ELITE's Microsoft Essentials Series

These workshops are designed for staff and faculty who wish to improve their skills with Microsoft Office. 

Participants should have basic computer skills prior to taking a course, but do not need to have specific experience with the application. Participants may be experienced with an application but are hoping to fill in some gaps in their knowledge. 

Often, we muddle through the technology we use, doing only what we need to get the job done. Taking the time to update our knowledge of features and grow our skills can be a wonderful gift to ourselves and the students we work with. By attending our workshops, you will be able to do more, save yourself time, and make your work life easier.

Yes! All upcoming workshops related to technology are listed in Workday.

1. Log into Workday and navigate to Learning.
2. Click on Discover on the left-hand menu.
3. Under “Explore the Learning Catalog” click on Browse Learning.
4. From there, you can search for keywords or select Technology Training and Cybersecurity from the left-hand menu.

Yes! Please refer to the Essentials Plus workshop descriptions for more information. If you’re not sure which level is best for you, refer to the detailed descriptions in Workday to decide which topics you would most like to focus on. 

You will need to make sure you have a desktop or laptop with a high-speed Internet connection and Microsoft Office downloaded and installed onto it. Please make sure you are using the current version of Microsoft Office. 
You should plan to join the workshop from the same computer that has Microsoft Office installed so that you can share your screen for assistance.

We strongly recommend that you have two full-sized screens to use during the workshop, one so that you can view the instructor’s demonstrations and one so that you can follow along on your own device.

For example:

• You have a laptop with an external monitor connected to it. Many staff and faculty members have been provided with this set up by the college.
• You have a laptop or large tablet you can place beside another computer to view both at the same time. You should join the Zoom call for the workshop from both devices and place one call on mute. 
  If you do not have access to such a setup or need assistance, please contact the IT Help Desk or your workshop facilitator. 

Yes! Splitting your screen is a good solution and will allow you to see two or more applications side by side on the same screen. It is easy to do and only takes a few minutes to learn. Here are some instructions for how to split your screen depending on your device:

• Splitting a Screen in Windows 10new window
• Splitting a Screen in Windows 11new window
• Splitting a Screen on a Macnew window

As a college employee, you can access Microsoft Office in multiple ways:

• Office 2019/Office 2021: College-issued computers will have Office 2019 or Office 2021 installed on them. These versions are fixed and, unlike applications downloaded with a Microsoft 365 subscription, are not updated regularly with new features.
• Microsoft Office for the Web: You can access Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, and Teams for the web by visiting www.microsoft365.comnew window and signing in with your MyMCID@montgomerycollege.edu and your MyMC password. Note that your college email address that uses your first and last name will not work.
• Downloading Office via Microsoft 365: Once you’ve signed into Microsoft 365, you will see a button in the top right corner of the screen that says, “Install Office.” You can install Office for free on up to 5 devices, including personal laptops and smartphones. This will install a version of Office that is connected to Microsoft 365 and is regularly updated with new features.

• Mobile Apps: On a smartphone, you can also go directly to the Google Play store or App store and download Office. Then, sign in with your MyMC ID and password as described above.

There is a lot to learn about Microsoft Office, and we are excited to share it! Please see the descriptions in Workday for details on what you will learn in each workshop.

Definitely! We love this cloud-based version of Microsoft Office, and we think you will too!

We encourage all participants to have access to both Microsoft 365 and the installed desktop version of each application. Although the desktop version generally offers more features, there are some features only available in Microsoft 365. We will spend time in each workshop comparing the interfaces to understand the differences. You will also learn more about sharing and collaborating on cloud-based documents.

To learn more about Microsoft 365 for College employees, visit Office 365 for Employeesnew window on the Montgomery College website.

These apps have limited functionality, but they are great for working on the go. Some workshops will briefly look at the mobile app, but others will not.

The Microsoft Essentials and Microsoft Essentials Plus workshops are taught by Megan Calvert and Anna Donohoe, both Instructional Designers with ELITE.

Megan Calvert has experience teaching and designing curricula for digital literacy at various levels and holds certification in CompTIA A+, a basic computer support specialist certification. She is a fan of technology and its power to improve teaching, learning, and productivity. 

Anna Donohoe has a background in adult education and computational linguistics and holds an MSc in Artificial Intelligence. She is passionate about technology access and has been teaching people how to use computers and software since age fourteen.

Workshop participants with a question or need related to the workshop will be offered the option to sign up for “Office Hoursnew window.” Office Hours are not meant for a general audience, but instead are designed to help you prepare for the workshop beforehand or practice and apply the skills from the workshop to your specific work needs.

If you have questions that are not related to the workshops, we suggest you contact Montgomery College ITnew window or book an appointment with the Digital Learning Centernew window. Note that the DLC is designed to support students, but they are happy to serve staff and faculty as well. 

The best way to learn is to play around with each application! If you would like more guided instructions, we recommend the following resources:

Microsoft Office Supportnew window: Why not go straight to the source? Microsoft provides free, high-quality, and regularly updated videos and job aids for learners at all levels.

GCF Globalnew window: GCF Global is a non-profit organization that offers a series of fun and easy-to-use tutorials on Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.

LinkedIn Learningnew window: MC employees can access this excellent resource to learn many different subjects for free. Just click to sign in with your Montgomery College email address and search for the course you are looking for.

Yes, please! Your feedback will help us ensure we are meeting the needs of faculty and staff. You can use this survey to provide inputnew window (scroll to the bottom for a general suggestion) or contact Megan Calvert or Anna Donohoe.