Annual Pathways Achievements: comparisons in your District

Okay things are ramping up a little at your club and more of your long time members are getting into their Pathways projects! Congratulations that means that something is working well in your Pathways implementation strategies. You are also experiencing an upsurge of new members who are eagerly jumping into their Path too. Wow, you are on a roll!

How do I know this? I took some statistics from the George Marshall’s Tools site here and filtered to show Pathways Level completions for the current year for my District 73. Results showed 170 level completions for this year – way to go D73. I filtered the results further to show the clubs in alphabetic order and discovered some outstanding results for several clubs in Central and Metropolitan Divisions. It was also great to see several achievements for clubs in our regional locations.

Note: I need to tell my own clubs about this! Perhaps my Area Director will want to know these details before the end of November!

You can also used the Dashboards Toastmasters website to locate, filter and display ALL awards earned by your club members. This report can be further filtered by name of member, club name or division or area name.

Note: some names are not displayed here as members have chosen to hide them for privacy reasons. If you need an explanation of the Education Awards you can access here.

Impact for your Distinguished Club Program

Have you presented the DCP facts for Pathways for your club members? Let them know that as the club members complete their levels they can help their club accumulate points towards being a distinguished club. 

For instance to earn Pathways points for achievements, a club needs 4 level one completions, 2 level two completions, (can earn an extra point for 2 more level two completions) 2 level three completions, 1 level four completion and 1 level five completion. To find out exactly how your club is tracking on DCP points go to http://dashboards.toastmasters.org and use the filtering tools to display results for your district, division, area or club.

I was curious about the Online Clubs and how they were tracking, so I used the filters to obtain these results:

Note: if you are not sure how to use the Dashboards at Toastmasters try this guide.

VPE Drills down to access Individual Progress in Pathways!

Now let’s get to the next exciting part of exploring your club Pathways  progress – one individual Toastmaster at a time.

As a Base Camp Manager you can login to Base Camp in Pathways and explore the progress for individuals – gaining access to their Transcripts. This is achieved by selecting the Member Progress icon from your BCM landing page.

Note: make sure that you choose the Home Club you are exploring if you have access to more than one club.

From here you can search for the member’s name in the search box and then select the Transcript to view.

Once you have clicked on the Transcript for your member you will see the Path in the Transcript. Click the title of the Path to view a full list of the projects with a display of those completed and in progress.

When you plan for a trip away, these are the usual steps you take:

1. know your destination
2. collect your tickets
3. pack essentials
4. add to your Trip Plan
5. check everything

Can you successfully plan ahead for your Projects?

When you get deeper into Pathways you will need to plan ahead! There are usually 10-11 required projects and 3 electives to complete – a total of 14 to 15 speeches.

Know your Destination:

Depending on your goal, you may be considering the delivery of at least 2 speeches per month per club. Your projects are mapped out for you in your Transcript (click on the Path title to see them all) and you will need to know which ones are required and which ones are electives.

Collect your Tickets:

At levels 3, 4 and 5 your choice of electives provide a wide array of tasks and goals to improve your skills in speaking and leading. Keep in mind that the speeches are the culmination of your learning in each elective project, and that there may be more than one speech required. Choose those electives that best support and complement your goals.

Pack Essentials:

Include in your folders the downloadable project resources for each level. eg Launch your project, go to the Evaluations page and collect the resources from that page. You’ll need a copy of the project itself; the evaluation resources and any other

Add to your Trip Plan:

Consult your diary or calendar and map out the dates you have available for:

• a) planning your project
• b) preparing your speech
• c) delivering your speech.

Collaborate with your VP Education and request your speeches at each club in a timely way. Allow sufficient time to repeat the speech if you wish to work on incorporating the feedback soon after.

Note: if you are in multiple clubs, plan to be courteous and offer a level completion for their Distinguished Club Program (DCP) points in return for opportunities to deliver a speech.

Is that all?

Nope! The final thing to do is ‘check everything’!

