EdTech Links - Week of 8-18-25

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!

Chromebook Accessibility Tools with the Innovation Squadcast

I recently had the pleasure to be a guest on the "BCSD Innovation Squadcast Podcast" hosted by Pam Hubler and the team at Berkeley County School District.

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love podcasts and am always mentioning something new I learned from one of them, so I was super excited to get to join an episode of this podcast.

The podcast is described as follows:

In this podcast, the district’s Innovative Learning Coordinators delve into the newest technology and innovations to equip our schools, teachers, and students with advanced resources and support. Produced by the Berkeley County School District’s Office of Technology in Goose Creek, South Carolina.

I had a wonderful time chatting about Chromebook accessibility topics including:

• Built-in accessibility tools such as select to speak, dictation, docked magnifier, face control, quick answers, reading mode, and more.
• Recording tools for students including the Chromebook Screencast tool
• Helpful extensions to support learners such as Read&Write, Helperbird, Google Translate, Beep, Mote, and more.

Take a look below to listen to the episode, access the resources that I shared in the episode, and explore more about the podcast.

Why Every School Should be Using Gemini - Data Privacy

There are a wide range of excellent AI tools that can benefit educators and students. I have shared many of these on this blog, and I routinely provide training on them for schools around the world.

One of the AI tools that has consistently improved over the last few years is Google's AI chatbot - Gemini.

Google has added so many useful features to the free version of Gemini including Deep Research, Fact Checking, Guided Learning, image generation, Gems, Canvas, Audio Overviews, Quizzes, and more.

However there is one feature that is the number one reason why Gemini should be a part of every school's AI toolbox. It may not be the most exciting or flashiest feature, but it is arguably the most important for schools and educators.

And that is data privacy.

As educators we are required to protect student data privacy and to comply with laws such as FERPA and GDPR. Well thankfully, for free, Google provides schools with built-in data privacy and protections in Gemini.

See below for a short video and write-up that covers the details of what is included in this.

EdTech Links - Week of 8-11-25

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!

Career Tech AI Prompts for Teacher Support and Student Learning

Over the last few years I have had the privilege to provide AI training for a wide range of educators, conferences, and organizations. Sometimes that has included Career Tech teachers.

I recently presented a day of sessions for a Career Tech conference in Alabama. In preparation for that training I put together a couple of new documents to support the attendees. These included:

AI Prompts for Career Tech Educators - Over 300 prompts broken down by different Career Tech subject areas, designed to help support educators with planning, differentiating, assessment, content creation, career exploration, and more.

AI Interactive Simulation Prompts for Career Tech - About 100 prompts that can be used to create engaging interactive simulations for career tech students. These allow the students to interact with AI for simulated interviews, problem-solving scenarios, work-based simulations, and more.

As with all of my resources, these prompt collections are completely free to access, modify, and use however you need. See below to get those documents.

Gemini's Guided Learning - Moving from Answers to Understanding

There are lots of ways that AI can be helpful to students, such as personalized learning, feedback, productivity support, and more.

The problem is, sometimes it can be a little too helpful.

A student might ask for assistance with a homework problem or an essay and the AI chatbot will simply do the problem or write the report. We want AI to support learners in their work, not do their work for them.

Thankfully Google has a helpful feature built right into Gemini that does just that. It's called "Guided Learning".

With Guided Learning, instead of just giving the student a quick answer, Gemini will explain some of the basic information, but will then ask the student questions to bring them into a discussion and encourage them to think critically.

See below for a short demonstration video and written directions on how you and your students can use Guided Learning.

EdTech Links - Week of 8-4-25

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!

Two Truths and a Lie - AI Prompt

"Two Truths and a Lie" is a classic game you can play with your students to see if they can guess which of your three statements is false.

This can be a great way to build critical thinking and subject area knowledge.

And this activity was invented by Abraham Lincoln.

Which of course is a lie. And that is how the game is played.

As a teacher you can create the statements for your students to evaluate. But wouldn't it be nice if we could use AI to help with this process. Well we can!

I have put together a prompt that you can use with your favorite AI chatbot to create an interactive “Two Truths and a Lie” game for any topic and any grade.

