Hi, I’m Linda. Thanks so much for checking out the third edition of my Linda Be Learning newsletter. If you are just discovering me, I encourage you to check out my website to learn more about the work I do in the field of learning innovation.

In this newsletter, you will get a taste of the broad array of learning innovations I work on and topics I address, from networking and personal safety apps to my favorite resources for debunking AI hype to virtual facilitation proven practices to my upcoming live learning sessions for 2025.

So let’s dig in!

Tech to Get Excited About

I am always discovering and exploring new tech. Sometimes, it’s tech I am actively learning or using with a client. Other times, I like to highlight tech that I’m not working with currently, but love its potential. This month, it’s the latter. And this month, I’ve got TWO apps that I am so excited to tell you about: Famm Connect and Epowar.

Famm Connect

Famm Connect is a social network focused on LGBTQ+ professional connection, providing a safe, affirming, and empowering platform for connecting, sharing, and growing together. It’s part of Famm’s larger mission to showcase LGBTQ+ owned brands, products and services, all in one place.

Less than 1% of US-based businesses are LGBTQ+ owned. Through Famm Connect, Famm provides more visibility and support to these businesses, with the end goal of inspiring the next generation of LGBTQ+ founders.

Launching in Q4 2024, you can join the waitlist if you’re in the 🇺🇸, 🇬🇧 , or 🇨🇦.

Epowar

Epowar is a women-led, AI-powered personal safety app. It centers around Journeys, allowing users to add friends who can see your route, track your live location and get a loud instant alert if something happens. If the alarm has been sounded, your selected friends can call you straight from the app and navigate to your live location. In addition to the automatic attack detection and instant emergency alerts, Epowar also provides an SOS button and reliable evidence storing.

Epowar also replaces the "text me when you get home" text by simply ending your Journey when you reach your destination. Your friends instantly know you made it safely — the app will even send you a reminder to end your Journey if you forget. They also host fun, in-person events to help build a community network of friends interested in each other’s safety.

Currently available in the UK and Ireland, you can access the app from the Apple or Play Stores, or add yourself to their waitlist for the global launch.

AI/ML for Good

As a proponent of AI and machine learning for good, I’m always on the lookout for companies and products that benefit humanity. Sometimes, that comes in the form of a podcast. And one of my absolute favorite podcasts that focuses on breaking down the hype and separating fact from fiction when it comes to AI is the Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000 podcast.

MAIHT3K

With the rise of everything AI, it’s challenging to sort out what’s real and what’s hype. Enter University of Washington linguistics professor Dr. Emily Bender and sociologist Dr. Alex Hanna of The Distributed AI Research Institute and their brilliant podcast Mystery AI Hype Theater 3000. Launched in November 2022, Drs. Bender and Hanna have since produced over 40 episodes, available as live streams, recorded streams, podcasts and transcripts — they’ve even added a newsletter option to tide you over between podcast episodes. Most episodes feature special guests who are experts in the specific AI topic of discussion. Topics range from AI art to datafication and automation of mental health services to environmental concerns and much, much more.

If you are looking for the voices of reason in all of this fresh AI hell, tune in to MAIHT3K — you’ll be glad you did!

Featured Client: QUIVR

Learning Theory and Learning Technology

Learning design isn’t just about pretty pictures and cool technology. At the heart of the best innovations is a thorough understanding and application of learning theory and proven practices. And when it comes to virtual facilitation techniques, I like to BE about it, not just talk about it. During my last live session from October 24, 2024, my What Is Learning Fireside chat, I did just that, demonstrating the techniques throughout the faciliated chat session.

Virtual Facilitation

Meaningful interaction is the hallmark of well-constructed synchronous learning experiences. One way to ensure that the interaction is meaningful to the participants is to actively include them. And one of the easiest ways to ensure active engagement for most or all of the participants is to center the experience around and prompt them to use readily available, inclusive response options, such as chat and emoji reactions.

Instead of lecturing to your audience, consider drawing out the same information through a series of questions. Rather than only one or two of the more vocal participants coming off mute and answering the questions, which is often the case in face-to-face and in-person live training, if you set the expectation that the interaction will take place in chat, you will get a lot more engagement from ALL your participants.

With a thoughtful series of questions that build upon each other, your audience is given the opportunity to respond in their own words, react to the responses of others, and personalize the experience based on who else is participating in real time. In the case of the What Is Learning Fireside Chat, the questions posed were:

1. What is learning and development? What do you think of?

2. What learning opportunities are available to you where you work?

3. Have you created an individual development plan with your manager?

4. What is your role in your own career development? What is your manager’s role?

5. What type of learning opportunities do you need to advance in your career?

6. Besides career advancement, what are other reasons to learn something?

7. What are some of the things you want to learn?

There’s a bit more to it than just listing a bunch of questions in chat. If you’re interested in seeing this method in action, here’s the lightly edited replay.

Upcoming Learning Offerings

I set up a LinkedIn poll on my Linda B Learning business page to see what topics you’d like to have me address in 2025.

Although the poll on LinkedIn is now closed, you can see the results and continue to post your comments, feedback and suggestions on the poll post itself. I’ve also replicated the poll on my YouTube channel, if you would rather vote there.

If I didn’t include your topic as one of the initial choices, weigh in on either poll and I’ll add your feedback into the mix!

That’s all for now. See you next month!