• Have you informed your VP Education when you want to deliver a speech?
  • (check speech schedules in your club management system)
• Have you collected all downloadable files from your project?
  • (check Transcript in Base Camp and match with files in folders)
• Have you incorporated all new learning into your project speech(s)?
  • (review Online Classes in Base Camp and prepare a speech outline)
• Have you outlined your speech to match the purpose statement on the Evaluation Resource?
  • (check Evaluation Resources from Evaluations in Base Camp and let your Evaluator know what you’d like feedback on)
• Finally, set aside some time after your speech delivery to return to your Transcript and complete the Assess Skills After in the Project.

Note: The Assess Your Skills After triggers the next project to become available.

Note: At the end of a level, once again, return to Transcript and complete the steps for Level Completion.

Consult these shared resources to help you in planning ahead and being prepared:
1. Paths, Levels and Electives Spreadsheet

• Spreadsheet outlining all required projects and electives

2. How to Succeed in Your Path

• a previous blog post of mine

Three short video tutorials from Coach Carole

3. Accessing Evaluation Resources

4. Accessing Level Completion Certificates

5. View your Pathways Progress at Toastmasters.org

 

 

 

 

Preparing for the D73 Club Leadership Training workshop this week, I was reminded that for many of the members in our district, their steps into Pathways have been tentative. Our region 12 rolled out Pathways in December 2017 and as our clubs started up again after our summer holidays, we have had only 9 months to focus on Pathways.

Almost 48% adoption rate in June after just six months was a reasonable result across a Region. I suspect that in nine months District 73 would have reached over 50% adoption rate across our Divisions.

Clubs are tracking reasonably well in the completion of levels and the list of awards for various Paths and this will continue to increase as we integrate Pathways effectively. There appears to be pockets of leadership in those clubs where there has been specific focus on getting members involved and where they have a few ‘early adopters’ as champions to mentor them.

How are the clubs in your District progressing in their selected Paths?

As new and existing Toastmasters take up the challenge to select a Path and begin their journey into Levels 1 and 2, there are frequent requests for help. Recently I polled the membership for some ideas on what they wanted most to help them get started and gain momentum in their projects.

These are the top choices from our D73 Toastmasters: 

1. Where to go to find help
2. How to plan speeches ahead of time
3. How to see all projects in your Path
4. How to complete a project level

Where to go to find help!

The first group needs to address are the New Members. You will need a New Member Pathways Kit! What should we include in this? Various ideas are being explored in our clubs and these three components are gaining in popularity:

1. Club Brochure – including details of meeting venue and dates; meeting roles and an overview of educational Paths available.
2. Navigator – copies of Pages 9 – 15 to provided a deeper description of the Toastmasters Pathways experience
3. Application to join – a customized form, provides a new Toastmaster with the costs involved.

The second group needs to address are the Existing Members during the Transition phase. You will need a Pathways Program Success Pack! What would you include in this? In my opinion these are the basic tools for members who want to see the requirements of each level in one page. The following ‘guides’ are perfect for your self-directed learners:

1. Pathways Mentor Program – Guide
2. Mastering Fundamentals – Guide to Pathways Level 1
3. Learning Your Style – Guide to Pathways Level 2
4. Increasing Knowledge – Guide to Pathways Level 3
5. Building Skills – Guide to Pathways Level 4
6. Demonstrating Expertise – Guide to Pathways Level 5

Want all of this in one pack? Access a copy of this Companion Guide.

Pathways Companion Guide

Therefore the answer to the question, ‘where to go find help’ is utilise the D73 Website and develop your own New Member Pathways Kit and the Pathways Program Success Pack.

Our latest method of providing help across our clubs in Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania, is the D73 Team Pathways. We are continuing to explore methods of providing help to individuals and clubs. You will find our help pages in the Online Education segment.

How to plan speeches ahead of time?

In the traditional program we were able to view all projects in our printed manuals and plan ahead for the speeches we wanted to deliver. In Pathways, once you have completed one Path, you have a fair idea of what is coming up in each level of your next Path. To help plan ahead use the full descriptions of projects displayed in the shared interactive documents accessible from many different District websites. For example try accessing details of each project in your Path from the D73 Pathways pages.

How to see all projects in your Path?

Here’s how to do that from your Transcript in Base Camp! Select the title of the Path instead of the Open Curriculum icon. You will then see all projects and note those you’ve completed! Here’s mine from one Path.

This is a great tool to keep you on track, and having it available in your Transcript means that you can plan ahead.

