EdTech Cool Tool - Quizizz AI

This post is Day 8 of my "Cool Tools 2023" series where we are exploring some of the year's best tools for teaching and learning.

This year we are focusing on artificial intelligence tools and how they can be used in schools.

You can access all of the cool tools in the series as they come out at bit.ly/cool-tools-23 and in this Google Slideshow.

For this entry in the series we are taking a look at: Quizizz AI

See below for details, directions, uses, and links for this artificial intelligence resource. If you have used this tool, please consider sharing your experiences, how you have used it, tips, tricks, and more.

EdTech Cool Tool - Eduaide

This post is Day 7 of my "Cool Tools 2023" series where we are exploring some of the year's best tools for teaching and learning.

This year we are focusing on artificial intelligence tools and how they can be used in schools.

You can access all of the cool tools in the series as they come out at bit.ly/cool-tools-23 and in this Google Slideshow.

For this entry in the series we are taking a look at: Eduaide

See below for details, directions, uses, and links for this artificial intelligence resource. If you have used this tool, please consider sharing your experiences, how you have used it, tips, tricks, and more.

EdTech Cool Tool - Brisk

This post is Day 6 of my "Cool Tools 2023" series where we are exploring some of the year's best tools for teaching and learning.

This year we are focusing on artificial intelligence tools and how they can be used in schools.

 

You can access all of the cool tools in the series as they come out at bit.ly/cool-tools-23 and in this Google Slideshow.

For this entry in the series we are taking a look at: Brisk Teaching

See below for details, directions, uses, and links for this artificial intelligence resource. If you have used this tool, please consider sharing your experiences, how you have used it, tips, tricks, and more.

EdTech Cool Tool - SchoolAI

This post is Day 4 of my "Cool Tools 2023" series where we are exploring some of the year's best tools for teaching and learning.

This year we are focusing on artificial intelligence tools and how they can be used in schools.

 

You can access all of the cool tools in the series as they come out at bit.ly/cool-tools-23 and in this Google Slideshow.

For this entry in the series we are taking a look at: School AI

See below for details, directions, uses, and links for this artificial intelligence resource. If you have used this tool, please consider sharing your experiences, how you have used it, tips, tricks, and more.

EdTech Links of the Week - 12-4-23

Each week I keep an eye out for the latest edtech resources through blogs, social media, podcasts, videos, user groups, and more. I then try to reshare these resources in many ways.

One way I share these is here on the blog in these "EdTech Links of the Week" posts. See below to explore the latest batch of resources, and be sure to share with others who may benefit.

If you want to make sure you don't miss new resources, you can:

🔗 View all EdTech Links of the Week: bit.ly/caa-links

📰 Sign up for my weekly email newsletter: bit.ly/curts-news
📧 Join the "Control Alt Achieve" email discussion group: bit.ly/caa-emailgroup

🔔 Get new blog posts automatically through email - FollowIt link

And as always, please let me know of any resources that you recommend. I would love to learn from you!

EdTech Cool Tool - Goblin Tools

This post is Day 4 of my "Cool Tools 2023" series where we are exploring some of the year's best tools for teaching and learning.

This year we are focusing on artificial intelligence tools and how they can be used in schools.

 

You can access all of the cool tools in the series as they come out at bit.ly/cool-tools-23 and in this Google Slideshow.

For this entry in the series we are taking a look at: Goblin Tools

See below for details, directions, uses, and links for this artificial intelligence resource. If you have used this tool, please consider sharing your experiences, how you have used it, tips, tricks, and more.

EdTech Cool Tool - Padlet AI Images

This post is Day 3 of my "Cool Tools 2023" series where we are exploring some of the year's best tools for teaching and learning.

This year we are focusing on artificial intelligence tools and how they can be used in schools.

 

You can access all of the cool tools in the series as they come out at bit.ly/cool-tools-23 and in this Google Slideshow.

For this entry in the series we are taking a look at: Padlet AI Image Generator

See below for details, directions, uses, and links for this artificial intelligence resource. If you have used this tool, please consider sharing your experiences, how you have used it, tips, tricks, and more.

EdTech Cool Tool - QuestionWell

This post is Day 2 of my "Cool Tools 2023" series where we are exploring some of the year's best tools for teaching and learning.

This year we are focusing on artificial intelligence tools and how they can be used in schools.

You can access all of the cool tools in the series as they come out at bit.ly/cool-tools-23 and in this Google Slideshow.

For this entry in the series we are taking a look at: QuestionWell

See below for details, directions, uses, and links for this artificial intelligence resource. If you have used this tool, please consider sharing your experiences, how you have used it, tips, tricks, and more.