See below to get your copy of the prompt and see a short video about how it works.

Back-to-School Bootcamp with Banzai

I am excited and honored to be providing a keynote to kick off Banzai's free virtual "Back-to-School Bootcamp" on August 5, 2025 from 11am to 3pm MT (1pm to 5pm ET).

If you are not familiar with Banzai - https://banzai.org/ - here are some quick details about them:

• They provide totally free online courses for students in grades 3 through 12.
• The courses cover personal finance, digital citizenship, college and careers, and more.
• The courses are highly interactive with games and resources that allow students to make mistakes, learn, and succeed from the safety of their classroom.
• Teachers instantly view student progress with a powerful grading interface.
• Banzai complies fully with restrictions set by COPPA and FERPA, and does not store any personally identifiable information.
• And it really is free, thanks to the support of banks, credit unions, and other organizations.

You can sign up for my keynote here - Registration link - or sign up for any of the sessions on the Bootcamp website. I hope you can join us!

World Snorkl Day 2025 - Recorded Videos

I recently had the privilege of presenting a session for "World Snorkl Day". This was a free live streamed PD event with six hours of awesome content from amazing educators presenting a wide range of sessions to help you learn, explore, and apply Snorkl even better.

If you are not familiar with it, Snorkl was one the featured AI tools in my "Cool Tools 2023" series. For more details you can read that original blog post and watch my 12-minute tutorial video all about the tool.

This year I got to provide the closing session on "Level Up All Learners with Snorkl" where we did a deep dive into how Snorkl can support all students with feedback, personalized learning, accessibility, and more. 

See below for the 30-minute recording of my session, as well as links to all the other recorded sessions from the event.

World Snorkl Day 2025 - Virtual PD

Snorkl has been one of my favorite AI tools for education since even before it officially launched.

If you are not familiar with it, Snorkl was one the featured AI tools in my "Cool Tools 2023" series. For more details you can read that original blog post and watch my 12-minute tutorial video all about the tool.

In short, here is how Snorkl works:

• You create a problem, question, or prompt for your students and provide an exemplar answer for the AI.
• Students then record themselves speaking as they solve the problem or answer the question while explaining their reasoning.
• If needed the student can draw on the digital whiteboard while speaking.
• The AI then reviews the student's explanation based on the guidance you have provided.
• The AI then provides personalized feedback for the student on their work.
• The grades and feedback are all collected for you as the teacher to review.

The great news is that Snorkl is running a free virtual PD event on July 30th with a wide range of sessions to help you learn, explore, and apply Snorkl even better.

I am super excited to be presenting one of the sessions. See below for all of the details and how to register for this free event.

My 2025 CFISD Digital Learning Conference Sessions

I am excited and honored to once again present at the 2025 CFISD Digital Learning Conference this year.

This year is the 15th annual CFISD Digital Learning Conference and is:

• Entirely virtual with over 100 EdTech sessions
• Held on July 22nd and 23rd
• Open to all educators
• FREE!

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

• All sessions for 7/22 - https://cfisd-dlc-2025.glide.page/dl/d0a5f4
• All sessions for 7/23 - https://cfisd-dlc-2025.glide.page/dl/da19fa

Below is a list of sessions I will be presenting for the 2025 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!

My ISTE 2025 Sessions

I am excited and honored to once again present at the 2025 ISTE Conference in San Antonio, Texas this June 28th through July 2nd.

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. To get more details and register for the conference go to:

• conference.iste.org/2025

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!

Quizizz Has a New Name and the New Name Is…

You are probably familiar with Quizizz. It is an excellent tool for creating interactive quizzes and learning activities. But did you know that they are changing their name?

Partly it may be because the name can be a little tricky to spell. How many Z's are in there? There is a double Z somewhere. Is it in the beginning or the end? I know I have misspelled it before.

But the main reason is that Quizizz has grown over the years to become much more than just … well … quizzes. For example, there's the ability to create interactive lessons, their massive library of standards-aligned resources, and their thoughtful use of AI to help customize content so that it’s just-right for each student.

So what is their new name?