How to complete a project level!

This has proven to be the biggest obstacle for beginner users of Base Camp – there are some unfriendly aspects of the way the Learning Management System (LMS) operates for Pathways. Cornerstone-on-Demand (LMS) has some ‘painpoints’ that cause frustrations and prevent the novice user from moving forward with confidence.

Note: once the user understands the need to locate the popup window for the Online Class and complete the Assess Your Skills After, they can move ahead easily!

There are Video Tutorials available in the library at Base Camp to help with this process. However, many have asked for separate short video tutorials to be made available outside of Base Camp. This has lead to a plethora of ‘home grown’ video resources from many Districts.

You will find the best of these at the D7 Toastmasters Virtual Academy in YouTube. Here is one from that Playlist that will ‘help you get that red check mark on your level completions’!

Once you’ve viewed that video you may want to view this one of mine which focuses on “How to access your Level Completion Certificates:.

PowerPoint

This Microsoft tool has become a clear winner for me in preparing my speeches and tutorials for Pathways.

With a deck of slides, containing imagery that suits my message, I can create an environment for my speech that will appeal to viewers in online clubs. I share these slides in full view with attendees in a Zoom room meeting – either right from the start of my speech or coming in at a later point to clarify or give examples. I like to add interesting graphics that have eye candy and structure to support my message.

With a deck of slides, containing step by step process with screen captures from Base Camp, I can provide a meaningful tutorial. I have a selection of these stored at Slideshare.com especially structured for my work as a Guide. I am now revisiting these and selecting the best for voiceovers to create short tutorial videos. I can do these quite quickly now with a simple script and showcasing the slides in my Zoom room as I record a private session.

(Note: to upload slides to Slideshare.net you need to create an account with them and upload your .ppt or .pptx files to your playlist. I have heard that Slideshare.net may be in a state of change and I await its fate with bated breath.)

PowerPoint also enables me to construct diagrams and flow charts that provide visual representation of a process or strategy, relevant to Pathways.

If you are new to PowerPoint you can learn much more about its functionality and the new tools embedded within. One of my favourite online learning libraries for technology is GCF Global Free Tutorials Online.

If you wish to store your PowerPoint slide decks ready for sharing and downloading by others, you can use Slideshare.net (operated by LinkedIn). This repository has a powerful search engine for locating specific sets of slides. Like this one I found today by Barbara Lowe – the content of the Presentation Mastery Path in slide format. Many more like this to help you ‘present’ to your club members about specific Paths or to enable them to plan ahead.

‘Keep the end in mind’ – wise words from Chew Ban Seng in his recent blog and presentation about what Pathways meant for him. He talks about the obstacles and the weaknesses of the new Pathways program and how he overcame them to become the first Toastmaster to earn the Pathways Distinguished Toastmasters award. Others have since followed on, but he remains the first.

Today I reviewed the video of the three speakers who presented in the Toastmasters in the Digital Age segment of the Expert Speakers at the D51 Convention in April 2018.

There was new learning for me from each of the three speakers:

 

 

 

 

But what resonated most for me in the third speech “Pathways: 2 Biggest Obstacles and 1 Biggest Weakness” were the fundamental raw truths that were shared.

There is a flaw in the instructional design of the Pathways system – the underlying assumption that learning online needs to be sequential and controlled in a lock step manner.

Read that statement again! Do you agree? We need to be able to ‘see ahead’ and ‘plan ahead’ and we deserve an exemplary blended learning approach to our continuing Toastmasters Journey.

There is a flaw in the Pathways experience – a missing opportunity for collaborative and cooperative learning.

Read that statement again! Do you know what I mean? We need to feel part of a community all learning together and sharing our experiences. Online Learning Communities are required. When they are not offered by the learning institute, they occur naturally among the learners.

Phew! Now that I have that off my chest I can proceed with the rest of this blog from Mars!

Why the title, Blogging from Mars?

At the Ablaze Online Toastmasters meeting this morning the theme was ‘Blogs from the Internet’. One of the Table Topics questions was “You are a blogger living on Mars, what would you post about in your blog to earthlings?” I so wished I had been asked that question! Would I be writing about the things I can see from such a great distance and the folly of mankind? Would I choose to bring enlightenment about Mars to Earth? Or, would I choose to go for the raw truth?

