Hello everyone,

This month I celebrate three months of my "getting to know you all" series of live online trainings. It's been a pleasure learning from you all how to be the best IT Trainer I can be. I look forward to many more sessions this year. Let's keep the momentum going with six new online trainings coming up. Plus, for you Region 2 folks, I'll be seeing you in Peoria this month! As always, if you have any IT training questions, concerns or suggestions, don't hesitate to shoot me an email! 

Special note: Region 2 Staff Meeting Day Resources available below, keep scrolling down!

Online IT Trainings

Unless otherwise noted, all online IT Trainings are the first, second and third Tuesday at 3pm.

Microsoft Word: Advanced Features and Accessibility Refresh - May 5

Go beyond the basics in Word. Learn how to make using the Accessible Word Template as easy as File->New Document. Streamline mailings and reviews, export clean PDFs, and check your documents with built‑in accessibility and color contrast tools. Create documents that are polished, compliant, and easier for everyone to use. Register Now for Word Training.

Microsoft Excel: Return of the Pivot Table  – May 12

This advanced session takes Excel to the next level. We'll dive deep into Pivot Tables—what they are, why they’re powerful, and how to build them step by step to summarize, filter, and explore data fast. Plus how to use Microsoft Copilot to teach yourself exactly what you need. Register Now for Excel Training.

Digital Self‑Defense in the age of AI – May 19

Protect yourself, your family and your coworkers online with simple, practical habits. Avoid the latest tricks advertisers are using these days to fool you. Securely save and share passwords, leverage bookmark folders for organization and speed. Plus: learn when an AI Chatbot is a better choice than a Google Search. Register Now for Digital Self-Defense.

If you have questions or want help picking the right sessions for your needs, feel free to reach out. I’m always here to support your learning journey!

See you at training,
James Hamilton
IT Training Specialist
University of Illinois Extension

Recorded Trainings

• How to Organize Your Files with Cloud and Local Storage –  A practical guide to building a clean, intuitive file system—whether your files live on the Server (Shared Drive), Box, OneDrive, Teams, your computer (probably not a good idea), or all of the above. Learn structures that scale and habits that stick.
  • "How to Organize" Handout - Helpful links, notes, and knowledge checks.
• Chatbots 102 – Move past basic prompts in Microsoft Copilot, Google Gemini or ChatGPT. Learn how to build an "AI Agent" using plain language, no computer programming experience needed! Improve your learning with NotebookLM – create a custom podcast, quiz, flashcards and more with data you provide (avoid hallucination traps). How to leverage Copilot inside Word, and Excel.
  • Chatbots 102 Handout - Notes and Exercises to help you practice.
• Little Things That Make Computers Way Easier - A fun, fast-paced session full of small tips that save big time—keyboard shortcuts, right-click secrets, maximize the utility of "undo," "copy," and "paste", reveal tool tips hidden in nearly every program, avoid traps in Google search results (yep, they are getting worse!), and how-to make everyday computing smoother.
• Microsoft Excel Basics - a 1 hour role-play mashup of data science and a Sci-fi TV series from the 90s!
  • Microsoft Excel Basics Exercise Files - Complete on your own or follow along with the video.
• Windows 11 - Making the Most of it - A light-hearted take on being "forced onto Windows 11".
• Outlook - Advanced features to put you ahead. - Includes a New Outlook vs. Outlook Classic showdown.
• Intro to AI - Copilot and Gemini - A back-to-basics AI training on the two "free" ones.

Region 2 Staff Meeting Day Resources

Hour 1 - AI Basics Handout - The entire program in helpful outline form, Links to Resources and Policy and Feedback.  

Hour 2 - "Chatbots 102" Handout - Same as above for but the second hour! :-) NOTE: The "Copilot in Word/Excel" portion is no longer relevant; BUT you can upload your Word or Excel files to a regular Copilot Chat to discuss your file.  

In-person IT Trainings

• Survey Results: There have been 27 responses in the 55 days the survey has been open. Current results favor morning trainings on File management, Microsoft Apps, and AI. If you'd like to help guide topics, locations, and formats for in-person trainings this year, Please take this eight question survey.

Have an idea for a training you'd like to see? Please feel free to share your ideas or thoughts with me! I'd be happy to help.

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Archives:
If you are looking for training sessions recorded prior to 2026, please scroll down to the Legacy Archive section.