EdTech Cool Tool - MagicSchool AI

This post is Day 1 of my "Cool Tools 2023" series where we are exploring some of the year's best tools for teaching and learning.

This year we are focusing on artificial intelligence tools and how they can be used in schools.

 

You can access all of the cool tools in the series as they come out at bit.ly/cool-tools-23 and in this Google Slideshow.

For this entry in the series we are taking a look at: MagicSchool AI

See below for details, directions, uses, and links for this artificial intelligence resource. If you have used this tool, please consider sharing your experiences, how you have used it, tips, tricks, and more.

What's New in Google - November 2023

Catch up on everything new in Google Workspace for Education from November 2023, and see great ideas and resources!

Below is the recorded video from our November 2023 Google User Meeting, along with the meeting agenda with all the awesome resources and Google updates from the last few months. This includes lots of new Google updates and Google resources for your class.

The monthly meetings are hosted by the Google Educator Group of Ohio, but are open to anyone from any location. The purpose of these meetings is to:

• Connect Google-using educators
• Share the latest Google Workspace news and features
• Provide tutorials, demonstrations, and how-to’s
• Share best practices of how Google Workspace is being used within schools
• Ask questions and get answers

The video from the meeting is recorded and available for later viewing for those who cannot attend or connect live. See below to view the recorded video, agenda, and all the resources from the November 2023 meeting:

8 Googley Wintertime Activities for Kids

As we get closer to the holiday break, it is expected and understandable that our students start getting a little distracted. They are looking forward to lots of days off, holiday celebrations, gifts, and more. Let's be honest … we may be a little distracted as well.

 
This is a time of year when we look for some fun activities to keep our students focused and active. But we don't just want busy work. If possible it is great to find projects that are fun, tie into wintertime themes, and still provide our students with a chance to be creative, write, or improve some content area skills.

To help out with that, I have put together eight wintertime-themed activities that use free Google tools, including Docs, Slides, Sheets, and Drawings:

⛄ Activity #1 - Build a Snowman with Google Slides

🎄 Activity #2 - Decorate a Holiday Tree with Google Slides

🧲 Activity #3 - Wintertime Magnetic Poetry with Google Drawings

📬 Activity #4 - Holiday Greeting Cards with Google Drawings

🎁 Activity #5 - "12 Days of Christmas" Guided Google Sheets Math Activity

🌟 Activity #6 - Pixel Art Ornaments with Google Sheets

❄️ Activity #7 - Wintertime Emoji Rebus Stories with Google Docs

💡 Activity #8 - Holiday Lights Writing with Google Docs

Some of these are projects I have shared in the past, while others are new twists on previous posts. Hopefully some of these will be a good match for your students to keep them busy AND learning as we head into the holidays.

EdTech Links of the Week - 11-26-23

Each week I keep an eye out for the latest edtech resources through blogs, social media, podcasts, videos, user groups, and more. I then try to reshare these resources in many ways.

One way I share these is here on the blog in these "EdTech Links of the Week" posts. See below to explore the latest batch of resources, and be sure to share with others who may benefit.

If you want to make sure you don't miss new resources, you can:

🔗 View all EdTech Links of the Week: bit.ly/caa-links

📰 Sign up for my weekly email newsletter: bit.ly/curts-news
📧 Join the "Control Alt Achieve" email discussion group: bit.ly/caa-emailgroup

🔔 Get new blog posts automatically through email - FollowIt link

And as always, please let me know of any resources that you recommend. I would love to learn from you!

Cool Tools 2023

This last year has been packed full of technology advances and innovative educational tools to go along with them. It seems like every week there is something new.

As we wrap up 2023 I will be sharing 24 of my favorite "Cool Tools" (in no particular order) from this year, with one new entry per day from December 1st through 24th (sort of like an EdTech advent calendar).

For this year I am going with the theme of artificial intelligence tools and resources, since that has been the hot topic.

See below for options on how to access each entry of "Cool Tools 2023".

My 2024 OETC Sessions

I am excited and honored to be presenting at the 2024 Ohio Educational Technology Conference (OETC23) in Columbus, Ohio on February 13th through 15th.

I always look forward to an opportunity to see old friends, make new friends, share some ideas, and learn so many new things from others.

You can access more OETC24 information and register for the conference at:

• https://oetc.ohio.gov/

Below is a list of sessions I will be presenting at OETC24, along with any associated resources. Please feel free to join me for any of these sessions. I look forward to sharing, learning, and chatting with you!

