The Middlebury Blog Network » Cynthia Slater

Life After Midd & lynda.com video-based learning

Cynthia Slater — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 22:09:39 +0000

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.

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.

LIS Workshops for February-March: Drupal and Video-based Learning

Cynthia Slater — Fri, 08 Feb 2013 21:34:30 +0000

Our current workshop schedule is now available. Visit go/lisworkshops to view offerings for February and March and sign up for topics of interest. You’ll find Drupal introductions that cover basic web site maintenance skills, as well as work sessions where you can get help with specific questions about how to improve your departmental web site. We are also offering several opportunities to learn how to access and use — Middlebury’s fabulous online learning resource that uses short videos to help you acquire new business and technology skills.

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.

Education & Training Team Rings in 2013 with New Membership

Cynthia Slater — Fri, 18 Jan 2013 17:59:26 +0000

The Education & Training team started the new year by welcoming four new members: Jamie Carroll (HelpDesk/Service Requests), Jeff Lahaie (Central Systems & Network Services), Ian McBride (Web Development) and Cindy Peet (Enterprise Reporting). Brenda Ellis (Research & Instruction), our valued link to student information literacy efforts and more, continues to bring her expertise to the group and Pij Slater (HelpDesk/Service Requests) carries on as leader of the merry band, along with sponsor, Mary Backus.

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).

LIS Workshops & Professional Development Offerings

Cynthia Slater — Tue, 20 Nov 2012 20:52:13 +0000

There is still time to acquire new skills before the year is out! Visit go/lisworkshops to view our workshop schedule and get signed up for topics of interest. You’ll find a few more Drupal work sessions where you can get help with specific questions about how to revise and improve your departmental web site, as well as one more chance to attend an introduction covering basic web site maintenance skills.

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.

LIS Workshops – August

Cynthia Slater — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 16:22:18 +0000

Don’t miss out! There is still time to fit in some learning before fall semester leaps out from behind the nearest patch of sunflowers… Visit go/lisworkshops to view our schedule and get signed up for topics of interest. You’ll find Drupal sessions to help you get your departmental web site up to snuff before the next batch of students arrives on campus. You’ll also find another opportunity to find out about and how you can start using it to improve your skills.

lynda Learning Spotlight: Using Windows 7 Jump Lists

Cynthia Slater — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 18:03:22 +0000

If you have a computer running Windows 7 you can use “jump lists” to access frequently-used documents, folders and web sites… but do you know how? In less than four minutes lynda can show you:

Login at go/lynda first. (New to lynda? Click here for details.)
Now, click here to learn about this quick and easy way to access your favorite files and web sites.

This is just a taste from one of over 1,100 courses lynda offers. If you haven’t yet explored this new resource, try it today.

Drupal, Moodle & lynda… Oh, my! (Oct/Nov LIS Workshops)

Cynthia Slater — Wed, 12 Oct 2011 21:02:17 +0000

The updated list of LIS workshop offerings is now available. Signing up is simple — just click a workshop title then fill in the form. Did you know you can easily call up the current schedule and course descriptions by typing go/lisworkshops in your web browser’s address field? Check back often.

Lynda in the Limelight

Cynthia Slater — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 21:08:21 +0000

If you are asking yourself, “Who is Lynda?” then you are missing out on a wealth of fabulous learning opportunities. Lynda is not a “who” but rather a “what” – it is a video-based online instruction resource now available 24/7 to all faculty, staff and students, both here and at Monterey. Lynda currently offers over 1100 courses composed of engaging, easy-to-view short videos that, like eating potato chips, make it hard to watch just one.

Don’t take our word for it; try it yourself. In just 1.55 minutes learn how to navigate the Lynda site and find video segments and courses that interest you. Here’s how:

Type go/lynda (or go.middlebury.edu/lynda from off-campus) in your browser’s address field, then press Enter or Return.
From Middlebury’s authentication page, log in with your regular Middlebury username and password.
The first time you log in you will be asked to provide basic information for your Lynda profile. At minimum fill in your first and last name; the rest is optional. (The profile stores your personal video viewing history, bookmarks, certificates of completion, etc.)
After logging in, click “Navigating the site” to watch the video.

Bet you can’t watch just one.

Learning is FUN with lynda

Cynthia Slater — Fri, 29 Jul 2011 20:42:36 +0000

We are delighted to announce a new way to learn about technology! LIS recently finalized arrangements for access to video-based online instruction through Lynda.com. You can learn new software skills to help at work or home by watching short, 2-3 minute movies or by working through an entire course.

This fabulous learning resource is now available to all faculty, staff and students, both here and at Monterey, using your Middlebury username and password. Don’t take our word for it when we claim it’s addictive — take five minutes, log in for the first time and find out for yourself. Here’s how:

Type go/lynda (or go.middlebury.edu/lynda from off-campus) in your browser’s address field, then press Enter or Return.
From Middlebury’s authentication page, log in with your regular Middlebury username and password.
The first time you log in you will be asked to provide basic information for your Lynda profile. At minimum fill in your first and last name; the rest is optional. The profile is used to store your personal video viewing history, bookmarks, certificates of completion, etc.)
Click “Update” to save your profile information; you will be re-directed to the Lynda site where you can begin your learning adventure.
Use the drop-down menus located in the black bar at the top of the site or use the “search” feature to find movies or courses of interest. Look for links to “Take a guided tour” and “How to use lynda.com” at the top right of all course sites. You may also select “How to use lynda.com” from the “New” menu for help getting started.

The next time you bump into someone from LIS, thank them for this great new resource. Many of our staff helped get this project off the Wish List and on to the Try-It-Today List!

Who Needs What — Education and Training Team Shares Findings

Cynthia Slater — Mon, 18 Apr 2011 16:50:15 +0000

As part of the LIS Education & Training Team’s charge, we have developed an inventory of information and technology skills and knowledge needed by LIS staff, as well as College faculty, students and staff. On our inventory we also indicate why and to what extent the skills are needed and include some of the resources currently provided by LIS to support faculty, students, and staff. The team hopes to determine where educational and training resources are either inadequate or missing and to propose more effective ways of delivering essential education and training.

We reviewed a variety of sources including Helpdesk tickets, user logs, and the Middlebury website, and used our own experience with our constituents to come up with this list.

The team concluded that everyone at Middlebury should be expected to have at least an awareness and basic understanding of a large percentage of the computer skills and technologies identified, while some skills are needed by less than 5% of the community. We were surprised by the amount of educational and training resources already available to the College community. The problem is how to create awareness of and effective access to those resources.

The team is now working on the next part of our charge, which is to recommend how to build LIS staff development goals into the performance process; to work in cooperation with campus departments to identify specific information and technology training needs; and to make recommendations for training program development and delivery methods for faculty, staff and students. The recent Lynda.com trial is the first of a number of possible solutions we’re exploring that may be recommended to meet these needs.