It’s almost time to flip on our out-of-office messages —and a well-placed, witty auto-reply can turn a boring “I’m away” into a tiny moment of joy. Give it a try.​

And if you’d rather skip the postage on holiday cards, BrightCarbon has 134 delightfully nerdy PowerPoint cards ready to go. While you’re at it, you might like to refresh your holiday soundtrack with something that isn’t the same five songs on repeat: Holiday Cocktail Hour and Merry Mixmas are great places to start.

Thanks for reading!
— Mike
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👆Last week's most clicked

​Give Me 9 Minutes, I'll Make You AI-Native
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🎧 What I'm Listening To

Taking my own advice and listening to Merry Mixmas today.

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🔥Top Picks of the Week

Is this the most underrated tool in ID?

Targeting the "sweet spot" of curiosity—information that is neither too simple nor too complex—can significantly accelerate learning for both humans and artificial intelligence.

​See how curiosity can help people learn faster →​
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It’s Cognitive Load Theory, but not as you know it

Did you know Cognitive Load Theory has been updated? The latest thinking explains how reducing extraneous load and fine-tuning intrinsic load—rather than removing challenge—drives more effective learning design.

​See if you're up-to-date on CLT →​
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One Word That Makes Training More Effective

Do you know this one-word tweak that instantly makes your training more persuasive? Most people completely overlook it.

​You really should know this →​
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Discover how a complete online course can be built from scratch — live, in real time! Join iSpring’s free webinar on Thursday, December 18th, at 11:00 a.m. EST to learn:

✅ How to generate a full course structure in minutes using AI
✅ How to add interactive elements like quizzes, flashcards, and timelines
✅ How to design professional, mobile-responsive courses with one click

🎁 All participants will get a certificate of attendance and access to the webinar recording.

Register for free →

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​🧰 Tech Tools & Tips

Smart tools and tricks to make work easier.

Flow

I tried Google’s Flow this week and was genuinely impressed by how well it turns simple text into sharp, cinematic video.

​Try it for yourself →​
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Documentation.ai

This AI tool keeps documentation clear and up-to-date automatically, so you can skip the grunt work.

​Take it for a test drive →​
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Get access to a library of L&D-related webinars

All our webinars are available to you on demand! Our webinars cover a wide range of topics, including accessibility, leadership coaching, AI in training, project management skills, and LLM prompts for L&D pros.

Grab a cup of coffee or your favorite holiday beverage and jump in to discover or learn something new!

Access Webinars On-Demand→

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🎙️ Podcast of the Week

One great listen for your walk, drive, or coffee break.
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Pause. Rewind. Learn. More Effective Learning with Patti Shank

If you’ve ever finished a polished training video and wondered what you learned, Patti Shank explains why—breaking down how cognitive overload, poor pacing, and even background music can derail understanding, and offering simple, research-backed fixes to make videos truly support learning.

​Listen now →​

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📍 Where’s Mike?

Where I’m speaking or showing up next.

• ​LDA Meet the Author January 7, Online
• ​Learning Network Book Club, Jan 26 Online
• ​LearnTec, May 5-7, Karlsruhe, Germany
• ​ATD International Conference, May 17-20, Los Angeles, CA

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If you liked today’s finds, you’ll probably like my book Think Like a Marketer, Train Like an L&D Pro. It’s full of smart ways to grab attention and make learning stick.

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