Welcome to Week 3 of the e-Library training adventure! This week, we'll dive into two software training resources: CustomGuide and LearningExpress.
You can find CustomGuide easily from our webpage by searching the catalog for "CustomGuide". The first link will take you in to the resource.
You first need to set up a free account to get started; you do need a valid email address. Once you're in the system, you will see a full list of courses - CustomGuide provides interactive online tutorials for Microsoft Word, Excel, and other products in the Office suite of products. For most of the courses, you can first take an assessment test to see what your current skill level is before launching in so you can skip sections that you already know about.
You also get access to a bunch of cheat sheets if you click on the "Quick References" tab. These include helpful tips/tricks for shortcuts and other handy insights for working with a particular software product or computers in general. You can also get a reference page to print out for many of the sections under each software tutorial. The "Profile" tab just lets you change your contact details and change your password as needed.
Another neat feature of CustomGuide is that you can track your progress if you click on the "My Usage Summary" link on the right. You can then take a screen shot of the courses completed and use it as 'proof' that you've done your work, which is great for employers that want to make sure employees are completing specific courses.
Exercises for CustomGuide: Please try out one of the tutorials and download a Quick Reference sheet. Which software tutorial did you choose? Which Reference sheet did you download? Please share two tips you didn't know already about working with that particular software.
Now, let's move on to LearningExpress. You can find this easily from our webpage by searching the catalog for "LearningExpressLibrary" as one word. The first link will take you in to the resource.
Just like CustomGuide, you should set up a free account; you do not have to enter a email but it's useful for recovering your lost account.
LearningExpress includes not just tutorials and tests, but also e-books that you browse online. There are eight 'centers' total that divide up the various tutorials and e-books into broad categories, or you can search directly in the search box at the bottom of the screen. For example, if you need to find practice tests for a particular exam, it's easiest to search by the test name. And, you can click on the "Featured Resources" list on the top of the page to get a browsable view of the most often accessed content. Once you're in the "Featured Resources" view, you can get a full list of all the e-books available as well. There's also content available in Spanish - for general math and reading help, as well as GED and citizenship prep.
For students, School Center and College Centers are excellent free resources, and includes test prep resources you normally would have to pay for. It's broken up by age level, and the practice exams will give you immediate scores and feedback. There's also a resume course and a cover letters course in Career Center. You can start and save tests to finish at a later time.
Exercises for LearningExpress: Look through the various centers and pick out the most useful-seeming Center for your patrons' needs. How would you advertise this resource to your patrons? What surprised you about this resource?
Please leave a comment with your responses to the exercises, and then go bid on a prize pack!
Cynthia Hegedus, Brookfield
ReplyDeleteOn Customguide, I tried out the Excel 2010 tutorials. I then printed out the Word 2010 Quick Reference Card & liked it so much, I then printed out the Excel 2010 Quick Reference Card. Two tips - I really like the keyboard shortcuts. Ctrl + B bolds type, and F7 runs spell check,
In LearningExpressLibrary, I chose the Career Center. I was pleasantly surprised with the options available. I spent quite a bit of time looking through the resume and career change options. The information is very good, and would benefit many of the patrons who come to the Brookfield Branch. When patrons come in to work on their resumes or ask for resume books, I will be sure to direct them to this site. Especially liked the action words and key words sections. I made a pathfinder for the databases, and will now revise it to reflect the catalog search box option.
Custom Guide
ReplyDeleteI did Excel 2010 too. Printed the Quick Reference Guide for it. 2 Tips: 1--you can preview an item before pasting, rather than pasting and undoing all the time. 2--Formulas and Functions reminds me of Algebra in jr high. I forgot Algebra apparently.
Learning Express Library
Whenever people ask for math books for their kids, I like showing them the math tests. I would like to do a database workshop for St. Leo's because they converted their library into a computer lab a long time ago. They would definitely like the practice tests in L.E.L. The new look surprises me still, . . . it looks better than several years ago, but I must not use it enough to be comfortable with it.
In Custom Guide I took the Giving Commands tutorial for Excel 2010 and printed out the Quick Reference Card for it as well. I learned about using the F2 key to edit a cell - very handy since I use Excel frequently. I also learned about minimizing the ribbon by double clicking one of the tabs.