Import your Jamboards into FigJam

Google recently announced that they are shutting down Jamboard by the end of 2024. Thankfully Figma has partnered with Google to provide their tools absolutely free to educators and students.

One of their tools is FigJam which is an advanced collaborative whiteboarding tool with features including stamps, emotes, stickies, shapes, connectors, drawing tools, plugins, interactive widgets, and much more.

To help you get started with FigJam I recently hosted two webinars on the basics of using FigJam in your school, as well as going deeper into advanced topics, features, and uses.

To make this transition even easier, Figma has now announced the launch of their import tool for Jamboard. With this easy-to-use tool you can convert all of your existing Jams into FigJam files. See below for details on this new tool, as well as a helpful 2-minute video on how it works.

My 2024 FETC Sessions

I am excited and honored to be presenting at the Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC 2024) in Orlando, Florida on January 23rd through 26th, 2024.

I always look forward to an opportunity to see old friends, make new friends, share some ideas, and learn so many new things from others.

You can register for FETC at https://www.fetc.org/

Below is a list of sessions I will be presenting at FETC 2024, along with any associated resources. Please feel free to join me for any of these sessions. I look forward to sharing, learning, and chatting with you!

Join Me For Engage Online 2023

I am super excited to be taking part in Engage Online 2023! This is a virtual conference on November 9th. See below for the details and how to register for FREE!

🤔 What is Engage Online 2023?

• Engage is a virtual conference hosted by Kognity to elevate instruction and learning.
• There is a focus on science, but there is something for every educator.

🗣️ Who is speaking?

• Lots of amazing educators and experts including Matt Miller, Kasey Bell, Alice Keeler, and many more (and somehow I managed to slip in there as well!)
• You can see the full list of speakers and their sessions at: 
• kognity.com/events/engage-virtual/agenda/

🧔 What am I speaking on?

• Active Learning with Google Tools
• November 9th at 5:00pm EST
• EduProtocols are instructional templates that are designed to engage students in learning through critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity, in any subject or grade level. In this session you will see how engaging these can be for students by trying out several hands-on activities such as Sketch and Tell, Iron Chef, Tier List, Thin Slides, and more. For more details see: bit.ly/curts-active

✅ How can you attend?

• Register for Engage Online 2023 at kognity.com/events/engage-virtual/
• The normal cost is $75 but you can register completely FREE by using my code  "ERICCURTS100"
• If you can’t attend live,  your ticket will give you full on-demand access to all conference content for 3 months after the event.

I hope to see you there!

Cyber Assist: Using AI as Your Teaching Assistant

I recently had the opportunity to present a live-stream of my session "Cyber Assist: Using AI as Your Teaching Assistant" for the CuriCon virtual conference.

Curicon was a week-long series of live video sessions exploring artificial intelligence in education, presented by a wide range of amazing educators.

My session explored how we can use a wide range of AI tools to help us with our daily tasks as educators. Here is the session description:

Cyber Assist: Using AI as Your Teaching Assistant 

It has been said that with generative AI, every educator now has their own personal 24-hour assistant. Learn how to use tools such as ChatGPT, Google Bard, Curipod, EduaideAI, Conker, MagicSchoolAI, Twee, Diffit and more to help you generate presentations, create lessons, write emails, provide feedback and much more. Save more time so you can spend more time impacting students!

See below to watch the 30-minute recorded video, as well as access all of the resources from the session. And please share your ideas for how you use AI as your daily assistant. I am excited to learn from you!

My 2023 GaETC Sessions

I am excited and honored to be presenting at the Georgia Educational Technology Conference (GaETC 2023) in Atlanta, Georgia on November 1st and 2nd, 2023.

I always look forward to an opportunity to see old friends, make new friends, share some ideas, and learn so many new things from others.

You can access more GaETC information at https://conference.gaetc.org/

Below is a list of sessions I will be presenting at GaETC 2023, along with any associated resources. Please feel free to join me for any of these sessions. I look forward to sharing, learning, and chatting with you!

What's New in Google - October 2023

Catch up on everything new in Google Workspace for Education from October 2023, and see great ideas and resources!

Below is the recorded video from our October 2023 Google User Meeting, along with the meeting agenda with all the awesome resources and Google updates from the last few months. This includes lots of new Google updates and Google resources for your class.

The monthly meetings are hosted by the Google Educator Group of Ohio, but are open to anyone from any location. The purpose of these meetings is to:

• Connect Google-using educators
• Share the latest Google Workspace news and features
• Provide tutorials, demonstrations, and how-to’s
• Share best practices of how Google Workspace is being used within schools
• Ask questions and get answers

The video from the meeting is recorded and available for later viewing for those who cannot attend or connect live. See below to view the recorded video, agenda, and all the resources from the October 2023 meeting:

Can a Chromebook be your Primary Computer?

