Let Google tell YOU when there is something you want to read

We all know that Google has a pretty darn good search engine. But what if you want to look for the same search each day or week to see if there is new information--did you know you can set an alert and have google email you new results from a specified search whenever there are new results?  You can!

To set a Google Alert:

• Go to the Google alert page and type in your search term
• Click show options to customize the alert. (for example, a few of my alerts are set for weekly, but I do have a couple set for daily.)

• Click Create Alert

Google will email you the new results for that search at the frequency you selected. 

Tip: Try your search in Google before you set your Alert so you can be sure you are getting exactly the information you want to find. The more specific your search, the more useful it will be to you, helping you get the information you want without looking through irrelevant information. To improve your search, you may want to use Google Advanced Search. Also, here are some Google Search tips to help you search more effectively from HubSpot, Lifehack and the Google help page. 

For example, you might want to find all new mentions of your company or your product. Set an alert with the name of your company or product and each day there is a new result, Google will email you the search results.

Amazed?  It is pretty amazing; and a real time saver.

But wait...there's more!

You may be familiar with Google Scholar.  Google Scholar is a subset of the regular Google search that only searches for scholarly works such as research, publications, theses, etc. It is a wonderful resource that you can supercharge by using alerts!  

Let's say you are someone who is interested in research in a particular area: the competencies of academic advising. Set a Google Scholar Alert, and when new scholarly work (research, publications, etc.) on academic advising competencies is available, your Google Scholar Alert will send you an email with the new scholarly search results!

To set a Google Scholar Alert:

• Go to Google Scholar. At the top left of the screen are three horizontal lines (Trivia: this is called a hamburger menu. It is called a hamburger menu because it sort of looks like a hamburger in a bun. Bun-Burger-Bun. Sort of.)
• Click the hamburger menu and select Alerts.
• Enter your search, add/modify the email the alerts will be sent to, and the number of results that will be included, and then click Create Alert.

You can also create a Google Scholar alert by doing a Google Scholar search. When the search results are displayed, there is a "Create Alert" item on the left sidebar. Click it and complete your alert information.

Amazed?  This is a great resource! Google Scholar may not include all the scholarly sources you want to check, but it is pretty darn helpful as a way to easily keep up on new scholarly literature.

For more information, here is Google Scholar: The Ultimate Guide (according to them!) from Paperpile and 18 Google Scholar Tips All Students Should Know from Google.

How might Google Alerts help you at work, at home, or as part of your PLN?

This might be my new favorite QR Code generator

One of the challenges with many of the free QR Code generators is that they have restricted the free QR code features to only linking to websites. I recently came across the free QR Code generator, Me-QR that generates a QR code and lets you link to many types of media with the free version.

Once you get to the Me-QR website, you will need to sign up for a free account.  After that, it's just three simple steps to generate your QR Code.

Step 1: Select what your QR Code will link to

You can link your QR Code to a website, but you can also link to all of the following (and more):

 

I particularly like being able to link to a PDF document (an article, work document, or PDF of a PowerPoint presentation, etc.) and to link to text or an image with contact information, etc.

Step 2: Select your content and create your QR Code

Add the link or upload the content from your computer and click: Customize & Download QR.

Step 3: Customize and download your QR Code

Your QR Code is generated and you have the option to customize the look of your QR Code with frames based on pre-made templates, themes, holidays, and events. Once you have a design and color customization that you like, you can download your QR Code and use it in documents, slide decks, presentations, posters, and more!

What are some ways you can integrate QR codes linking to all these options into your profession?

Pack your information into a QR Code

What is a QR Code?

QR code stands for Quick Response code.  QR codes can contain a variety of information from text, to video, to documents, and scanning the QR code unlocks the information for you and captures it on your phone.  QR codes make the real world clickable!

Here is a brief explanation of QR Codes by Common Craft.

QR Code Readers

In order to unlock the information in a QR code, you need a QR reader.  There are many QR reader apps available for mobile devices.  You can check the web and the app store for your mobile device for recommendations. I have been using the QR Reader for iPhone app for years. There may be newer and better apps available, but QR Reader seems to do what I need to do, so I am still using it. 

