July Professional Development Updates

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Staff Development Day in June – it was inspiring to see our campus community come together to Learn, Synergize, and Empathize. This July, Learning, Development & Engagement invites you to explore the power of tech confidence.

Digital tools shape nearly every part of our professional lives, from how we communicate and collaborate to how we organize and innovate. The pace of technological change can feel overwhelming, especially if you haven’t had the time or support to fully engage with new ideas and innovations.

This month, we’re focusing on digital fluency, not just as a technical skill set but as a mindset rooted in curiosity, confidence, and continuous learning. Whether you're aiming to boost your efficiency with helpful tools or build a deeper understanding of tech concepts, we've curated some great resources to support your growth.

Visit the LDE website for additional professional development resources.

LDE Book Club

This month, we challenge you to dive into artificial intelligence and learn about how it actually works with this Book Club selection:

LDE Book Club: The Realities of Artificial Intelligence - In this course, you’ll learn what AI is—and isn’t—and what its current limitations are from Janelle Shane, the author of You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It’s Making the World a Weirder Place. You’ll also discover how the collaboration between AI and human intelligence can lead to new, exciting innovations.

If you’re excited by the “The Realities of Artificial Intelligence” course, we invite you to use our discussion templates to start your own book club! If you enjoy the content of the course, feel free to borrow the full book through the LDE Lending Library for further engagement!

LinkedIn Learning Courses

Explore these self-paced learning offerings by offered by LinkedIn to enhance your tech literacy:

Tech Simplified: Everyday Tech Questions - Everyone is online in one way or another, but how many of us really understand what goes on with the technology we use every day? Most of us have questions about the way tech works—but don't know who to ask. This course provides simple answers to common questions about everyday tech: software, hardware, and everything in between, from Google search to your phone's location services.
How to Use Generative AI: Building an AI-First Mindset - Creating real impact with AI means understanding what generative AI is capable of today and using that knowledge to stay ahead of future developments. Regardless of your industry, role, and experience, AI can transform your personal and professional development. If you want to learn how to unlock your full potential with AI, this course is for you.

To access more LinkedIn Learning courses, go to Workday Learning, select “Search for Available Learning,” and filter by “LinkedIn Learning” under “Content Type.”

Essential Reads from the LDE Lending Library

Expand your digital literacy and rethink your relationship to tech with these hand picked selections:

“You Look Like a Thing and I Love You: How Artificial Intelligence Works and Why It's Making the World a Weirder Place” by Janelle Shane: We rely on AI every day, trusting it for matters both big and small, from unlocking our phones to hospital care. But how smart is AI really? Shane delivers the answer to every AI question you’ve ever asked, and some you definitely haven’t.
“Blending E-Learning” by Karen Mantyla: Discover how to blend e-learning technology with traditional training methods to offer new and exciting ways to support learning. Use the practical advice, real-life examples and other useful, concise information in this book to guide your organization toward making strategically sound and effective blending decisions.

Visit the virtual LDE Lending Library to borrow these books and more!

Explore LDE Next Level

Check out our LDE Next Level courses on Workday Learning! For July, we’re highlighting a course that will guide you through working in a technology-first environment:

LDE Next Level: A Guide to Managing Remote Teams - This course helps managers transition from in-person to virtual workspaces. It will help you overhaul your management toolkit with targeted techniques for increasing accountability, improving communication, and keeping remote workers connected.

Explore all other offerings in Workday Learning.

LDE’s Quick Tip of the Month

Bolstering your technological confidence can start with just one click! We invite you to choose one tool this week that feels confusing, outdated, or frustrating, and commit to learning one new feature or function. Not everything needs to change at once! Small shifts build momentum and unlock curiosity.

Bonus Challenge:

Ask a colleague to share their favorite tech shortcut or app, then explore it using Google Gemini to research tips, compare tools, or find creative ways to apply it in your work.