The Office Professional Applications Learning (OPAL) Service offers a basic level of training for a district’s use of office applications in its buildings or district offices.
Benefits included at no additional charge:
OFFICE PROFESSIONAL INSTITUTE (OPI)
Included in the OPAL service is this one-day institute which will focus on helping employees from all areas of the district utilize technology tools and develop best practices that will help them perform their roles more efficiently. The institute is typically offered 2-3 times each year. Registrants attend several different sessions and can select from various topics. These sessions will be full of tips and tricks useful to beginners, as well as more experienced users.
UNLIMITED DAY AND EVENING CLASSES
The service includes unlimited scheduled classes: day, evening, in-person (at our New Paltz campus) or virtual, and demonstration or interactive.
These classes cover a broad range of office-based software packages, as well as other applications of Information Technology. Topics include but are not limited to:
- Gmail
- Google Applications
- Adobe Acrobat Pro DC
- Adobe Acrobat Forms
- Adobe Photoshop Elements
- Office 365 or MS OneDrive
- Making ADA Accessible Documents
- Specialty Projects Workshop (open only to employees of subscriber districts)
- Access
- Excel
- PowerPoint
- Publisher
- Word
- Chromebooks
Faculty, staff, parents/guardians, and Board of Education members of participating districts may attend these classes at no additional charge. The district will be provided with a code and instructions for use by those without a district email address.
A complete list of OPAL classes is available at the MHRIC homepage. Registration must be through Frontline Professional Growth (previously known as MyLearningPlan). Instructions and links to register are here.
CUSTOMIZED SESSIONS
Customized Planning and Training sessions are included, in-person or virtual. This includes up to six hours of one-on-one project time and up to nine hours of district designed classes. The district determines the topics, schedule, and location, in consultation with our available trainers and subject to current conditions. In-person sessions at the district must use a minimum of three hours.
TELEPHONE, EMAIL, AND VIRTUAL SUPPORT
Unlimited support via phone or video conferencing is available to class participants and school district staff. Personalized help can be provided by phone, email or through video conferencing with screen sharing.
Services Available to the District at an Additional Cost
ADDITIONAL DAYS
Districts can request additional OPAL training on a per diem basis. This may be requested by indicating the number of days required on the Services Guide Request Form or by contacting the OPAL team at OPAL@mhric.org any time during the service year.
TECHNOLOGY LEADERSHIP INSTITUTE OPTION
Districts in the Mid-Hudson Valley can reserve membership seats in the Technology Leadership Institute (TLI) for School District Administrators at a reduced cost. The Technology Leadership Institute provides school district leaders with unique opportunities to engage with nationally known educational technology experts in local venues. It is a great place to learn, to share best practices, and to communicate the value of technology to improve and, in some cases, transform education. Districts may reserve a specific number of membership seats for the year that can be shared by multiple district administrators, making this a very efficient and economical use of the TLI service. Please indicate the number of seats your district is requesting on your service request form. Participation in the OPAL Co-Ser is a requirement for this option.