The Treasure Chest Within Base Camp

As you work within the Pathways learning experience, have you ever found yourself asking questions like “How do I …?” or “Where do I find …?” In all probability, the answer is in the Tutorials and Resources section of Base Camp.

I must admit, I basically ignored this section for a long time. When I finally clicked on the link, I was amazed at all that is in there.

In this article, we will look at a selection of the resources available. But first, how do you get there?

As you log into Base Camp, you will be taken to the home page. On the upper left-hand side, in the blue banner, you will find three large buttons, one of which says “Tutorials and Resources.” Hover over this button and select the Tutorials and Resources drop down. You might want to go there now to follow along.

If you have questions on how Pathways and Base Camp work, you can find that information by navigating to the Tutorials section using the subjects on the left side of the page. You have a choice of watching a video or accessing a transcript of the video. I prefer the transcript, because I can print it out and follow it as I work my way through that segment on Base Camp.

As Vice President Education (VPE) in my club, one question I am asked a lot is, “Where do I find the Evaluation Resources for the project that I am evaluating?”

There is a special link on the home page for speech Evaluation Resources in English. If you want them in another language, they are found under Evaluation Resources subject on the Tutorials and Resources page. Just select your language of choice. And, yes, the English versions are also available here. Look for your project, click on the title of the evaluation resources, and select launch.

One resource that I really appreciate is the Project Description section.

I recently wanted to add another path to my profile—but which one? I had a list of the various projects in several paths that looked interesting, but couldn’t decide which one was the best for me. At first, I was concerned that I wouldn’t have access to those projects until I purchased the path. Then I found out about the Project Description section on the Tutorials and Resources page. This section allows me to access each project in Pathways, even if it is not in my path. That way I can analyze which ones teach me the skills that I want to learn, and which ones are less interesting to me. I could then make an informed decision. Even better, they are available in all Toastmasters supported languages.

In some of the projects, there are forms you can fill out to aid you in the completion of the project, including: Goal Setting, Project Planning, and Write a Proposal. These are worksheets that guide you through the related process. Yes, they are available in the project itself, but what if you want to use them again? Or what if they aren’t part of your chosen path, but you want to do some goal setting? Or perhaps you find yourself in charge of a project and would like some guidance on how to plan it. These forms can help and they are available to all Toastmasters in the Resource Documents section.

Another interesting section is Supplemental Materials. Toastmasters International has selected some key articles that have run in previous issues of the Toastmaster magazine, as well as relevant episodes from The Toastmasters Podcast. These augment the training that is available within Pathways and constitute valuable resources.

One final resource that I want to highlight is The Navigator. This is an interactive introduction to Toastmasters. It is ideal for a new member and takes them through the various aspects of the Toastmasters program, including the club meeting, evaluations, and Pathways. When you access The Navigator from the Tutorials and Resources page, it will take you to a digital, interactive version. As VPE, I am particularly happy that you can also download it in PDF format. Just use the link in the Additional Resources section of the digital version to access this PDF file. I like sending it to a new member as soon as they join.

Yes, the Tutorials and Resources section is the portion of Base Camp that is easiest to ignore. But it is chock full of information and forms that you may need on a regular basis. So if you are ever asking “How do I …?” or “Where do I find …?” you might want to look here first. Chances are you will find exactly what you are looking for.

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