Note: Spon­sored by Leno­vo and Google for Education. All opinions are my own.

Chromebooks first came out way back in 2011. At that time they were pretty basic with small low-resolution screens, low-end processors, and limited memory. Most people saw them as nothing more than a web browser in a laptop format.

Well Chromebooks have come a long way since then, in both power and popularity. Last year Google announced there were over 50 million Chromebooks in schools.

Most of the time we see these devices as primarily for student use. However in recent years, as the devices have become more powerful and feature-rich, we have started to see more and more schools offering Chromebooks as an option for educators as well.

So what about you? Could a Chromebook serve as your primary computer?

I have been testing this out for myself with the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook, which is one of the new devices Google is classifying as "Chromebook Plus". See below for details on these powerful new devices and my thoughts on using them as a primary laptop.

Join Me for Curicon23!

I am super excited to be a part of the Curicon23 virtual conference and would love to have you join me for my session!

Curicon is a week-long series of live video sessions exploring artificial intelligence in education, presented by a wide range of amazing educators.

The virtual conference runs from October 23rd through 27th, and is being hosted by the makers of Curipod, which is an AI-powered tool for educators to create engaging and interactive learning materials.

See below for the details on my session:

FigJam for Schools Advanced Webinar

I recently had the pleasure to host an advanced webinar on FigJam for Schools, as a follow up to the introductory session I hosted last week.

As you have probably heard by now, Google has announced that they are shutting down Jamboard by the end of 2024. Thankfully Figma has partnered with Google to provide their tools absolutely free to educators and students.

One of their tools is FigJam which is an advanced collaborative whiteboarding tool with features including stamps, emotes, stickies, shapes, connectors, drawing tools, plugins, interactive widgets, and much more.

To help you get started with FigJam, and get the most out of it, I have hosted two webinars with David Curran, a former teacher who has recently joined the Figma for Edu team. These sessions covered all of the basics of using FigJam in your school, as well as going deeper into advanced topics, features, and uses.

See below for a recording of the advanced webinar, as well as the recording from the earlier introductory webinar, and resources from both sessions.

FigJam for Schools Intro Webinar

I recently had the pleasure to host a webinar on FigJam for Schools.

As you have probably heard by now, Google has announced that they are shutting down Jamboard by the end of 2024. Thankfully Figma has partnered with Google to provide their tools absolutely free to educators and students.

One of their tools is FigJam which is an advanced collaborative whiteboarding tool with features including stamps, emotes, stickies, shapes, connectors, drawing tools, plugins, interactive widgets, and much more.

To help you get started with FigJam, and get the most out of it, I hosted a webinar with David Curran, a former teacher who has recently joined the Figma for Edu team. This was an introductory webinar to cover all of the basics of using FigJam in your school.

We will also be hosting a follow-up webinar on October 10th to go deeper into the tool and answer questions we did not get to in this first webinar.

See below for a recording of the webinar, resources from the session, and details on the advanced webinar coming up.

Google Docs Calendar Templates for the 2024-2025 School Year

A couple years ago I created some Google Docs templates for a colleague who was looking for a simple one-page document to show important calendar dates for an entire school year. The templates were a big hit and many people found them to be helpful.

Although it still feels like the school year has just gotten started, I have already received emails from folks asking if I have made a version for next year ... the 2024-2025 school year.

So for all of you super organized people who are already planning for the next school year, I am happy to say, yes, I have versions for 2024-2025. See below for the links to get your own copies of these templates, as well as some basic directions on how to edit them for your own use.

Super Tutor: AI to Support all Learners

Artificial intelligence is a powerful tool for teaching and learning. One of the most beneficial uses is for supporting students. It has been said that with AI it is like every learner can now have their own 24-hour personal tutor.

I recently recorded a 1-hour training video for my session "Super Tutor: AI to Support all Learners".

In this session we explore both AI tools and practical uses to help support learners.

• The tools include ChatGPT, Google Bard, Diffit, Eduaide, MagicSchoolAI, Brisk, Goblin Tools, and more.
• The uses cover a wide range of examples in reading, writing, tutoring, and more.

See below for the recorded video and session resources. And be sure to share your suggestions for AI tools and uses. I am excited to learn with you!

What's New in Google? September 2023

Catch up on everything new in Google Workspace for Education from September 2023, and see great ideas and resources!

