Control Alt Achieve: My 2026 FETC Sessions

I am excited and honored to be presenting at the Future of Education Technology Conference (FETC 2026) in Orlando, Florida on January 11th through 14th, 2026.

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 2026, 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!

🧔 My Sessions:

Short version:

January 11th

8:00am - 🤖 The Power of Personalized Learning: Custom AI Chatbots for Students
10:30am - 🚦 Artificial Intelligence / Natural Misuse - Managing AI in Schools
1:00pm - 💻 Chromebooks Can Do That?! Essential Features for Teachers and Students

January 12th

11:15pm - 💎 The "Gem in AI" - Google Gemini for Schools
2:00pm - 🉑 Don't Be Lost in Translation! Tech Tools for ESL/ELL
3:00pm - 💯 The Future of Feedback - Guided Grading with AI

January 13th

9:30am - 🚀 Beyond the Slideshow: Google Slides Activities for all Subjects
1:00pm - 🔎 Did a Robot Write this Report? Managing AI Cheating
3:00pm - 👓 Hipster Google Showdown - Tools You Probably Never Heard Of

January 14th

8:00am - 🔑 Accessibility Tools to Support all Learners
10:00am - 📊 Google Sheets for Educators: From Data Noob to Nerd

Detailed version:

📅 SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2026

🤖 The Power of Personalized Learning: Custom AI Chatbots for Students

Time: 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM EST
Session Code: W1W415BC
Location: W415 VALENCIA B&C - Orange County Convention Center
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Session Agenda: https://bit.ly/curts-chatbots
Description: AI chatbots are a powerful way to provide safe, monitored, personalized learning experiences for students. Chatbots can be used for a wide range of engaging activities such as interviewing a historical figure, discussing a book, learning about a career, assessing understanding, providing tutoring, or diving into any topic. With AI these chatbots adjust to each student individually to meet their specific needs and interests. In this session we will explore traditional AI chatbots, as well as free tools such as SchoolAI, Brisk, MagicSchoolAI and more, where you can choose from a wide range of pre-made chatbots or easily create your own.

🚦 Artificial Intelligence / Natural Misuse - Managing AI in Schools

Time: 10:30 AM - 12:30 PM EST
Session Code: W2W224E
Location: W224 E - Orange County Convention Center
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Session Agenda: https://bit.ly/curts-aimisuse
Description: As beneficial as AI is, it also comes with challenges and the potential for misuse. In this session we will explore ways to address academic integrity concerns, tools and strategies to help monitor AI use, proper citation for AI generated content, ways to encourage positive use of AI in the classrooms, developing your own class set of AI guidelines for students, alternative assessment options, addressing AI bias and inaccuracies, student data privacy, identifying fake content, evaluating AI tools, and more.

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

Time: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM EST
Session Code: W3W224A
Location: W224A - Orange County Convention Center
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Session Agenda: https://bit.ly/curts-cbtips
Description - Chromebooks have become a common tool in schools, but are you and your students getting the most out of them? In this session we will explore powerful Chromebook features including screen capture, screen recording, and screencasting, using the camera for photos, videos, and scanning documents, helpful keyboard shortcuts, managing multiple desks, extending your capabilities with Android apps, offline access for Drive, Gmail, and Calendar, built-in accessibility tools, Chrome Canvas, the Cursive tool, AI tools and more!

📅 MONDAY, JANUARY 12, 2026

💎 The "Gem in AI" - Google Gemini for Schools

Time: 11:15 AM - 12:00 PM EST
Session Code: C1W331A
Location: W331A - Orange County Convention Center
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Session Agenda: https://bit.ly/curts-gemini
Description: Discover Google’s powerful generative‑AI tool and how it can assist educators and students. In this session we will do a hands-on deep dive in Gemini including educational uses, fact checking, deep research, the canvas tool, custom Gems, Gemini apps, image and audio generation, Gemini tools in Classroom, Gemini in NotebookLM, data privacy features, and more.

🉑 Don't Be Lost in Translation! Tech Tools for ESL/ELL

Time: 2:00 PM - 2:45 PM EST
Session Code: C3W224B
Location: W224B - Orange County Convention Center
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Session Agenda: https://bit.ly/curts-esltech
Description: For English language learners and the teachers who support them, there are loads of helpful and powerful technology tools to assist with communication and learning. These include a wide range of translation tools, generative AI supports, speech-to-text and text-to-speech tools, recording tools and more. In this session we will explore these tools hands-on and see how they can support ESL and EFL students and teachers.