ReplyDeleteOn Learning Express, I thought the Popular Software Skills Center to be highly relevant to the patrons I serve. We could have small cards or signs informing patrons about this (and other related e-resources) in the computer lab. It’s likely many patrons don’t know about these sites. I was surprised by the depth of instructional detail on some of the tutorials.
In Custom Guide I went right to the Excel tutorials. I took a City class in Excel ages ago and feel I have forgotten everything! (I wondered why we still had Excel 2010...). I went through maybe five lessons, and especially print preview and autofit. Never sure where the edges of my Excel docs are. Learned how to preview prints and how to autoformat size of rows and columns. I downloaded the Excel2010 Quick Reference card...I think these cards might be handy in a binder by our public computers.
ReplyDeleteIn LearningExpress I was surprised at the breadth of the resources and tests, and also the guidance sections on how to prpare for the tests. I hope they are the latest versions. I think the College Prep would be most useful to our Montclair patrons, and I would put up notices by the college books section and in the teen area. TOEFL might also be helpful.
In Custom Guide I viewed SharePoint because I never ever heard of it before. Now I am wondering if it would be a good tool for OPL committees or not.
ReplyDeleteLearning Express I was happy to see all of the civil service exam practice tests. That will be most useful in Eastmont. Patrons are always asking for the test exam books for BART, the City etc. Additional signage advertising this may not work, but creating a pathfinder on business cards for the database would work well. So when patrons ask for the test books and they are checked out (they are almost always checked out) we can hand them the pathfinder, sit them down at a computer and let them practice for the civil service test right away. And with the pathfinder card they can go home or a friends house and continue to practice.
This is a very exciting database. Thank you.
Darcel at Eastmont
I viewed What's New in Powerpoint in Custom Guide. I learned that I can make my photos look like paintings and embed videos in my presentations. I downloaded an I-Pod Touch Reference card. I think this is a useful resource because we often get patrons asking for more information about their devices.
ReplyDeleteI think the college prep section in Learning Express Library would be useful to our teen patrons. Our TAB members were excited to learn about this resource since they didn't know about it. They highlighted these resources on the teen bulletin board at the branch to help market them to other teens.
Custom Guide:I looked at WORD 2013. I found the keyboard shortcuts useful.
ReplyDeleteLearning Express: I looked at the resume module. It seems helpful for the person who wants to learn how to write a resume.
Thevaki:
ReplyDeleteCustom Guide: I tried Word 2010 - What's new in Word 2010. Downloaded reference sheet for Word 2010. Improved navigation features and picture editing tools.
Learning Express: I tried creating resume. I would introduce this to all the patron who come to work on their resume. I especially like college exams that are free to the patrons.
I’m embarrassed to say I never even knew about either of these features. I will definitely recommend them to patrons when I see the need!
ReplyDeleteI chose the Publisher 2010 tutorial, but I downloaded the Reference Sheet for IE 9 because I wanted to learn how to move around more quickly in it. I found some great navigation tips: to switch from tab to tab: press Ctrl+Tab. To open a new tab: Ctrl+T. To close a tab: Ctrl+W. To select the the address bar: Alt+D.
I found the LearningExpress info more useful for adults than children, but I did look around the School Center and will keep it in mind for parents who ask for math or Language Arts help for their kids. I also explored the College Prep Center and I will definitely recommend it to teens (my daughters, for starters). Not only do they have practice tests, there’s also a free ebook on writing a good college admissions essay. For adults, the resume section in the Career Center seems very useful.
I trialed Outlook 2013 and Word 2013. On both, I was able to view the tutorials but the links for the pre-assessment and post-assessment tests were dead. They will be good resources once the glitch is fixed. The tutorials were useful because there are a few differences between the 2010 and 2013 versions. In Learning Express, I would refer patrons seeking information to the Preparese Para Su Examan de Ciudadania Learning Center.
ReplyDeleteIn custom guide, I took a look at the tutorial for Access 2010 –the 1st course chapter and reviewed a Reference card for Access 2007.
ReplyDeleteIn the Learning Express, I think the occupational exams might be the most useful and wonder why we don’t advertise the exams – both for academic and occupational purposes – in the areas where we shelve the testbooks. Thus after looking through the various centers, I would chose the academic exams and post signs and perhaps bookmarks directing patrons on the verge of disappointment to that website for the materials they have sought in book form.