Below is the recorded video from our September 2023 Google User Meeting, along with the meeting agenda with all the awesome resources and Google updates from the last few months. This includes lots of new Google updates and Google resources for your class.

The monthly meetings are hosted by the Google Educator Group of Ohio, but are open to anyone from any location. The purpose of these meetings is to:

• Connect Google-using educators
• Share the latest Google Workspace news and features
• Provide tutorials, demonstrations, and how-to’s
• Share best practices of how Google Workspace is being used within schools
• Ask questions and get answers

The video from the meeting is recorded and available for later viewing for those who cannot attend or connect live. See below to view the recorded video, agenda, and all the resources from the September 2023 meeting:

FigJam for Schools Webinars

Google has recently announced that they are shutting down Jamboard by the end of 2024.

Thankfully Figma has partnered with Google to provide their tools absolutely free to educators and students. 

One of their tools is FigJam which is an advanced collaborative whiteboarding tool with features including stamps, emotes, stickies, shapes, connectors, drawing tools, plugins, interactive widgets, and much more.

You and your students can use FigJam to:

• Brainstorm ideas for projects and assignments with sticky notes, shapes, and freehand drawing.
• Organize thoughts and research with decision trees, diagrams, and mind maps.
• Collaborate with classmates and teachers in real time with feedback and comments.
• Plan and run group projects, presentations, and more.

To help you get started with FigJam, and get the most out of it, I will be hosting two free webinars in October. Whether you have never heard of FigJam, or if you want to dig deeper into it, these live-streamed training sessions will be super helpful.

See below for details on each webinar and the registration information. If you are unable to attend live, the sessions will be recorded and shared out afterwards. I look forward to learning with you!

The Bard's Tale: Google AI Tools in Education

Google has continued to roll out more and more new updates for Bard and their other AI products. 

It is exciting to test out these new features to see how they can benefit schools with productivity, content creation, teaching, learning, and more.

I recently recorded a 1-hour webinar where I did a deep dive into Google's artificial intelligence tools. In the webinar we explore:

• 🏛️ Classic Google AI Tools
• 🚀 New Google AI Tools such as Bard, AI Search tools, Notebook LM, and Duet AI for Workspace
• 🔮 Upcoming Google AI Tools

See below to access the video and the session resource document with all the links and information.

Fabulous Features of Google Docs

Google Docs is a powerful word processing program with loads of useful features, and Google frequently adds new tools and options.

Even if you use Docs often, you may not use all of the features, or even be aware of some of them.

Recently I went through all the menus, settings, tools, and options in Docs to try to compile a list of some of my favorite features. I ended up with a list of 23 fabulous features of Google Docs which I am sharing below.

If you are new to Google Docs, or just a casual user, this list will help introduce you to the features that make Docs unique and powerful. Or if you are a seasoned user, hopefully you will pick up a few new ideas or reminders for tools that you can make more use of.

Either way, be sure to let me know what features I have left off the list that you would recommend, as well as how you use those features. I am excited to learn from you!

Conker Your Quizzes With Mote

I recently had the privilege to present a virtual session for MoteCon 2023 on how to use Conker, which is Mote's new AI-powered tool for creating assessments.

Last year at MoteCon 2022 I presented a session on using Mote to create an interactive digital soundboard in Google Slides for your class. You can see that recording from last here: Creating a Soundboard with Google Slides

With artificial intelligence being all the rage right now it made perfect sense this year to focus on their new Conker AI tool. In short:

• Conker is a tool from the makers of Mote, which uses AI to generate quizzes.
• The quiz can come from a topic, or source material, or quiz bank.
• Questions can include multiple choice, fill-in-the-blank, and read & respond.
• Quizzes can be exported to Google Forms.

See below for the 30-minute recorded video all about using Conker to create quizzes, and also how to use Mote on top of that to add your recorded voice to the Google Form quiz that is created.

What's New in Google? August 2023

Catch up on everything new in Google Workspace for Education from August 2023, and see great ideas and resources!

Below is the recorded video from our August 2023 Google User Meeting, along with the meeting agenda with all the awesome resources and Google updates from the last few months. This includes lots of new Google updates and Google resources for your class.

The monthly meetings are hosted by the Google Educator Group of Ohio, but are open to anyone from any location. The purpose of these meetings is to:

• Connect Google-using educators
• Share the latest Google Workspace news and features
• Provide tutorials, demonstrations, and how-to’s
• Share best practices of how Google Workspace is being used within schools
• Ask questions and get answers

The video from the meeting is recorded and available for later viewing for those who cannot attend or connect live. See below to view the recorded video, agenda, and all the resources from the August 2023 meeting:

Active Learning with EduProtocols and Google Tools

I am always looking for activities that get students thinking critically, collaborating, creating, communicating, and basically being engaged in the learning process. Recently I had the opportunity to record a training session on just that.

