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

📰 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!

This week I have 4 resources from around the Internet and 3 resources from my blog.

📒 Public NotebookLM with AI Guidance for Schools

Resource Link

I recently collected over 40 of the best examples of AI policies, guidelines, and frameworks I have come across from states, schools, and organizations, and uploaded them all into a public notebook in NotebookLM.

You can access this notebook to ask the AI any question you want about AI guidance for schools, as well as access any of the custom reports and resources I have generated in the notebook.

You can get all the details, directions, and notebook link in my blog post linked above.

💎 New EduGems

Resource Link

Each week I try to add new Gems to my EduGems website. Since last newsletter, the following Gems have been added to the site:

🔔 Bell Ringer by Date - Create a bell ringer & image with Headline, Hook, Spark & Quote specific to a chosen date for your grade level & subject area
💎 EduGem Generator - Create your own EduGem based on 80+ existing Gems & customized to your specific task & needs
💬 ELL Conversation - Practice English by having a conversation with the AI based on proficiency level & topic with support in the learner's first language
🤝 Restorative Justice Circle - Conflict resolution script with guidelines, questions, agreement template & more, based on student age, incident & emotional state
📋 Vocabulary List - Generate a vocab list with words, definitions & sentences for your students' grade level, topic & content
🉑 World Language Conversation - Practice a World Language by having a conversation with the AI based on target language, proficiency level, and topic

Click on any of the links above to access, use, and copy the Gems.

🧞 Recorded Webinar: Learning Genie

Resource Link

I recently recorded a webinar about a super-helpful AI-powered EdTech tool called Learning Genie. If you are not familiar with Learning Genie, it is a tool which helps educators quickly develop a comprehensive and well-structured teaching unit. Here are some key features:

🧰 Create complete unit plans with all the needed resources (plans, slideshows, worksheets, assessments, more)
🏫 Works with any subject and any grade (PreK-12)
🎯 Aligns with state standards and uses Al to support interdisciplinary learning and connect instruction with assessment
📍 Localizes curriculum to engage students in meaningful and relevant learning experiences
💰 Robust free version

To learn all about Learning Genie, see below to watch my recorded 1-hour webinar linked above.

🎸 TeachRock

Resource Link

TeachRock provides over 200 free, standards-aligned lessons for teachers, students, and families, using popular music as a common theme.

Free & Standards Aligned - Always free for teachers, aligned to state & national standards
Multiple subjects - Social Studies, ELA, Math, Science and more
Research‑Backed - Designed with educators and evaluated by third parties
Founded by Artists - Built by musicians & educators for classrooms

Simply register for a free account to access all of the lesson plans, videos, resources, and more for use in your class.

🧪 Tony's App Lab

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One of my favorite EdTech friends is Tony Vincent and he recently launched his "App Lab" page where he shares all of the tools he has "vibe coded" with the help of AI.

On one hand these are all practical and useful tools, interactives, and games that educators and students can use for free such as:

Transparency Support - easy tool for teachers to share how AI is allowed to be used on an assignment, and for students to share how they did use it
Tic Tac 15 - fun game for practicing addition skills
Linking in Hand - easily get links for a shared Google file in multiple modes including Preview, Make a Copy, Template, and PDF views

At the same time, these are also great examples of what anyone can create with the help of AI. Tony has even created a Facebook Group that anyone can join to learn more about vibe coding here - "Vibe Coding Educators Community"

🌳 Size of Life

Resource Link

Over the years I have shared many of the interactives from the neal.fun website such as "The Size of Space", "The Deep Sea", "Space Elevator", and more. The most recent learning experience is "Size of Life".

In this interactive you start out with an image of DNA at only 3.5 nanometers tall, and then work through dozens and dozens of progressively larger living things, past and present., learning a little bit about each organism each time. You can even choose any two living things to compare them side by side.

💻 Automate School Chromebook Management with VIZOR

Resource Link

Managing a fleet of Chromebooks shouldn't be a nightmare. VIZOR’s integration with the Google Admin Console automates key Chromebook management tasks for school IT teams.

⚡ Automatically assign Chromebooks with a barcode scanner
🔂 Identify Chromebooks that students have swapped
⬆️ Track device updates to ensure compliance with state testing requirements
❌ Automatically disable lost, stolen, or overdue Chromebooks
💦 Trigger a Powerwash after an event, such as after a repair

If you are sick of managing Chromebooks through out-of-date spreadsheets and disconnected systems, you need VIZOR! Get in touch for a free demo and pricing! Learn how VIZOR can help your school or district.