QR Code Generators

QR generators let you create your own QR codes. QR Code generators are available on the web on your computer and as mobile apps.  I tend to generate my QR codes on the computer because I am often using them in handouts or presentations that I am creating on the computer. There are QR code generators that are free and many that have paid versions. Here are two generators that offer slightly different features that are free.

• QR Code Generator is a simple QR Code generator that lets you include text, URL, structured contact information, or send a SMS/text.

• QR Code Monkey lets you change the color of your QR code and add an image to the middle of the QR code.  For example, this QR code takes you to the Leadership Book Club podcast website.

How can you use QR codes?

There are hundreds of ways to use QR codes. One of my favorite uses of QR codes is with my PowerPoint slides when I give a presentation. On the last slide of the presentation, I will include a QR code with my contact information and a QR code with an electronic copy of the presentation. It saves me from emailing my contact information and the presentation to dozens of people after I get home!

QR codes can also be used to support learning and the QR codes can be added to print media like posters, books, and handouts. I have even seen QR codes printed, cut out, and attached to "real life" objects. One of my favorite examples of QR codes in education is the Periodic Table of Videos created by Brady Haran (Periodic Videos). Each element on the periodic chart has been replaced with a QR code that leads to a video on the element!

Here are a few other ideas:

• Use QR codes for the answers in study materials.  It is like having the answers in the back of the book, but makes it easier for students to try the problems before they look at the answers.
• With a display of student projects or products, post QR codes on each exhibit with the link to a video of the creator explaining their work.  
• At the end of a chapter or document have a QR code with the link to the next document.
• Supplement handouts with QR codes to videos demonstrating the concept in the handout.
• Create a scavenger hunt for new students or employees to become familiar with their new work environment/campus and to team build with other new students/employees. Student/employees can scan a QR code that sends a text to the instructor so she knows each step they have accomplished in the scavenger hunt.
• Use a QR code on a poster to link to a document with more information (such as a program for a concert, a biography for a speaker, etc.)
• Use QR codes on an organizational chart with pictures or biographies of each person.

Here are resources with even more ideas on how to integrate QR codes into the classroom.  Although these examples are primarily from K-12 education, there are ideas and inspiration for those of us who teach post-secondary and in a corporate setting.

QR Codes for Quick Student Engagement (Faculty Focus)

8 Ways to use QR Codes in Higher Education Classrooms (Educause)

Four Ways to Use QR Codes to Enliven Your Learning Event (ATD)

One word of warning: Just as links take you websites, so can QR codes, which means there is the opportunity for malicious behavior. Apply the same caution and common sense to using unknown QR codes as you would to clicking on unknown links.

What are some ways you can integrate QR codes into your profession?

Using NotebookLM

 

What is NotebookLM?

NotebookLM is a tool by Google with a robust free tier. One of the disadvantages of chatbots is that they pull information from everything they have been trained on: verified/non-vertified and relevant/non-relevant. NotebookLM lets you identify the pool of information you want to use for your queries and outputs. You select the information sources you want considered and keep them in a "notebook." Within NotebookLM you can create many of these "topic" focused notebooks for your use.  The information sources are wide: websites, documents, videos, images, audio files, handwritten notes...you can even take information generated by NotebookLM and use that as input. The benefit (and potential downside) to NotebookLM is it will only draw from the information you have identified and included (although you can have it identify sources for you as well). The output for NotebookLM is not limited to responses to your prompts, but that information can then be used to produce audio, infographics, mindmaps, flashcards, and more. It is another great example of using AI as a collaborator not as a replacement for us/our thinking. There are vast implications for using NotebookLM to support learning in ourselves and in others. 

How to use NotebookLM

If you are not familiar with NotebookLM (or even if you are) watch this video. It is a bit longer (35 minutes), but the author does a wonderful job of introducing NotebookLM, the interface, and then walks through examples and tips for adding sources, the chat window, and each of the elements in the studio (I decided it was better than the video I made!)

One note: there is an advertisement in the video from 14:53-17:42.  You can use the scrubber on the timeline to skip it.