Well Quizizz was kind enough to send me a box in the mail, which supposedly has the answer to that question inside.

Take a look below for my short 5-minute video where I open the box and reveal the new name...

What's New in Google - May 2025

Catch up on everything new in Google Workspace for Education from May 2025, and see great ideas and resources!

Below is the recorded video from our May 2025 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 2025 meeting:

Recorded Webinar - Power Tools for the Classroom

Technology is a moving target with constant updates and new features. This is especially true with AI advances.

Recently I was excited and honored to be part of a webinar all about new AI updates from Google, Canva, and ChatGPT. The webinar was hosted by Jennifer Womble from FETC, and featured Monica Burns (covering ChatGPT updates), Rob Dickson (covering Canva AI updates), and me (covering Google AI updates).

Here is the description:

🛠️ Power Tools for the Classroom: What’s New from Google, Canva & ChatGPT for K12
AI is evolving at lightning speed—and so are the free tools educators rely on every day! In this fast-paced, must-attend webinar, three expert practitioners break down the newest updates from Google, Canva, and ChatGPT that are reshaping teaching, learning, and classroom creativity. Join us for a power-packed hour designed specifically for K12 administrators and educators who want to stay ahead of the curve. Discover real-time demos, practical applications, and time-saving tips you can implement immediately. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the pace of change, this is your moment to catch up, get inspired, and re-energize your digital teaching toolkit. Your AI update starts here!

The recording for the webinar is now available to watch on demand on the "Road to FETC Webinars" page here - Power Tools for the Classroom

I hope you find the recording helpful!

Podcast Spotlight: Integrate This!

I recently had the pleasure to be a guest on the "Integrate This!" EdTech podcast hosted by Jeremy Mikla and David Berner.

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love podcasts and am always mentioning something new I learned from one of them, so I was super excited to get to join an episode of this podcast.

The podcast is described as follows:

Integrate This! is the podcast where education and innovation meet real conversation. Join Jeremy Mikla and David Berner as they dive into thought-provoking discussions and interviews with inspiring voices across the EdTech and education world. From classroom insights to big-picture ideas, each episode brings fresh perspectives and honest dialogue about the future of learning.

I had a wonderful time chatting about:

• Creative ways to use Google tools beyond their traditional roles
• My philosophy on AI, student struggle, and lifelong learning
• Guidance for teachers navigating tech fatigue and staying current
• How NotebookLM helps analyze AI guidance docs
• Why Gemini is my go-to AI tool for schools
• My top tips for using AI ethically and effectively in education

Take a look below to listen to the episode, access the resources that I shared in the episode, and explore more about the podcast.

My OAESA 2025 Sessions

I am excited and honored to be presenting at the OAESA 2025 Professional Conference in Columbus, Ohio on June 16th and 17th.

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 get all of the details about the conference including registration, presenters, sessions, and more on the conference website at:

oaesa.org/gamechangers/

Below is a list of sessions I will be presenting at OAESA 2025, 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!

EdTech Links - Week of 5-12-25

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!

AI for Alt Text: Boost Accessibility with this Prompt

Did you know that 285 million people worldwide have vision impairments? 

Anytime I share content online, I want to make sure it reaches as many people as possible. If that content includes images, that can be a challenge for readers who have difficulty with the pictures.

One way to help with this is by using "alt text".

Alt text is a short description of an image that helps people who can't see it understand its meaning. When someone uses assistive technology, such as a screen reader, it will read the alt text aloud.

This is so helpful, but it can be a challenge to write good alt text that aligns to guidelines and best practices, especially if you share a lot of content online.

To help with this I have created a prompt you can use with your favorite AI chatbot to generate alt text for images in your social media posts. See below for directions, examples, and a copy of the prompt to use however you need. As always please share your suggestions for improvement.

EdTech Links - Week of 5-5-25

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!

Join Me for the THInC Forum: Education in the Era of AI

I am excited and honored to be keynoting at the inaugural THInC Forum on July 31, 2025 at the University of Toledo which will focus on Education in the Era of A.I.