The session was "Active Learning with Google Tools" which focuses on using EduProtocols with your students.

If you are not familiar with EduProtocols, they are defined as follows:

• EduProtocols are instructional lesson frames that are designed to engage students in learning through critical thinking, collaboration, communication, and creativity.  
• EduProtocols can be used with any subject, any grade level, kindergarten through adult.

In this training session we explore three example EduProtocols including Sketch & Tell, Tier List, and Iron Chef.

See below for the 43-minute recorded video of the training, as well as access to the session resource documents and details.

Artificial Intelligence / Natural Misuse - Managing AI in Schools

Artificial Intelligence can provide great benefits and support for students and educators. For lots of examples, check out my earlier post and video on "AI in Education".

However, as beneficial as AI can be, it also comes with challenges and the potential for misuse.

Recently I recorded a 45-minute webinar to explore tools and strategies to help address these concerns in schools including:

• 🤔 What are the Concerns?
• ❓ What is Cheating with AI?
• 🧭 Setting AI Guidelines
• 🎓 Educating Students about AI
• ✅ Using Alternate Assessments
• 🤖 Creating AI-integrated Assignments
• 📑 Encouraging Proper Citation
• 🔎 Monitoring AI Usage
• 👩 Engaging Parents and Guardians
• 📰 Staying Informed

See below for the 45-minute recording of this session, as well as links and details on all of the resources from the session.

Please feel free to share this video and the resource doc with others who may benefit. This is a great way to help your school discuss and address these critical ideas. And please share with me your suggestions, resources, ideas, and experiences on these topics. I want to learn from you!

EdTech Playground Sessions for 2023-2024

I am excited to once again be presenting an "EdTech Playground" for the Teacher Innovation Network this year! Last year my session was about "Mote for Multilingual Learners". This year I will be doing a session about accessibility.

The great things about the EdTech Playgrounds are:

• They are FREE!
• They are streamed live
• The recordings can be viewed later
• They are open to anyone

See below for the full list of EdTech Playground sessions for this year, as well as details on how to register. I look forward to learning with you!

AI in Education: What Educators Need to Know

The capabilities of artificial intelligence have skyrocketed in the last year, along with questions, concerns, ideas, and many requests for professional development sessions!

I have been training on AI frequently and recently had the chance to record my session called "AI in Education - What Educators Need to Know".

This is a great session that covers the absolute essentials about artificial intelligence in schools where we look at:

👀 An overview of AI

💬 Current generative AI tools

💡 Ideas for positive ways AI can be used in schools

🚫 Ideas for addressing potential misuses of AI in schools

See below for the 42-minute recording of this session, as well as links to all of the resources from the session.

Please feel free to share this video and the resource docs with others who may benefit. This is a great way to help get your school up to speed on AI, see what tools are currently available, explore ideas for how it can be used in school, and discuss how to address potential misuses and concerns.

Back to School 2023 with Book Creator

This blog post brought to you by Book Creator, but all opinions are mine.

Believe it or not, the summer is coming to a close and it is time to start preparing for back to school. 

Whether this thought fills you with excitement for a new year, or disbelief on how fast the summer flew by, Book Creator can help make the transition easy and exciting.

I have often shared about Book Creator, including how this tool can be used to help students write and illustrate their stories. For more details on that, see my earlier blog post and tutorial video here - "Book Creator Pen Tools - Let Your Inner Illustrator Come Alive!"

Well now to help kick off the new school year, Book Creator has a collection of awesome "Back to School" resources including:

• 6 webinars throughout August
• An activity book for students
• A teacher-created resource book
• Blog posts with ideas and lesson plans for teachers
• SEL templates to engage students in reflection
• #ClearTheList promotion 
• New Toolkit for Schools & Districts
• License offer promotion for schools and districts

Take a look below to get details for these resources. And a big thanks to Book Creator for offering these and for sponsoring this blog post!

My 2023 CFISD Digital Learning Conference Sessions

I am excited and honored to once again present at the 2023 CFISD Digital Learning Conference this year.

This year the CFISD Digital Learning Conference is

• Entirely virtual with over 200 EdTech sessions
• Held on July 26th and 27th
• Open to all educators
• FREE!

