Friday, June 26, 2009
Share Your Success
Please share how you've been using what you've learned in the SkillSoft courses by commenting to this post. The information will be used to judge project success plus for grant reporting. Sometimes you may find that you don't really remember exactly what you've learned, but you feel more comfortable with it because you know something about it. You may know enough now to be able to look something up should you ever need it. That's great and we consider that a success too! If you can, please share how what you have learned benefits library customers. Thank you so much for your time.
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16 comments:
I have been working through the Excel series, and finally learned the secrets of subtotals and reporting. This has made a significant difference, both in time needed and report quality, to monthly statistical reports I produce. The public impact isn't direct, but it has made a real difference in workflow.stray
Comments from AACPL participants:
*I've used what I've learned to create signage for Monthly Branch and Impulse Displays. I loved being able to learn without leaving my branch & at my own pace.
*I learned how to set up my Outlook incoming emails to show up in one color if they were only sent to me. This is a great time saver in viewing replies from PTH staff responsing to slots needed to be filled. Enjoyed the flexibility of scheduling the courses.
*I just became more confident & familiar in Word, which helps when patrons run into trouble. The best thing about SkillSoft was being able to move at my own pace and choose my own learning times.
*I have learned quite a few timesaving tips and tricks in beginning Word and have been able to pass some of these along to patrons. I was able to learn enough Excel to do spreadsheets with simple addition. We use Excel here for monthly schedules, floor schedules, our programming plan, our call sheets for PTH's and it's been very good to become more familiar with things like adding columns. Favorite thing about Skillsoft: I could do it on my own time and I could go back and repeat a skill until I got it right.
The module on presentations is my current project. This is a good one for independent study and I am finding it helpful in giving me tips on successful presentation techniques.
We did a group of management courses at my library where we took 4 different courses and met for discussion after each one. That was also a good experience and has helped me with my daily interactions with co-workers and managers.
More comments from AACPL participants:
"I learned about making tables which we currently use in our Library By Mail program after taking the Microsoft Word training."
"I learned several shortcuts with Word and have been using them to create bulletin boards, signs and information for the branch."
"The 2 courses I took gave me much more confidence in my computer skills. The ability to cut & paste has made it easier & quicker fo rme to help patrons with questions about their account.In general just knowing what I can do in Word and Outlook has been beneficial. I would like to continue to take courses."
"I have used techniques for facilitating a meeting or discussion, stress reduction techniques and communication skills."
I took three courses and led two discussions on one of them: Techniques for Improved Time Management, The Basics of Delegation, and Difficult People in the Workplace Environment. All three had a positive impact on my work coordinating adult events and seminars for Howard County Library. I kept a file with insights and practices from each course, and have found it helpful to go back from time to time to refer to the highlights. One of the Time Management course discussions with my colleagues was especially helpful as we discussed ideas about how to streamline the way we record and track information,to do lists, etc. (Almost everything is on my computer now - no more slips of paper floating around my desk!)
I would definitely be interested in taking online SkillSoft classes in the future if the opportunity presents itself.
I have worked in public libraries for almost 40 years, and it is difficult to find courses or workshops that are new at this point in my career. Skillsoft provided an easy, accessible way to get refresher training on topics that I've covered before. I could do the work at my own pace and when it was convenient to me. Although the focus of the mangerial courses was skewed toward private industry, there were good reminders of practices and approaches that help solve problems in the public service venue. The modules also offered a variety of discussion tools that could be used with other staff. Having a group discussion after taking a course was particularly effective in reinforcing what was learned.
Caroline - Our staff accessed 63 courses and completed 55, which is awesome! We had four in the Business Skillsoft, who really focused on communication, customer service, team building and other staff building courses. Two were in the ESRL blended learning for new supervisors sessions as well. We held one informal blended learning session in-house. One staff took Desktop IT courses and another IT Pro. I've heard feedback from them on how they've been using what they learned on the job. This has been a great learning tool.
I participated in the Skillsoft “Blended Learning” program, learning online and meeting with a group of managers to discuss the online courses and apply the concepts to our library lives. I found the meetings to be quite beneficial; they offered the opportunity to review and scrutinize the materials presented, discuss how they applied in a library setting, as opposed to the business setting portrayed, and to adapt, accept or reject the information based on that discussion.
The meetings were dynamic and entertaining, as opposed to online training, which can be a bit dull, so the blend provided a nice balance. The discussion also “cemented” the concepts, which helped me to retain them and use them in my daily work, particularly the information from the communication and feedback units.
comments from AACPL participants continued: "I achieved better familiarity with PowerPoint and used it to create a presentation fo rmy children's programming event"
"I learned how to use Mircosoft Outlook and Word and have been able to create better memos, emails and letters"
"I like the ability to do it at my own pace. To take a course over if I don't think I have grasped the material yet."
"I would absolutely recommend SKillSoft for others, one of the best porgrams that I ever participated in!"
I have been creating and updating web pages since the late 90's, but have never received formal training. The opportunity to participate in the IT course was a valuable training experience. The "Advanced Technology Concepts for Web Designers" and "Design Concepts for Web Sites" helped to clarify many aspects such as java script, DHTML, cookies, plugins, and many design elements. The Photoshop Basics and Advanced Tools were not only enjoyable, but helped to improve my skills of manipulating images. The variety of the courses offered was immense and this was a great motivational factor.
"I had a very positive learning experience using SkillSoft Online Learning." I was able to complete 6 courses: Challenges of the 21st Century, Developing a Positive Attitude, Difficult People in the Workplace; as well as, Effective Team Building, Leading Without Authority & Promoting Your Brand to Customers. Each of them created a base for staff empowerment, understanding changing environments in the workplace and promoting your organization through new ways in the media.
I was glad to hear that we will be able to continue accessing more courses this fall. I have already chosen, Finding Your Life Balance.
The convenience of online learning at your own pace and the support from Library Management has given even more staff the opportunity to learn vital management techniques and business skills.
I have learned a lot from Skill Soft. I appreciate the opportunity to learn at my own pace. The Microsoft Office 2007 modules have been very useful for various special projects, such as the library emergency floor plans and the tote promotion, in addition to everyday needs. I have a better understanding of how to locate and navigate in the modules without spending as much time searching for what I need. I especially enjoyed Power Point and Word. I would like to spend more time on Microsoft XP, the advanced Word options and Excel.
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I participated in the Skillsoft training and found the lessons to be of value not only in the workplace, but in other areas as well. I liked the way the material was presented in that you had the opportunity to apply it in scenarios which allowed me to see if I actually took it in and knew how to use it. The thing I am working on is trying to remember to practice what I learned. Thanks for the opportunity to learn.
The participants here at Caroline County did a great job this year with their Skillsoft sessions. They seemed to have a good time learning at their own pace.
What a great way to offer training. The benefits are huge -- not just the new skills but the mastery each learner has over using the skills they acquired as they use them in their library duties.
2 thumbs up...I'd give it more, but I only have 2 thumbs!
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