This event is designed for PreK-20 educators, university faculty and students, technology specialists, and community partners who want to connect, collaborate, and explore responsible A.I. integration in education in a simple, practical, and supportive way. No prior A.I. knowledge is required. Just bring your curiosity and enthusiasm!

What can you expect?

• Presentations on practical use of A.I. in the classroom
• Opportunities to network with educators who have experience integrating A.I. into their classrooms
• Discussions with educational technology specialists and A.I. education ambassadors
• Earn 9 CEU contact hours toward certification renewal
• Breakfast, lunch, snacks, and dinner
• Swag!
• Door prizes!

The THInC Forum will be a full day of learning from 8:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. and will be held at the University of Toledo, Ingmann Room, Lancelot Thompson Student Union.

You can get all of the details and registration information on the THInC Forum website. 

Below is a list of sessions I will be presenting at the THInC Forum, 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 - April 2025

Catch up on everything new in Google Workspace for Education from April 2025, and see great ideas and resources!

Below is the recorded video from our April 2025 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 April 2025 meeting:

EdTech Links - Week of 4-28-25

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!

Door A, B or C? Using AI for Interactive Choose Your Own Adventure Stories

When I was a kid growing up in the 80’s I loved to read "Choose Your Own Adventure" books. They were fun, and a little scary, and you died pretty much every time, but they got lots of students into books.

CYOA stories can still be an excellent way to engage learners in reading and exploring subject area content.

In the past I have shared ideas and examples of creating CYOA stories using Google Docs and Google Slides. Those are still great options if you or your students are going to be writing the story yourselves.

But what if you want the stories written for you? Thankfully with tools such as ChatGPT and Gemini, you can have AI create a CYOA story for any subject matter content, at a grade level appropriate for your students, and delivered in an interactive format that your students can play like a game.

See below to get the AI prompt template you can use to create your own interactive CYOA stories, as well as explore some examples I have generated.

Upcoming Webinar - Chromebooks Can Do That?! Essential Features for Teachers and Students

Chromebooks have become a common tool in schools, but are you and your students getting the most out of them?

I am excited to be providing an upcoming webinar on Wednesday, May 14th at 3-4 pm ET hosted by Trafera where we will take a deep dive into Chromebook features, some of which may be lesser-known.

These features can encourage creativity, increase efficiency, ramp up engagement, and support teaching and learning in your classroom. Some of the topics we will explore in the session include:

• 🔑 Accessibility tools for all learners
• 📝 PDF annotation and editing tools
• 📷 Using the camera for pictures, videos, GIFs and more
• 🎞️ Built-in screen capture, recording & screencasting
• 🗂️ Multiple desks for organization and efficiency
• 📶 Offline access to work without Wi-Fi
• 🤖 Using Android apps on a Chromebook
• ☝️ Helpful touchpad gestures
• ⌨️ Favorite keyboard shortcuts
• ✨ AI tools to assist with your tasks
• And more!

You can register for free here: Registration Link

All qualified participants will receive a Starbucks gift card as a "thank you" for attending. (Must register with a valid school work email address and complete the exit survey at the end of the session to qualify)

I look forward to learning with you!

EdTech Links - Week of 4-21-25

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!

Upcoming Webinar - Power Tools for the Classroom

Technology is a moving target with constant updates and new features. This is especially true with AI advances.

I am excited and honored to be part of an upcoming webinar all about new AI updates from Google, Canva, and ChatGPT. The webinar is being hosted by Jennifer Womble from FETC, and features Monica Burns (covering ChatGPT updates), Rob Dickson (covering Canva AI updates), and me (covering Google AI updates).

Here are the details and registration info:

• 🛠️ Power Tools for the Classroom: What’s New from Google, Canva & ChatGPT for K12
• 📅 Thursday, May 15, 2025
• ⏰ 4:00 PM Eastern
• ✅ Registration - Free sign up form
• AI is evolving at lightning speed—and so are the free tools educators rely on every day! In this fast-paced, must-attend webinar, three expert practitioners break down the newest updates from Google, Canva, and ChatGPT that are reshaping teaching, learning, and classroom creativity. Join us for a power-packed hour designed specifically for K12 administrators and educators who want to stay ahead of the curve. Discover real-time demos, practical applications, and time-saving tips you can implement immediately. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the pace of change, this is your moment to catch up, get inspired, and re-energize your digital teaching toolkit. Your AI update starts here!

