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My son is heading off to college soon, so we've been having dinners with some of my good friends. I want him to hear from people I respect, offering him different perspectives that he wouldn't absorb in the same way if they were coming from me. These gatherings have been wonderful, and I've even learned new things about old friends. I hope he finds them as valuable as I do. It's also a good reminder to reach out to the people you care about, whether with a call, a note, or an invitation to dinner, to stay connected.

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📰 News & Notes

To Pay Attention, the Brain Uses Filters, Not a Spotlight

Recent research challenges the old belief that our brains use a spotlight to focus on specific stimuli. Instead, scientists have discovered that our brains filter out distractions to focus better. This means we don't just shine a mental spotlight on what's important; we actively ignore what isn't. This understanding helps explain why we can concentrate in noisy environments or multitask efficiently. By filtering out irrelevant information, our brains enhance our ability to pay attention to what truly matters.

🎯 Take away: The brain improves focus by filtering out distractions, not just by concentrating on important things​

Benefits of Using Questions in Learning Design

This post by Connie Malamed covers how inquiry-based eLearning replaces traditional methods with a question-driven approach that engages learners by prompting them to seek out information and solve problems. This active learning style enhances curiosity, interactivity, and independent thinking, helping learners better retain and apply knowledge. It's especially effective in scenarios, case studies, and problem-solving tasks, making the learning experience more dynamic and personalized.

🎯 Take away: Inquiry-based eLearning boosts engagement and retention by using questions to drive active learning and problem-solving.

Prompt Controls in GenAI Chatbots: 4 Main Uses and Best Practices

This Nielsen Norman Group article explains how to improve the results from Generative AI (GenAI) tools by giving better prompts. By being specific, setting clear limits, and refining your instructions, you can guide the AI to produce more accurate and useful outputs. The article highlights the need to understand what the AI can and cannot do, so you can make the most of it in tasks like content creation and customer service.

🎯 Take away: Clear and precise prompts greatly enhance the effectiveness of Generative AI tools, leading to better and more practical results.

🧰 Tech Tools & Tips

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🎧 Podcast

This is the conversation that caught my ear this week. Check out previous episodes in the Friday Finds podcast playlist.

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