You can get all the details on the conference website at: www.cfisd.net/DLC

• All sessions for 7/26 - cfisd-dlc-23.glide.page/dl/d0a5f4
• All sessions for 7/27 - cfisd-dlc-23.glide.page/dl/dcc150

Below is a list of sessions I will be presenting for the 2023 CFISD Digital Learning Conference, along with any associated resources and the live stream links for each session.  I look forward to sharing and learning with you!

Coding with AI for Schools

Although coding is a powerful skill, it can also be very intimidating. Thankfully generative AI tools can assist you with coding no matter what your skill level is (or isn't).

• If you have never coded in your life, you can use AI to bring your ideas to life.
• If you are learning to code, AI can help with your projects and teach you along the way.
• If you are a seasoned coder, AI can help you troubleshoot errors and discover new coding approaches.

Recently I recorded a webinar on how you can use AI to help with coding. The training is aimed a people who are brand new to coding, but hopefully it will be valuable to anyone interested in how AI can assist them in this process. Here is the description for the session:

Yes (even) You Can Code with AI!

Don't know Python from Perl? Is HTML all IDK to you? Do you think JavaScript is the handwriting on your Starbucks cup? Even if you have never written a line of code in your life, you can with AI! In this session we will see how to use tools such as Bard and ChatGPT to create code that you can use in Google Docs, Sheets, and Sites for learning games, activities, supports, time-savers, productivity helpers, and more.

See below for the recorded webinar, resource document, slideshow, and detailed directions and examples. 

My SPARCC23 Sessions

As part of my job at the Stark Portage Area Computer Consortium (SPARCC) in North Canton, Ohio, I help run a free educational technology conference each year.

We are excited to once again be offering the conference this year, and I would love to have you participate!

• The conference will be held on Tuesday, July 18, 2023.
• The conference will be both in-person and virtual.
• The conference will be held in person at the Stark County Educational Service Center at 6057 Strip Ave NW, North Canton, OH 44720.
• We will have 42 live sessions and 20+ pre-recorded sessions.
• The sessions will also be streamed live for those who cannot attend in person.
• The sessions will also be recorded for those who cannot attend on the date of the conference.
• This is a FREE conference for teachers, administrators, technology staff, and anyone interested in using educational technology to support teaching and learning.
• This is an excellent way to kick off a new school year with great ideas!

More details and registration are on the conference website at conference.apps.sparcc.org and in our "Attendee Information" Google Doc.

See below for a list of the session I will be presenting. I look forward to learning with you!

Connect with Educators on the New Threads App

Social media is a constantly changing landscape. I still miss the days of Google+ where educators had thriving communities to connect and exchange ideas.

In place of that, people can connect with me on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Mastodon, and Bluesky.

I was excited to learn about a new social media platform called Threads, which was created by the team at Instagram!

One of the biggest challenges to any new sharing tool is being able to get enough people to join. The power is in the people! Because Threads is from Instagram it is super easy for people to join and it looks like that is exactly what is happening in the millions.

See below for a quick overview of Threads, as well as a shared Google Form and Sheet to add your accounts to connect with others. And of course please feel free to connect with me at https://www.threads.net/@ericcurts

AI Images in Google Slides

A while back, Google announced a new set of AI tools coming for Google Workspace which they are calling Duet AI. These features help you create with AI right inside of Docs, Slides, Sheets, Meet, Gmail, and more.

I recently got access to the new Duet AI integration for Google Slides called "Help me visualize". This is a text to image tool that lets you type in a description of the picture you want, and then the AI creates several images to match your request.

Text to image generation is a popular and powerful AI tool as seen in DALL-E, Midjourney, Canva, Bing Image Creator, Adobe Firefly, Scribble Diffusion, and other services. It is exciting to see this feature now available right inside of Google Slides.

See below for my demonstration video and detailed directions and examples on using Duet AI in Google Slides to generate images from text.

16 Super Google Updates from ISTE23

Google is constantly releasing new features, updates, and tools, which I try to share out each month in our GEG-Ohio virtual meetings at bit.ly/gegohio

However, sometimes Google drops a large amount of updates all at one time, often in conjunction with a large EdTech conference such as BETT or ISTE. They have just done that for the 2023 ISTE Conference.

I was fortunate to be able to attend and present at ISTE again this year. You can access all of my ISTE session resources at bit.ly/curts-iste23

I was also privileged to get to sit down with Taryn Sullivan from Google while at the conference to do a quick interview concerning several of their new updates.

See below for my recorded interview with Taryn, as well as details on many of the new updates that caught my attention. Which new features are you most excited for? I would love to hear your thoughts!