Looking forward to learning with everyone!

Beyond the Book - AI for Librarians

I recently put together a new professional development training on the topic of AI for librarians, and have had the chance to present it several times so far.

As with all AI resources, I am sure I will continue to develop this session over time, adding many more tools and ideas. But for now I wanted to share what I pulled together so far.

Here is a description of the session:

Beyond the Book: AI for Librarians

Artificial intelligence in education isn’t just for the classroom. Librarians can harness AI for reader’s advisory, collection development, book promotions, community outreach, and more. In this session we explore practical applications of AI to expand and enrich your library program, including prompts tailored for librarians, tools to generate read-alike lists, multimedia book trailers, AI chatbots, verifying AI-generated information, and educating students about responsible AI use. Whether you serve K–5, 6–8, or high school, you’ll leave with dozens of ideas to spark innovation and engagement in your library.

See below to access the resource document, slideshow, and selected content from the session. And please feel free to share your ideas, tools, resources, and suggestions to add to this!

2025 Ohio AI Summits

AI is continuing to grow in its capabilities and its impact on teaching and learning. To help support Ohio educators, a series of AI summits are being provided by aiEDU, Innovate Ohio, the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce, and Ohio Educational Service Center Association.

I am excited and honored to be presenting at all five of the Ohio AI Summits taking place across the state this April and May!

All AI Summits are FREE to all Ohio ESC employees, district leaders, building leaders, and K-12 teachers. If you are anywhere across the state of Ohio, please consider attending one of the summits near you.

See below for all of the details on each summit and register today!

EdTech Links - Week of 4-14-25

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!

Podcast Spotlight - The Global Education Station

I recently had the pleasure to be a guest on the "The Global Education Station" podcast hosted by Annette Levesque.

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love podcasts and am always mentioning something new I learned from one of them, so I was super excited to get to join an episode of this podcast.

The podcast is described as follows:

This unique podcast is dedicated to exploring the vast world of education through the voices of esteemed education leaders from around the globe. It's more than just a podcast; it's a virtual community where educators unite to learn from one another and grow collectively. Please join us for each episode as we delve into insightful conversations with top educators from universities, colleges, K-12 schools, and corporate training programs. Our guests share their personal journeys in education, discuss the challenges they've faced, and celebrate the triumphs they've achieved within their organizations.

I had a wonderful time chatting about:

• How Brisk Teaching and Magic School streamline lesson planning and enhance classroom engagement.
• The importance of free and accessible AI tools for teachers and students 
• How AI-powered platforms personalize learning and support differentiated instruction 
• Insights into Control Alt Achieve and its mission to empower educators with creative tech strategies 
• Why lifelong learning is crucial for educators in the ever-evolving digital landscape
• And more!

Take a look below to listen to the episode, access the resources that I shared in the episode, and explore more about the podcast.

AI in Education Roundtable - Recorded Session

I recently had the pleasure and privilege to be a member of an AI in Education Roundtable that was hosted by Scott Fisher from GAT Labs.

I was joined by Jason Towne from Squirrel AI, and by Mandy DePriest from AI for Education, as we discussed the significance of incorporating AI tools to create personalized learning experiences that address individual student needs.

Some of the topics covered in the discussion included:

• Exploring AI's Benefits in Education
• Innovative AI Tools for Teaching
• Engaging Students with AI
• Motivation and Personalization through AI
• Motivating Students in the Age of AI
• Engaging Students with AI Activities
• Identifying At-Risk Students with AI
• Developing Soft Skills and Critical Thinking with AI

The session was recorded and you can watch the full video below, as well as access all of the resources shared throughout the roundtable discussion.

What's New in Google - March 2025

Catch up on everything new in Google Workspace for Education from March 2025, and see great ideas and resources!

Below is the recorded video from our March 2025 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 March 2025 meeting:

EdTech Links - Week of 3-24-25

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!