Video: How to Master NotebookLM in 2026. (YouTube, 34:14)

Another video with different tips

Of course, there are many NotebookLM videos on the internet. I particularly like this video from Jeff Su (Google employee) because he offers suggestions and tips I have not seen in other videos.  However, he explains things very fast, and it's a better video to watch after you have watched the previous introduction video, or if you have experience with NotebookLM.

NOTE: There are two very short advertisements in this video that you can watch (they are short!) or skip past at 7:20-7:52 and 14:56-15:08.

Video: NotebookLM Changed Completely: Here's What Matters (in 2026). (Youtube, 20:30m)

Want even more NotebookLM resources to answer your questions and take your skills to the next level?

There are many NotebookLM resources on the internet, and I encourage you to find resources that answer your questions and support what you would like to do with NotebookLM. Here are some resources you might want to review to get started.

• NotebookLM help. (Google website)
  
  
• Top 10 NotebookLM Tips and Tricks in 2026. (YouTube, 16:47m). There is some repetition with the previous two videos, but a couple of additional useful tips.
  
  
• 10 Ways NotebookLM Makes Academia Easy (and fun!), (Youtube, 15:28m). Several repeat tips from other videos, I particularly like the idea of chatting with your reference list (8:07-9:40), creating a timeline (11:47-12:26).
  
  
• AI Learning Playlist. (Youtube). This playlist includes several videos about NotebookLM.
  
  
• NotebookLM for Teachers: Practical Tips to Boost Teaching and Research with AI. (PDF). NOTE: This is about 6 months old.
  
  
• NotebookLM in Teaching: 10 Unexpected Ways to Use NotebookLM with Your Students. (PDF)
  
  
• I replaced 7 daily tasks with NotebookLM--how the mobile app actually saves me time. (web article)
  
  
• NotebookLM Slides Just Got Better (Here's What Changed). (YouTube, 10:19m). The presenter talks about how to create slides, download a PowerPoint, and then edit in Canva.

(notebook image generate with Microsoft Copilot)

How might you use NotebookLM?

Citing AI in APA

In our class, we are advocating for AI to be a collaborator rather than a replacement for our work.  But, how--and when--do you cite your interactions with AI in papers? Many of us use Purdue OWL (Online Writing Lab) as an online source for APA formatting. And while Perdue OWL does have a section on how to format electronic sources in a reference list, for the most up-to-date information, it's best to check out the APA website. APA has a page with example references for AI tools and AI chat. 

I also found these three APA blog posts from 2025 useful for thinking about what, why, when, and how to reference AI in papers.

• Citing generative AI in APA Style: Part 1--Reference formats
  
  
• Citing generative AI in APA Style: Part 2--AI as a search engine and AI integrated into common software
  
  
• Citing generative AI in APA Style: Part 3--Is AI "allowed" in APA Style?

As AI continues to quickly evolve, so too the rules for incorporating AI into papers must evolve. My advice: keep checking in with the APA website, do your best, and consider checking with your professor or publisher!

AI Prompting Resources

There are many models you can use to structure your AI prompting to provide enough information to get you as close as possible to the answer you are looking for from an AI chatbot including Task-Role-Audience-Approach-Tone/Style (Educraft video),  Request-Reference-Format-Framing, Task-Act as if-Output-Audience, Specific-Context-Iterate, and more! (just search for it!)

But you do not need to go it alone.  There are many prompting resources available for you:

A prompt library is a list of prompts you can use "as is" or use as inspiration and customize.
For example, 

• AI for Education has many great teaching and AI resources for K-12 teachers (and some use for non-k-12 teacher) including a Prompt Library for Educators with  dozens of prompts in the areas of assessment, communication, lesson planning, and more.
  
  
• This blog post from Control Alt Achieve includes several prompt libraries primarily for K-12 educators.
  
  
• AI Prompt Library for Educators helps you generate prompts for assessments, lesson plans, slide outlines, rubrics, and more (AIPromptLibrary.org)
  
  
• Prompt library for Training & Development (AI Innovation Lounge)
  
  
• 25+ Best ChatGPT Prompts for Instructional Designers (thinkific.com)
  
  
• A few Prompts for Leadership (Content at Scale. There are many categories of prompts in addition to leadership in the left side menu.)
  
