me to revisit the process of providing my support and to try a new approach. Several criteria from those conversations helped me shape the next phase of Supporting the Clubs:

• The clubs all have different needs and will have different questions.
• Not all  of the members of those clubs will be ready to leap into the online world of Pathways or into the world of web conferencing.
• Many clubs are just starting up again after the summer break.
• Clubs need help in supporting new members who joined after rollout.
• Many members do not yet have a solid foundation with their Pathways Guide who may only have visited their club once.
• Some members are only learning about Pathways by hearsay.

I need a new approach – based on ‘How would you like your Support Served‘ in the next two months?

Flexible Personalized approach

What I am seeking now is a method of Engagement by Design – a process which I have drawn from the e-Learning environment – to ensure that I can motivate one ‘champion’ at a time.

I plan to implement that within a framework of best practice in Adult Education theory by rethinking the pedagogy being used so far – as crucial as identifying the new competencies that the Toastmasters will need to acquire in the Pathways program.

… learn more about preparing learners for new competencies in this article from Cynthia Luna Scott in her paper “The Futures of Learning 3 …”

… check out the latest testimonials from Pathways followers – this Paths of Progress article in the February edition of the Toastmasters Magazine will engage you – learning from others is an important element of personalized learning….

I plan to personalize the learning for those clubs who want more tailored approach. Ask them what will work for them, during March and April, to achieve at least a 20% embedding of Pathways in their club success plan. How can the Pathways Guide support that goal?

And it will be beneficial to provide examples of how they can personalize the learning for each of their members. More emphasis on the ‘train the trainer’ aspect so that the Base Camp Managers can follow through long after the Pathways Treaders have sailed on.

Call to Action

Here is where I need your help!

Please leave a comment below with some ideas on personalizing the support for individual clubs and members in ‘on boarding’ into Pathways.