Control Alt Achieve: EdTech Links

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

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📧 Join the "Control Alt Achieve" email discussion group: bit.ly/caa-emailgroup
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And as always, please let me know of any resources that you recommend. I would love to learn from you!

This week I have 4 resources from around the Internet and 4 resources from my blog.

✍️ Googley Poetry Projects and Tools

Resource Link

April is National Poetry Month so I pulled together some of my favorite Googley tools and activities that can help students explore and create poems including:

✨ AI Generated Poem Activities
🤖 Verse By Verse Tool
🧲 Drag and Drop "Magnetic" Poetry
🎲 Random Writing Prompts for Poems
⬛ Black Out Poetry with Google Docs
📄 Poetry Templates
➕ Rhyming Add-on for Google Docs

You can access all of the resources and directions in the link above.

🎧 Podcast Spotlight - The Global Education Station

Resource Link

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

🌊 Deep dive into Brisk Teaching & MagicSchool
💡 AI for student learning
🚦 Managing AI concerns
🎓 Lifelong learning

You can listen to the episode, access the resources that I shared in the episode, and explore more about the podcast at the link above.

✨ AI in Education Roundtable - Recorded Session

Resource Link

I recently was on an AI in Education Roundtable with Scott Fisher, Jason Towne & Mandy DePriest, about how AI can improve the quality of education. 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, as well as access all of the resources shared throughout the roundtable discussion, at the link above.

📰 What's new in Google for March 2025

Resource Link

For an easy way to catch up on everything new in Google for Education from the last month, check out the recorded video, detailed agenda, and all the links from the GEG-Ohio March 2025 Meeting. As usual we shared lots of news, updates, helpful ideas and resources for schools. What is your favorite update?

🔎 Talpa Search

Resource Link

Talpa Search is an AI tool that makes it easier than ever to search for books and other media.
Search Books - Use natural language to find items by plot details, genre, descriptions, and much more.
Search Covers - Search for items by the visual components of the cover, including the color and what's on it.
Free version - 50 searches per day
Paid version - Unlimited searches integrated with the library catalog
See talpasearch.com/about for examples and details

📸 GIFPAL

Resource Link

GIFPAL is a free and easy tool to create animated GIFs.
You can record yourself (or anything) with your webcam or phone, or you can add individual images.
You can also choose from dozens of creative video effects for your recording.
After recording, you can then edit the video to trim or rearrange the frames.
When done you can export the final product as an animated GIF.
This can be a great way to make quick animated GIFs of yourself which you can then insert into Google Docs or Slides or such as feedback on student work.

🎞️ Chat Animator

Resource Link

Speaking of animated GIFs.... Chat Animator is a free tool to create realistic fake text chat animations that simulate messaging apps.
Add people you want to simulate conversations with, and type in their names and upload images for their avatars.
Type in the text messages for each person.
Finally save a copy of the animated conversation as a GIF, MP4, or WEBM file.
This could be a fun way to tell a story, explain a concept, have characters or historical figures chat, roleplay conflict resolution, and more.

✖️ Thinkverse: Real-Time, 1:1 AI Math Support for Every Student

Resource Link

Thinkverse is transforming how students engage with math by providing real-time, 1:1 AI-powered tutoring—right inside the classroom. Designed to work alongside any curriculum and fully aligned with state standards, Thinkverse meets students where they are with step-by-step, guided discovery that builds true understanding without ever giving away the answer.

With just 15 minutes of daily use, students in partner districts have seen up to 30% growth in math proficiency and a 20% boost in confidence. The platform empowers students to ask questions, work through challenges, and develop critical thinking skills—all while giving teachers actionable data to support instruction.

Thinkverse is already making a measurable impact in classrooms across the country. Whether it’s closing skill gaps, supporting differentiated learning, or extending teacher capacity, Thinkverse is proving to be a game-changer in math education.

To learn more or schedule a quick demo, visit thinkverse.co.