Microsoft 365 Training Batch 2

Technology advancements today are at an unprecedented rate, compelling us to adapt and catch up with the fast-paced digital world. As public servants, it is vital for us to stay ahead of the curve. In line with this goal, the UP Manila HRDO Learning & Development Section held Microsoft 365 Training for employees on September 12, 13, and 18, 2024. 

The 3-day training was held virtually via Zoom, in collaboration with experts from the Information Management Services (IMS)  as the information and communications technology (ICT) arm of the university. HRDO Director, Dir. Michael F. Mendoza opened the training with a warm welcome and an overview of the sessions, giving emphasis on the importance of leveraging Microsoft applications to enhance productivity and public service delivery. 

The first day featured discussions on Microsoft applications OneDrive, Word, and Excel. Ms. Lorina Alcid started the session with an overview of the whole Microsoft 365. She introduced the various applications included within the MS 365, describing it as a “one-stop shop” for work productivity. 

Mr. Diosdado Calmado followed with a presentation “One Drive for All” on MS OneDrive, demonstrating how to navigate the drive on Windows, Android, MacOs and IOS operating systems. He also gave a brief introduction on cybersecurity and hinted at possible future webinars on the topic. The discussion on Drive was followed by Mr. Padre Juan with a presentation on some lesser-known tips and tricks for using Microsoft 365. His hands-on approach allowed participants to follow along with real-time demonstrations of the software, making the session engaging and interactive. 

Last speaker for day 1 session was Mr. Joseph Ian Ocampo who gave a detailed presentation on Microsoft Excel. He was responsive to the training participants’ queries, providing and demonstrating step-by-step navigation and tabulation of data using the spreadsheet’s features and formulas.

The 2nd day of the Microsoft 365 Training featured presentations on PowerPoint, Forms, and Teams. Ms. Marjori Perez differentiated the subscription plans for Microsoft and compared them to other subscription packages of other competitors. She also highlighted the advantage of PPT with working offline, as well as the real-time collaboration features of it. Following her is Mr. Ronnel Escarez who showed the versatility of the PPT. Following this is Mr. Karlo Edison Aurelio’s presentation. He guided the participants in using Microsoft Forms. He showed the platform’s detailed customization tools and also allowed for the participants to follow along as he methodically navigated the site. Concluding the 2nd day of the training, Mr. Escarez took the stage and presented the use of Microsoft Teams. He drew parallels between Teams and other commonly used video conferencing platforms. He also shared an online repository of additional resources. 

The training on Microsoft 365 provided valuable and practical learnings for the participants, allowing them to enhance their productivity for public service. 

On the 3rd and last day of the training on September 18th, participants engaged in a more interactive session. The final session opened with Ms. Reyna asking the participants if they jot down notes during training sessions and what applications or software if so. She then introduced Microsoft OneNote as the digital notebook of MS 365. A discussion on note-taking habits was encouraged while the speaker and participants browsed through the pages, sections, and different features of OneNote. 

MS Visio was also introduced in an engaging session with Mr. Noriel S. Nulud. The participants were fully involved with Mr. Nulud regularly checking their progress with the real-time collaboration on Visio.  

The day concluded with an interactive session SharePoint Sites with Mr. Dong Calmado. He gave participants access to a project and together with him, participants successfully published a simple site. 

The hands-on and real-time collaboration during the sessions made the Microsoft 365 Training interactive. After the workshop concluded, participants left with a better understanding of modern tools that can transform how they work, collaborate, and create.