“If you believe it will work out, you’ll see opportunities. If you believe it won’t, you will see obstacles.”
Wayne Dyer
Happy Friday! We’ve had an amazing week in Maui and I’m very sad that we’ve got to head home tonight. I am not sad about the lifetime memories we’ve made including our super fun surfing lessons. I may be biased, but I think it was pretty impressive for a bunch of land locked Ohioans! If I ever disappear, the first place to start looking is Kamaole Beach.
Thanks for reading!
What I’m Listening to: Another great recommendation from my daughter that might be my favorite one yet. The Wallows – so good!
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Last week’s most clicked item:
How to Get Lucky
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I sat down to assemble the “Top Insights” section of this week’s newsletter just as the beach started to call me. So this week, I’m sharing the top 5 most read posts from my website this year and I’ll get back to the regular curated content when I’m back home next week. Mahalo!
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Better Than Bullet Points
See how easy it is to get rid of boring text bullet points and replace them with a better, more visually appealing option. Free download available too.
https://mike-taylor.org/2018/06/12/better-than-bullet-points-alternative-text-slide-designs/
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How I Create My Weekly Newsletter (and personal curation tips you should steal)
Even if you don’t want to send a newsletter, there is lots of good info in here about how to more effectively keep up with whatever topics you want to stay informed about.
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21 Questions to ask before Designing Any Training Program
Performance problems can be caused by a myriad of thing. Unfortunately many managers and organizations assume that poor performance is directly linked to a lack of skill or knowledge which can be solved by training. These 21 questions can help you to pinpoint the true cause of a performance problem and also help with the design process by determining what training truly needs to be created.
https://mike-taylor.org/2011/06/10/21-questions-to-ask-before-designing-any-training-program/
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Rockstar Resources for PowerPoint
The way most people use PowerPoint is broken. Unfortunately, the PowerPoint interface guides people towards creating slides that contradict current research in cognitive science. To be effective communicators and teachers, we must change our slide design approach to align with proven principles that are compatible with how people learn. If you’d like to upgrade your skills and knowledge, this post is a roundup of the best people, tools and resources you should know.
https://mike-taylor.org/2021/01/26/rockstar-resources-for-powerpoint/
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The Secret to Working with Vector Graphics in PowerPoint
Many people don’t realize that PowerPoint can be a suitable option for working with vector graphics which allow you to break images apart, recolor and adapt them specifically for your needs. Get the scoop here.
https://mike-taylor.org/2017/06/09/the-secret-to-working-with-vector-graphics-in-powerpoint/
- Vidya Krishnan Ericsson’s CLO on learning and building a curious culture on the Curious Advantage podcast
- Working with SMEs on the Train Like You Listen podcast
- John Stepper and Katharina Krentz talk about Working Out Loud on the Learning Uncut podcast
- Notaku helps you build a knowledge base with Notion
- Waaard creates links only the people you want to can open
- Snipd helps you highlight and discover podcast moments
- PostSheet makes it super easy to send personalized emails & text messages using Google Sheets or Airtable. It supports a huge number of integrations.
- Eesel is a way to find any doc, create new ones, and follow projects from your browser’s new tab
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- PACT Professional Portfolios – May 13
- Canadian Elearning Conference – June 16-17
- Elearn Success Series: The EdTech Session – July 20
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How was this week’s newsletter? Help me improve
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As always, if you’re enjoying this letter, I’d love it if you shared it with a friend or two. If you’re enjoying this newsletter, I’d love it if you shared it with a friend. You can send them here to sign up.
And should you come across anything interesting this week, send it my way! I always love finding new things to read or watch.
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Mike Taylor 