Let’s go with the raw truth!

We need a MOOC for Pathways!

As an instructional designer in my former days in adult education in Australia, it was fundamental, in designing any online or blended course, to keep the needs of the learner firmly in mind. Students need immediate support and relevant resources to self-manage their online learning, right from the beginning of their navigation in a learning management system. They needed opportunities for collaborative and cooperative learning within their online spaces – a place to discuss the difficulties they were facing or to share their achievements. And they needed tutors and mentors to assist their development. A Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) was very attractive for a free learning experience and had its hay day back in 2012 – MOOCs emerged (in various styles and purposes) as a popular mode of learning.

Toastmasters need immediate support and relevant resources, to self-manage their navigation of Pathways. Toastmasters need to know ‘how’ they will benefit from the projects in the course or Path. Toastmasters need community around their online learning as well as in their clubs. Yes, there is a plethora of support within your Path, but not presented in a way that makes sense to all new learners online. We need a MOOC!

There is a missing piece – an ongoing Learning Guide (documentation, people and forums) – a MOOC is the answer to that!

Toastmasters need to feel inspired by the Education program provided for them as they pay their dues on entry to a club. Toastmasters are looking for value for money, especially in this competitive arena where many local and online clubs are vying for their membership. Toastmasters need clear instructions on what to do in their online learning space, and they need to feel empowered by the experience of learning this way. Toastmasters need to be able to put their learning in place in their speaking and leadership roles in club meetings. This is the reason they attend and join a club!

So what?

The Pathways disruptive innovation process has caused unrest among the Toastmasters. There is confusion and dissatisfaction with the new – this is being expressed in all clubs and across the wider international family of Toastmasters. Social media is running rampant with questions, answers, theories, suggestions and discussion.

Toastmasters need their own MOOC!

The  Toastmasters network is busily making sense of the new terrain and gathering their knowledge – to share with others. We have Pathways Guides still supporting people in their Areas; we have Online Pathways Guides helping their assigned clubs in District U; we have new club executives stepping up to new roles as Base Camp Managers and we have Districts putting teams of Pathways support in place.
(See previous post about ways to build a Team Pathways in your camp.)

But where can we engage with our international peers in discussion forums for our collaborative and cooperative learning experiences?

There are several social media spaces where discussions are happening about all things Toastmasters. I belong to several of them. Its in these spaces where much learning is gained from my peers. However, the forums dedicated to Pathways are the MOOCs we can access today!

Enter the Pathways Discussion Forum!

This is the MOOC you have been looking for?

Yes it provides discussion (in spades); yes it provides collaborative learning (in diamonds); and yes it provides cooperative learning in its simple Mentorship program (its new heart). This program offers you opportunities for stretching your mentoring skills outside your club and outside your country.

This forum is adding value to the learning journey for our International Toastmasters as Facebook group members. We are a community, striving to provide a massive open online connection (not really a course), although we have recently added some learning units to make the job of finding resources easier. Membership is over 6,600 and growing with over 300 waiting for approval.
(Note: please answer the entrance questions as you request to join the group.)

Toastmasters want Pathways support and hundreds have eagerly signed up as a Mentor or Protege in the forum. Together we have matched up over 200 pairs of Toastmasters who all need help with Pathways – the process is simple and effective.

If you want to sign up to be a Mentor for an international Protege, and if you want to experience more about cooperative learning, then this is the place for you.

So as a Blogger from Mars (or at least from a different mindset) I urge you to seek out a Mentor or become one at: https://www.facebook.com/groups/pathwaysdiscussionforum/

As a Mentor for a Protege I recently learned the value of a consistent, five week model of communication in which both of us learned and grew a little more!

Carole

Meeting Carole [McCulloch] has been one of the greatest ‘happenings’ I’ve had in my relatively short Toastmasters journey. Within the 5-week direct mentoring program, she was able to get me to focus on, visualize, and put into action what will be the next phase of how I will be supporting the Toastmasters educational program (building Pathways support teams). In this time, I came to better realize my value in the program and the skills I have that are needed by others. Very quick, very articulate. I encourage others to reach out to Carole. You won’t be disappointed. -John McDonald, (soon-to-be) DTM