A new year and a new semester offer opportunities to build new habits and skills. ITS surveyed members of the University information technology community for their recommendations on how technology can help you be more creative, more productive, more secure and more efficient in 2024.
- Upskill by learning a new technology that sparks your interest (for example, learning about AI capabilities). We have LinkedIn Learning as one place to gain foundational knowledge on lots of different topics. — Susan Watts, ITS
- I use January as a time to unsubscribe from all the clutter emails I’ve accumulated during the previous year, and do a general email cleanup and organization time. — Paula Maxwell, School of Education
- Digital detox! I’m entering a year of balance where I actively allocate tech-free time and touch grass. A well-rested mind is a creative mind, and my role thrives on creative solutions. I’m using Opal currently, but if I was a student, I would use Flipd. — Andrea Reynolds, ITS
- I’m enjoying the new iOS 17.2 “Journal” app, which is touted as an app that “helps users reflect on everyday moments and special events in their lives.” The key feature for me is the personalized writing prompts. For example, I took a photo at my son’s track meet last week and the next evening it prompted me to make a new entry on the meet (which I did). — Christian Kirkegaard, ITS
- Every year I map out a series of professional development segments through Microsoft Learn, LinkedIn Learning and occasionally others. Along those lines, the decision to pursue my graduate degree at the iSchool was both personally and professionally rewarding. Whenever I engage a professional development activity, whether an hour-long module, or a semester-long graduate course, I try to put at least one thing I learn into practice; it doesn’t always work out but it is a pathway to improving my own daily efforts. — Dan Cohen, ITS
- Start using a recurring subscription tracking app like Subby (Android) or Outflow (iOS); both are free with a one-time, low-cost pro option. Once you enter your miscellaneous paid subs, it helps give a big picture to decide whether you need all of them. — Andrew Molloy, School of Architecture
- Start using a password manager. — Dennis Wenthen, College of Arts and Sciences