Training

Welcome!

Hi, I’m James Ryan Hamilton, your IT Training Specialist.

I am very excited to get out there and get to know you all this year! I have worked for the University since 2015 and joined Extension in October after six years with Swanlund IT Services. It is a pleasure to be your patient guide through the 2026 IT landscape. I have customer service and IT Support experience, industry certifications from CompTIA, Apple and ITIL Foundation and three cats named Pinto, Pepper, and  Pancake.

My philosophy is simple: Technology should work for you, not against you. Whether you are looking to master Outlook, understand the new world of AI, or just figure out why your microphone isn't working, this is the place to start. If you have any training ideas, requests, concerns or just want to chat about a tech topic please feel free to call, chat or email. 

This Spring please join us online:

• Tuesday Premieres: Live deep-dives into new topics.
• Wednesday Office Hours: An open door for your questions.
• Thursday Encores: A second chance to catch the live training.

This month

In-person Training Interest Survey

Please help me shape future in-person training events near you! Take this 8-question survey

Open Discussion Office Hours 

All questions welcome! No Registration required, click the link below to join anytime!
Wednesdays in March - 9:30 am to 10:30 am - Open Discussion

AI Hype vs. Reality 

Have Copilot, Gemini, or other chatbots ever left you disappointed or confused? Wonder how “AI fakes” and wow‑worthy demos really work — or why AI sometimes just says “no”? Why will an AI image generator create an image of "a police officer" or "an image of handcuffs," but refuses to "create an image of a police officer holding handcuffs"?
Tue, Mar 3 at 3pm: AI Hype Vs. Reality

Adobe Express 

Box & Cloud Storage 

Box, OneDrive, Google Drive. When to choose which one and their pros and cons. 
Thu, Mar 5 at 11 am - Register Now or join us on the day!

Web Site Editor Training 

Required learning to access the Extension website editor features. Use the link below to register.
Wed, April 1 at 1 pm: Website Editor Training

Later this Spring

Check back here all spring long for more info and registration links for new live trainings.   

In case you missed it - Recorded Trainings 

Windows 11 – Making the most of it!

We all had to do it, let’s dive in and swim with the current!  Live demos of Focus mode, Snap Layouts, Virtual Desktops, Voice Control, keyboard shortcuts and more.  View the edited, concise recorded training.

Outlook – Advanced features to put you ahead

 Silence the “Re: re: re: re:” nightmares, schedule that meeting without email-tag, and evade the “click here to join trap”. Featuring a showdown between “New Outlook” and “Outlook Classic.” - View the edited, concise recorded training. 

Introduction to AI – CoPilot and Gemini

Jump right into using Microsoft CoPilot and Google Gemini for good, learn their limitations, their strengths, privacy concerns, and test out different scenarios live. View the edited, concise recorded training. 

Suggest a training

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.