  
• Here are a few function-specific prompts from Simplifying AI:
  
  

• How to prompt
  
  

• Prompts for education
  
  
• Prompts for entrepreneurs
  
  
• Prompts for marketing
  
  
• Prompts for HR

A Few More Prompts for Fun!

• AI Prompts for Career Development (Griffith University) 
  
  
• 20+ ChatGPT Prompts To Discover Your Leadership Style in 2024 (Forbes)
  
  
• 5 ChatGPT Prompts to Change Your State of Mind (and Get More Done) (Forbes)

(Forbes has a lot of prompt articles)

You can also prompt your Chatbot to create (or improve) your prompts!

Example 1: Creating prompts

I want you to become my Prompt Creator. Your goal is to help me craft the best possible prompt for my needs. The prompt will be used by you, [name of chatbot such as ChatGPT]. You will follow the following process: 1. Your first response will be to ask me what the prompt should be about. I will provide my answer, but we will need to improve it through continual iterations by going through the next steps. 2. Based on my input, you will generate 3 sections a) Revised prompt where you provide your rewritten prompt. It should be clear, concise, and easily understood by you, b) Suggestions where you provide suggestions on what details to include in the prompt to improve it, and c) Questions where you ask any relevant questions pertaining to what additional information is needed from me to improve the prompt. 3. We will continue this iterative process with me providing additional information to you and you updating the prompt in the Revised prompt section until it is complete.

Example 2 (from @evolving.ai): Rewriting prompts

You are Prompt Professional, the most advanced [name of chatbot such as ChatGPT] prompt writer in the world. I will provide you a prompt. Today, your job is to rewrite the prompt again in 10 different and creative ways. Now ask me what prompt to rewrite.

Example 3: Teaching support

I am a trainer who needs to teach [content] in [business/setting]. My students are [describe students]. The level of this training should be [beginner, advanced, suitable for new leaders, etc.] The training will be [duration] and be [face to face, online, self-paced, etc.]. Possible challenges of teaching these students are [challenge 1] [challenge 2]. I enjoy teaching because [reason 1] [reason 2]. Generate 20 ChatGPT use cases that could help me enhance my effectiveness as a trainer and improve my student's engagement and learning.

Alternative for red text above:

Generate 10 objectives for this training with two activity ideas for each objective.

Substitute whatever instructions will be useful for you in place of the red text.

Have fun creating and editing prompts!

(All images created with Microsoft Copilot.)

Podcast! A great way to multi-task (or single-task)

 Audio (and video) podcasts are a great addition to your PLN.  In addition to providing another way to learn (auditory), audio podcasts are a multi-tasker's dream!  You can listen to podcasts while cooking, cleaning, walking the dog, driving, exercising, etc!  This week, you are going to find and listen to at least one podcast.

 

• Find a podcast relevant to your PLN.  You can check the iTunes library if you have an iphone, ask others for recommendations, or just search for "Podcast" and "something-you-are-interested-in-for-your-PLN", see what comes up, and then scroll until you see an episode you want to listen to! To listen on your mobile device, search for the podcast name on the podcast player you have on your mobile device. Here are a few podcast options to get you started:
  
  
• Teaching in Higher Ed podcast
• The Accidental Trainer podcast (Association for Talent Development)
• The Business of Learning podcast
• Instructional Designers in Offices Drinking Coffee (also on YouTube)
• Harvard Business Review IdeaCast podcast (this link lists all of the HBR podcasts )
• Simon Sinek's A Bit of Optimism podcast (also on YouTube)
• SHRM's All Things Work podcast
• AI for Humans podcast--I cannot find a good link for the audio podcast. Search for it in your podcast player. (Also on YouTube)

• Listen to at least one podcast episode on the web or using a podcast player on your mobile device. 
  
  
• If you like a podcast, consider subscribing! (if you subscribe, new podcast episodes will come to your podcast player automatically, just as new blogs automatically come to your Feedly.)

What HRD or technology and learning podcasts do you recommend for us to add to our PLNs?