My ISTE 2023 Sessions

I am excited and honored to once again present at the 2023 ISTE Conference in Philadelphia this June 24th through 28th.

I always look forward to this opportunity to see old friends, make new friends, share some ideas, and learn so many new things from others.

You can attend ISTE in person this year, or take part as a virtual attendee. Registration opens January 10th. To get more details and register for the conference go to:

• conference.iste.org/2023/attend

Below is a list of sessions I will be presenting at the ISTE Conference, along with any associated resources. I will continue to update this list with any changes and additions to my schedule.

Please feel free to join me for any of these sessions. I look forward to sharing, learning, and chatting with you!

Join the Control Alt Achieve Facebook Group

I am excited to announce the launch of the "Control Alt Achieve" Facebook group!

There are many ways that I communicate and share EdTech resources including this blog, Twitter, YouTube, my newsletter, and more.

Although those are effective ways to share out information, those methods are not always the best for discussions and connections and community.

To help with this I recently created a Google Group for email discussion which has grown to become a wonderful community of connected educators. I would encourage you to join that group if you haven't yet!

To build on this, and to provide people with another option, I have now created a Facebook Group to serve as an additional "Control Alt Achieve" discussion group. Anyone with an interest in educational technology is welcome to join.

See below for all the details and I am so excited to connect with and learn from you!

150+ Excellent Extensions for Chrome

Google Chrome is a powerful web browser filled with loads of useful features and tools. I covered many of these in my earlier series of posts and videos called "Google Chrome Can Do That?!"

However, as awesome as Chrome is, it may not do everything you need.

Thankfully Google allows you to make Chrome even better by installing Chrome web extensions. Extensions are tools from the Chrome Web Store that give extra features and abilities to Chrome. When you have them installed, you will find them as little icons in the top right corner of your browser.

In this blog post and webinar video we are going to take a deep dive into extensions including how to get extensions, how to manage your extensions, my resource with over 150 recommended extensions for you and your students, a selection of highlighted extensions, and more.

See below for the recorded webinar and all the resources for this session.

10 Questions for Student AI Guidelines

Over the past few months AI has emerged as a powerful tool to enrich our teaching, as well as our students' learning and creativity. But as the saying goes, "With great power comes great responsibility" (and yes, I did just watch the latest Spider-Man movie).

As AI use continues to grow, it is important for educators to establish clear guidelines for AI usage in the classroom, in an effort to safeguard our students while empowering their learning journey.

Like any powerful tool, AI has potential benefits and pitfalls. Its use in the classroom can enhance personalized learning, facilitate instant feedback, and foster a culture of innovation. However, improper use can lead to misinformation, privacy issues, and a lack of critical thinking.

In this blog post we will explore how you can develop AI guidelines by answering 10 questions about your philosophy of AI in education. We will then see how we can use AI to help us craft our ideas into a set of well-defined, thoughtful guidelines for our students.

What's New in Google? May 2023

Catch up on everything new in Google Workspace for Education from May 2023, and see great ideas and resources!

Below is the recorded video from our May 2023 Google User Meeting, along with the meeting agenda with all the awesome resources and Google updates from the last few months. This includes lots of new Google updates and Google resources for your class.

The monthly meetings are hosted by the Google Educator Group of Ohio, but are open to anyone from any location. The purpose of these meetings is to:

• Connect Google-using educators
• Share the latest Google Workspace news and features
• Provide tutorials, demonstrations, and how-to’s
• Share best practices of how Google Workspace is being used within schools
• Ask questions and get answers

The video from the meeting is recorded and available for later viewing for those who cannot attend or connect live. See below to view the recorded video, agenda, and all the resources from the May 2023 meeting:

EdTech Links of the Week - 5-22-23

Each week I keep an eye out for the latest edtech resources through blogs, social media, podcasts, videos, user groups, and more. I then try to reshare these resources in many ways.

One way I share these is here on the blog in these "EdTech Links of the Week" posts. See below to explore the latest batch of resources, and be sure to share with others who may benefit.

If you want to make sure you don't miss new resources, you can:

📰 Sign up for my weekly email newsletter here: bit.ly/curts-news
📧 Join the "Control Alt Achieve" email discussion group: bit.ly/caa-emailgroup

🔔 Get new blog posts automatically through email - FollowIt link

📅 Subscribe to the "Control Alt Achieve" calendar for livestreams: Calendar link

🐦Follow me on Twitter here: twitter.com/ericcurts

🔗 Subscribe to the RSS feed for this blog here: RSS feed link

And as always, please let me know of any resources that you recommend. I would love to learn from you!