Lynda’s recently added courses include such varied topics as “Managing Teams,” “Designing a Book,” and “Up and Running with Windows 8.” Watch a single video or work through an entire course, but be warned — it’s addictive.

Please note that we do continue to offer “by request” group training during the summer months, staff and classroom space permitting; kindly send your request with details to helpdesk@middlebury.edu.

Want to get signed up?  Click here.

This small sampler of topics is just the beginning — currently offers over 1600 course titles from which to choose.  Just click any of these course links, log on with your Middlebury username and password and you’re on your way.  Work through an entire course or view just the movie segments you need — it’s up to you.

• Leading Productive Meetings
• Delegating Tasks to your Team
• Word 2010 Essential Training
• Mac OS X Mountain Lion New Features

Need a hand getting started?  Sign up for a lynda.com overview session,  visit go/lyndainfo for more details, or send an email inquiry to helpdesk@middlebury.edu.

Best of luck with your goal-setting!

Students…  Interested in skills you can use in Life Beyond Midd?  lynda.com has everything you need!  Just click any of these course links, log on with your Middlebury username and password and you’re on your way.  Work through an entire course or view just the movie segments you need — it’s up to you.

• Discovering Your Strengths
• Creating an Effective Resume
• Job Search Strategies

This small sampler of business skills topics is just the beginning — lynda currently offers over 1600 course titles from which to choose.

Need a hand getting started?  Sign up for our lynda.com overview session at noon on March 15.

Lynda’s recently added courses include such varied topics as “JavaScript and AJAX,” “Writing Fundamentals:  The Craft of Story,” and “Office 2013 New Features.”  Watch a single video or work through an entire course, but be warned — it’s addictive.

We offer a round of thanks to the following outgoing members for their efforts in the group since its inception in 2010:  Mack Roark, Andy Wentink and Kim Ehritt (College Advancement).

Do you prefer to learn on your own?  Check out   — a fabulous online learning resource that uses short videos to help you acquire new business and technology skills.   Recently added new courses include “Mac OS X Mountain Lion Essential Training,” “Conflict Resolution Fundamentals” and “Creating Photo Books with iPhoto.”  Watch a single video or work through an entire course, but be warned — it’s addictive.

We’re also offering another opportunity to get acquainted with  — a fabulous online learning resource that uses short videos to help you acquire new business and technology skills.   Recent course additions include “InDesign Secrets,” “Managing Your Career” and “Word 2010 Power Shortcuts.”  Watch a single video or work through an entire course — either way it’s professional development that doesn’t cost you or your department a dime.

If you have additional av/malware software installed and need assistance with their removal — or aren’t sure and have questions — please contact the Technology HelpDesk at 802-443-2200.  For security resources, Sophos FAQs, virus alerts and more, visit go/infosec.

The main point of the workshop was that understanding how your brain responds to stress can allow you to improve your health and increase your productivity. Apparently, LIS is sometimes not the most tranquil place to work. LISers comprised a good portion of the audience!  Here’s what we learned.

When bad things (surprise deadlines, dissatisfied customers, arguments with colleagues…) occur, here’s what happens:

• blood leaves prefrontal cortex, and decision-making skills falter
• brain applies a filter that encourages you to see everything in a negative light; focus of attention narrows, prevents you from “zooming out” and seeing alternatives
• you become preoccupied and may “check out” causing you to miss important details and info
• blood flows to the memory/emotion part of your brain, causing you to make accidental connections that are not helpful
• compromised health due to elevated levels of adrenalin & cortisol
• brain is chemically dumbed down, forgetfulness for example

One solution: Organization. Create a safety net so that when bad things happen, you have tools in place that help you recover.

What about that bloodflow issue? Acknowledge, then choose to act. This actually reverses the bloodflow! Say, “I’m experiencing stress. Now I choose to…Take a deep breath, use a calm voice, shake it off, spend only 10 more minutes…”  It may help to plan ahead and “write a script” of such responses to have at-the-ready.

The brain uses a lot of energy — “each decision gets harder” because you’ve used up juice.  Here’s how you can fight “brain drain”:

• Feed it! Eat breakfast, lunch
• Exercise helps the brain too. It feeds oxygen into the bloodstream, and oxygen carries away the brain’s “trash” (free radicals)
• Be aware of how your brain functions — save heavy-thinking tasks for times when you’re well-nourished and well-exercised.
• Schedule times for your intentions & recharging so they will actually happen!
• Protect yourself by communicating your plan to others.
• Don’t forget to evaluate your actions for effectiveness.

Solution Summary:

• Get organized
• Be mindful — choose/decide.
• Schedule & protect your intentions.
• Connect!  Smile.  Put on your friend filter so others are more likely to view you as approachable.

Books:

• Your Brain at Work, by David Rock (if you’d like to borrow a library copy, request through interlibrary loan, or ask us to buy a copy at go/bookorder!)
• Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, by Robert M. Sapolsky (at Davis Family Library and Armstrong Library)