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Guess what? This week, I became the proud owner of a new-to-me car. With three of us already jostling for car keys and another soon to get their license, it was time we added another set to the mix. As much as I entertained the thought of an e-bike - picture me, hair blowing in the wind, saving the planet one pedal at a time - the usually unfriendly and always unpredictable weather around here made the car a more practical choice. So here's to no more early morning car key hunts, and to the freedom of having an extra set of wheels in the driveway! (But I’d still really like one of those sweet e-bikes!)

Thanks for reading!

📰 News & Notes

How to Use AI to Do Stuff: An Opinionated Guide

This helpful guide by Ethan Mollick talks about how to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) for all kinds of things. The article explains how AI works, showing us how to use it in our day-to-day lives to make things easier. It tells us how to train AI systems using a mix of data and step-by-step instructions. Plus, it gives good advice about using AI responsibly, reminding us to always consider people's needs first in this age of advanced technology. In short, this article by John Doe is a great beginner's guide to understanding and using AI effectively and responsibly.

🎯 Take away: Helpful advice on using AI responsibly written in a way that's easy to understand.

Mind-body connection is built into brain

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have discovered that the mind-body connection is built into the structure of the brain. Their study, published in Nature, reveals that areas of the brain controlling movement are also connected to networks involved in thinking, planning, and controlling involuntary bodily functions. This discovery provides scientific evidence for phenomena such as the calming effect of mindfulness and the positive mental outlook of regular exercisers. The study suggests that this network evolved from a simpler system, becoming more complex as humans developed advanced cognitive abilities.

🎯 Take away: This study finds he connection between the mind and body is not just a philosophical concept, but is physically built into the structure of the brain.

The Top 9 Facilitation Newsletters You Want in Your Inbox

Imagine this: You're sipping your morning coffee, you open your inbox, and instead of the usual clutter, you're greeted with a treasure trove of insights that can take your facilitation skills to the next level. Sounds exciting, doesn't it? Well, you can that into a reality. Cheska Teresa from Butter has sifted through the digital haystack to bring you the crème de la crème of facilitation newsletters. So, buckle up and dive in!

NOTE: Use the RSS feed or Kill the Newsletter to get all the wisdom and keep your inbox clean. 😎 

🎯 Take away: Tap into the facilitation wisdom of these top nine facilitation newsletters.

Nudgestock 2023

Nudgestock is the world's biggest festival of behavioral science and creativity, where we inspire brands and people to impact the world. It happened last week and the theme was MESSY. That's because our heads are messy, our organizations are messy, and the world is messy. But where there's mess, there's opportunity to change behavior. Watch talks from these four categories:

• The world is a mess;

• Studying the mess;

• Making mess work;

• Your messy humanity

🎯 Take away: ​Choose from 15 excellent talks from some of the world’s boldest speakers including Rory Sutherland, Paul Zak and more.

60+ Canva Tutorials for Teachers & Trainers

Richard Byrne has just shared a big list of 60 easy-to-follow Canva guides for teachers (or anyone else) on his website, Practical Ed Tech. These guides are great for beginners who are just getting started, people who have used Canva a little bit, and even those who are already good at it. With Canva, you can make a wide range of digital designs including posters, slideshows, worksheets and more.

🎯 Take away: This collection of Canva tutorials can help you create a host of professional looking digital and print items.

🎧 Podcasts

These are the conversations that caught my ear this week. Check out previous episodes in the Friday Finds podcast playlist.

🧰 Tech Tools & Tips

If tools are your jam, check out my new Work Smarter newsletter.

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An Old-School Learning Activity That Works Every Time

Wow your learners with a retro jeopardy game. 5 minutes into it and they’re on the edge of their seats! The best part? You can create it using only PowerPoint. Watch this 4-minute video tutorial to see how.

Watch the video

Or read a step-by-step guide to delve deeper into the topic.

🧳 Where’s Mike?

• NASJE 2023, August 28 , Columbus, Ohio

• CUNA Learning Live , October 16 San Antonio

If you or your event needs a speaker or workshop that is highly interactive and super practical we should talk.

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