Classroom Guidelines for Student AI Use - Free Adaptable Template

AI isn't coming - it's already here and it is not going away.

Classrooms around the world are seeing an explosion in the use of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and more. Whether we are ready or not, our students are already using these tools, and will just keep experimenting with them more.

As educators, we need to help guide our students' use of AI so it’s productive, ethical, and supportive of learning. And what better place for them to learn about AI than our classrooms?

Now there are dozens and dozens of sample guidelines and policies for the classroom, and I have shared many of them in the past. Over the last few years I have reviewed these examples, spoken with educators across the country, and worked to identify the critical elements of classroom AI guidelines for students.

In the end I created two things:

• A comprehensive template with classroom guidelines for student use of AI
• A powerful prompt to help you modify my template to fit any grade level and any subject area

If you don't already have a set of AI guidelines for your classroom, or if you are looking to improve the guidelines you do have, then I believe this template and prompt will be a great asset to help get you there. 

See below for access to the template and directions on how to use it for your students. And please email me with your suggestions for improving this template and process. I would love to hear your ideas and learn along with you!

EdTech Links - Week of 3-10-25

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!

Google Sheets Pi Day Projects

Pi Day is March 14th each year (since the date is 3/14 and Pi starts out with 3.14). As a previous middle school math teacher, this is always a fun day to be a math nerd, do Pi-themed educational activities, and of course eat some real pie!

Over the years I have shared several technology activities for celebrating Pi Day in separate posts. This year I have pulled all those together in one place including:

📈 Discovering Pi with Google Sheets

✍️ Create "Pi Poems" with Google Sheets

🏙️ Graph a Pi-Line Skyline with Google Sheets

See below for this great collection of technology activities to help students explore, understand, and create with Pi!

Chromebooks Can Do That?! Essential Features for Teachers and Students

Chromebooks have become a common tool in schools, but are you and your students getting the most out of them?

I recently had the opportunity to present a webinar where we took a deep dive into Chromebook features, some of which may be lesser-known. 

These features can encourage creativity, increase efficiency, ramp up engagement, and support teaching and learning in your classroom.

Some of the topics we explore in the session include:

• 🔑 Accessibility tools for all learners
• 📝 PDF annotation and editing tools
• 📷 Using the camera for pictures, videos, GIFs and more
• 🎞️ Built-in screen capture, recording & screencasting
• 🗂️ Multiple desks for organization and efficiency
• 📶 Offline access to work without Wi-Fi
• 🤖 Using Android apps on a Chromebook
• ☝️ Helpful touchpad gestures
• ⌨️ Favorite keyboard shortcuts
• ✨ AI tools to assist with your tasks
• And more!

See below for the one-hour recorded webinar video and session resources. And be sure to share your favorite Chromebook tips and features. I am excited to learn with you!

EdTech Links - Week of 3-3-25

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!

Podcast Spotlight: Innovator Insights

I recently had the pleasure to be a guest on the "Innovator Insights" podcast from GAT Labs.

Anyone who knows me, knows how much I love podcasts and am always mentioning something new I learned from one of them, so I was super excited to get to join an episode of this podcast.

The podcast is hosted by Scott Fisher and is described as follows:

Exploring the minds and journeys of today's innovators to inspire tomorrow's leaders. Every episode tells the story of an innovator-someone who has faced challenges, overcome obstacles, and carved a new path in industries like technology, business, education, and beyond. Through their triumphs and setbacks, we uncover the heart of what it means to lead, to innovate, and to shape the future.

I had a wonderful time chatting about:

• How my journey from math teacher to tech integration specialist shaped my approach.
• The challenges of limited resources and how creativity with existing tools can break barriers in education.
• The role of AI in personalizing learning and providing teachers with actionable insights.
• And more!

Take a look below to listen to the episode, access the resources that I shared in the episode, and explore more about the podcast.

What's New in Google - February 2025

Catch up on everything new in Google Workspace for Education from February 2025, and see great ideas and resources!

Below is the recorded video from our February 2025 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 February 2025 meeting:

EdTech Links - Week of 2-17-25

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!