Our members speak about Pathways

I wanted to share my initial impression of using Pathways. My first piece of advice is, if you have a question you can always talk to your VPE, but don’t forget to click on “Tutorials and Resources” in Base Camp! There are loads of FAQs, Quick Starts, Videos and Reference Guides. The step-by-step information is very valuable, and is constantly being updated.

When I went into my Icebreaker speech, instead of just reading about what an Icebreaker consists of, I was given a lot of material I could download and work with to sculpt a speech. It’s really quite interesting. Pathways acted as a guide to help me deliver the best speech I could. Not the same as a mentor, but definitely helping to define how I can do the best possible job.

Now, I’m working on my second speech – “Researching and Presenting”. As I go through the material, there is a lesson on working on the speech, but I also downloaded three documents to guide me:

  • Research Worksheet – this assists in starting with a broad topic and narrowing it down to a subject suitable for a 5-7 minute speech
  • Project Checklist – making sure all the appropriate steps are followed
  • Speech Outline – this may be a little basic for someone who has been using the Competent Communicator, but I still saw some good points, and I’ve completed my CC.

Overall, my initial impression is very good. I’m receiving a lot of information on how to craft a good speech, where research is essential to completing my project.

I’d say the projects are more advanced than they were in the CC, but I also expect to learn much more and develop better skills than I did in my second speech in the CC. That statement should not scare off people, as the guidelines are quite good. Instead, it should instill confidence that speeches will be better crafted, and speakers will learn more.

The remaining module is “Evaluation and Feedback”. I’ve been lucky enough to be in a Club that has had some terrific guest speakers. We’ve focused quite a bit on Evaluations, as it is an area we felt weak in. I went through it quickly, and found lots of good information, and new areas to focus on. After attending Division D contest last night, I’m pretty sure I identified at one contestant who has read it as well!

— Anahid Avakian, MoToast