“Almost everything will work again if you unplug
it for some time, including you.”
— Anne Lamott
Happy Friday! I had the honor of kicking off the new year with our local ATD chapter on Wednesday at the beautiful Dublin library. It was so energizing to see so many old friends and make some new new ones. I tried to give what I think are the most important things an L&D pro should know in the constraints of an hour. Take a look and let me know how you think I did. What did I miss that you think I should’ve included?
(I was also test driving Canva presentations and I think I might be starting to prefer it over PowerPoint.)
As always, thanks for reading.
What I’m Listening To: Another discovery shared with me by Karl Richter, I’ve been working along to this Michael Kiwanuka radio playlist all week
Last Week’s Most Clicked:
Chat GPT Applications for Leaders and Educators
📰 News & Notes
From Spreadsheet to Showstopper: NoCode Tools to Build a Website that Wows
Want to turn your boring spreadsheet into a visually stunning website? Look no further than NoCode tools like Softr, SpreadSimple, and Siteoly. These bad boys allow anyone, even those without coding skills, to transform their data into a professional and fully functional website.
With easy-to-use drag and drop interfaces and a variety of templates and design options, you’ll be able to bring your spreadsheet data to life and create an interactive website in no time. So, get out there and give one of these a try today!
7 Ways to Use ChatGPT
by Jeremy Caplan
I know ChatGPT has been in here several weeks in a row and hopefully you’ve all at least given it a whirl by now. If not, or if you’d still like some more tips, Jeremy Caplan shares some ways to make the most of this popular new free AI tool.
If you only have time for one of these resources, “The Art of ChatGPT Prompting” ebook is a good one.
AI Use Cases for Four Content Types
Generative AI is revolutionizing content creation by allowing anyone to quickly and easily generate first drafts of copy, images, video, and audio for campaigns. This technology, with its ability to execute quickly and personalize across various media types, is changing the game for L&D teams everywhere.
Slow Data – The New Way to Consume Information in a Digital World
As early as 360 B.C., Plato and others have been contemplating the effects of the ever-increasing amount of information. Turns out that you can increase your attention span, boost your productivity and improve your focus, and do so with surprisingly straightforward methods.
“It is in slowing down that you will realise that, despite living in a hyper-connected world, you can shape your day and your life to a great extent. The question really is just: when will you begin?”
How to Google Like a Pro
This video course that will turn you into a Google searching ninja. It’ll teach you how to use advanced search operators and features like Google Lens, as well as introduce you to specialized search engines. Hop on over there so you can start your journey to becoming a pro Googler in no time.
- 2.6 Million Readers Say You’ll Love this Newsletter
Start your day off on the right foot with Morning Brew – the daily email that has over 2.6 million dedicated readers! Wake up to the latest news from Wall Street to Silicon Valley, all presented in a fresh and easy-to-digest format – all for free! Why wait? Sign up for Morning Brew today and start your day informed and entertained.
Subscribe for free today!
. - Turn your Airtable or Google Sheets into modern business tools you need
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. - Say farewell to large file woes!!
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🎧 Podcasts
How Does Learning Happen? with Dr. Paul Kirschner
In this episode, Paul Kirschner delves into the popularity of cognitive load theory and Rosenshine’s principles, and the dangers of oversimplifying and misinterpreting research. He also highlights important aspects of instructional design and collaborative learning as he unpacks the latest in education research.
How To Setup Break Out Rooms for Success
Using break out rooms effectively has always been something I have wished I was better at. Listen in as Gwyn Wansbrough serves up a crash course in breaking through the burden of breakout rooms, so you can turn them into a powerful option in your facilitation toolbox!
Owning Your Talent Development Career with Andy Storch
This episode with Andy Storch, an expert on career development and personal growth touches on thought-provoking questions such as, what it truly means to “own” one’s career and life, the importance of having a community of other TD professionals, where new and existing TD professionals should focus their development & more.
🧰 Tech, Tools & Tips
If tools are your jam, check out my new WorkSmarter newsletter
Brave Web Browser
I’ve been testing this lately. They claim to be “3x faster than Chrome. w. better protection from Google and Big Tech”.
PlaylistAI
Create playlists from AI prompts, images, videos, and your most-listened-to music
Snipboard.io
GT uses AI to prioritize tasks from your task managers, manage your calendar & more all in one place.
Classpoint
PowerPoint add-in that converts slides into engaging, interactive quizzes and other activities
🧳 Where’s Mike?
- Mid-New Jersey ATD, February 21
- iDTX 2023, March 8
- New Zealand ATD Conference, March 15-16
Free webinar: The 20 Most Frequent Mistakes in Course Design and How to Avoid Them
Did you know that stock photos and text-heavy slides can spoil any course? A bad animation (BTW, can you differentiate it from a good one?), an improper use of gradients, and mixing up various design styles can have the same effect.
In his webinar, iSpring’s expert instructional designer will cover the typical mistakes in learning design and explain how to avoid them by using basic principles of visual design. Being mindful of these top 20 mistakes when creating a course will help you ensure that your content hits the mark.
When: Thursday, January 26, at 11:00 AM EST
Friday Finds is an independent publication that I produce in my free-time. You can support my work by sharing it with the world, booking an advertising spot, or by buying me a coffee.
Mike Taylor 