💯 The Future of Feedback - Guided Grading with AI

Time: 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM EST
Session Code: C4WF4
Location: WF4 - Orange County Convention Center
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Session Agenda: https://bit.ly/curts-aigrading
Description: One of the biggest challenges in education is the time required to provide detailed feedback on student work. Thankfully we now have powerful AI tools that can generate personalized feedback for student work based on the guidelines, rubrics, and style we suggest. This can include feedback on student writing from short answers to full essays, as well as feedback on spoken student explanations. In this session we will explore AI grading and feedback tools such as Class Companion, Snorkl, EnlightenAI, Brisk Teaching, MagicSchool AI and more.

📅 TUESDAY, JANUARY 13, 2026

🚀 Beyond the Slideshow: Google Slides Activities for all Subjects

Time: 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM EST
Session Code: W6W232A
Location: W232A - Orange County Convention Center
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Session Agenda: https://bit.ly/curts-slides
Description: We all know Google Slides is a great tool for making multimedia slideshows. But did you know it can also be used to make "Choose Your Own Adventure" style stories, interactive quizzes, online comic strips, storybooks, stop-motion animation, manipulatives, class soundboards, formative feedback in class, peer editing activities, and more? In this session we will explore these and more non-traditional uses of Slides. Learn how students can use Google Slides to express themselves in more ways than just a presentation.

🔎 Did a Robot Write this Report? Managing AI Cheating

Time: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM EST
Session Code: LRT7TABLE1
Location: Expo Center Court Leadership Round Tables - Orange County Convention Center
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Session Agenda: https://bit.ly/curts-aicheat
Description: Although AI can help support students in their learning and work, unfortunately it can also be misused for cheating purposes. In this session we will explore ways to address academic integrity concerns in the age of AI. This will include creating student AI guidelines, adjustments to make assignments more AI-resistant, tools to monitor the use of AI and see what work students have done themselves, and educating students on the proper use of AI.

👓 Hipster Google Showdown - Tools You Probably Never Heard Of

Time: 3:00 PM - 3:45 PM EST
Session Code: MEGA6
Location: WF1&2 Tangerine Ballroom - Orange County Convention Center
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Session Agenda: https://bit.ly/curts-hipster
Description: Everyone knows about Google Docs, Gmail, and other common Google tools. But there are also loads of smaller, lesser-known, but powerful tools that can be used for teaching and learning. In this session Eric and Patrick go head-to-head as they share their favorite hidden Google gems including extensions, add-ons, experiments, search tools, map tools, creativity tools, communication tools, and so much more! This wide collection of tools empowers students to have so much greater choice when selecting how they want to learn, explore, collaborate, and create to share their learning. Come for the beards, stay for the tools!

📅 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 14, 2026

🔑 Accessibility Tools to Support all Learners

Time: 8:00 AM - 10:00 AM EST
Session Code: W9W224G
Location: W224 G - Orange County Convention Center
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Session Agenda: https://bit.ly/curts-support
Description: There are many tools, apps, extensions, and features available to assist all learners. In this session we take an in-depth hands-on look at a wide range of technology tools to assist any and all learners. These can include text-to-speech, speech-to-text, readability, reading comprehension, artificial intelligence tools, audio support, organization, focus, and more. Learn what tools are available and how to access and use these free tools with your students.

📊 Google Sheets for Educators: From Data Noob to Nerd

Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM EST
Session Code: W10W224F
Location: W224F - Orange County Convention Center
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Session Agenda: http://bit.ly/curts-data
Description: Google Sheets is easily one of the most powerful tools in the Google Workspace suite of programs. Unfortunately many people can feel intimidated by spreadsheets and all of their features. In this session we will take the mystery out of Google Sheets as we cover topics including view options, freezing rows and columns, sorting data, filtering data, formulas, charts and graphs, sparklines, conditional formatting, data validation, pivot tables, mail merge, and more.

📝 FETC Sharing Doc

If you will be attending FETC, please feel free to contribute to the Google document I set up for sharing resources.
You can add information including if you are attending, session resources, mixers/events/meetups, attractions/restaurants, questions, comments, or other resources.
FETC Sharing Doc - https://bit.ly/fetc26-share