Join me for the Northern Ohio AI Workshop

I am excited and honored to be presenting at the 2026 Northern Ohio AI Workshop on October 5, 2026 at the BGSU Firelands Campus in Huron, Ohio.

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 full details about the event and register for this free conference at:

• https://app.smore.com/n/hfrxdb

This year I will be presenting two sessions at the conference:

• Your AI Treasure Chest: Creating & Sharing Gemini Gems
• Gemini Notebook for Schools: Your Grounded Google AI Super Tool

See below for all of the details on my sessions and the conference. I hope to see you there!

Recorded Webinar - Promptcraft: Building a Better AI Prompt

I recently recorded a webinar about creating better AI prompts.

AI can have a powerful impact on teaching and learning, but the value of what you get out can often depend on the quality of what you put in. 

How can you craft better prompts to get the best results? 

In this session we explored:

• 🏆 10 tips for better prompts
• 💡 100's of examples of excellent prompts
• 🛠️ Tools to help you build the best prompts for your needs

To learn all about creating better AI prompts, see below to watch my recorded 1-hour webinar and to access the resources from the session.

Upcoming Webinar - Your Brain on AI: Moving from Crutch to Catalyst

I am excited to be presenting a free webinar titled "Your Brain on AI: Moving from Crutch to Catalyst".

When students use AI, are they learning or just offloading?

As beneficial as AI can be, overreliance on it can hurt thinking skills, creativity, and understanding. How do we avoid this?

In this session we explore the 'Wrestle, Rap, Reflect' framework, a powerful, practical solution that keeps the human in the loop by requiring learners to engage their own brains before and after the AI interaction. 

Students first wrestle with the content independently of AI, and then rap with the AI to enhance and extend their learning, and finally reflect on their use of AI to thoughtfully incorporate it.

See how to apply this framework to your existing lessons and content to integrate AI in a way that is responsible, meaningful, and transformative to student learning.

Details for this training:

• 🍳 Your Brain on AI: Moving from Crutch to Catalyst
• 🗓️ Thursday, October 8th, 2026
• ⏰ 3pm ET / 2pm CT / 1pm MT / Noon PT
• ▶️ The webinar will be live-streamed and also recorded for those who can't attend live
• ✅ Register at https://bit.ly/oct8aibrain or in this Google Form

Feel free to share with others and I hope you will join me for this exciting webinar!

Google Docs Calendar Templates for the 2027-2028 School Year

Several 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 2027-2028 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 2027-2028. 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.

EdTech Links - Week of 9-14-2026

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 AI Badgeathon

Looking for a great free day of virtual PD to kick off the new school year? Well get your snacks ready because Google is hosting their "AI Educator Series Badgeathon: Day of AI Learning".

I am super excited to be presenting one of the sessions that day on Gemini Notebook and how to build just-in-time coaching resources at 1:30pm Eastern.

Here are the details for the full day of sessions:

• Date: September 19, 2026
• Time: 9:00am-7:00pm ET

A fast-paced, drop-in learning festival designed for your busy schedule. Pop in for a 30-minute power session or stack a few together to level up your AI skills on your own terms. Every 30-minute block packs a punch.

• Lightning Talk: A fellow K-12 classroom teacher shares a quick, real-world AI hack or use case (like automating lesson plans or student-inquiry scaffolds).
• Module Overview: Get a fast, clear walkthrough of the official curriculum to master the tool's features.
• Live Badging & Prizes: We open our screens, complete the 5-question quiz together to earn your verified badge, and wrap up with custom swag giveaways!

Why Join Us on September 19th?

• ISTE-Aligned Micro-Credentials: Walk away with verified digital badges that prove your practical AI fluency.
• Win Free Swag: Complete a bundle of badges to earn raffle entries for amazing prizes, including limited-edition Google water bottles and other official Google gear!
• Live Troubleshooting Support: Stuck on a quiz question or login? A team of Google team members will be active in the live stream to answer your technical questions in real time.

Planning to join? Get more details on the website and register for free.

I hope to learn with you!

Upcoming Webinar - Promptcraft: Building a Better AI Prompt

I am excited to be presenting a free webinar about creating better AI prompts. And what better time than September to have a "Promptember" event!

AI can have a powerful impact on teaching and learning, but the value of what you get out can often depend on the quality of what you put in. How can you craft better prompts to get the best results? 

In this session we will explore hundreds of examples of excellent prompts, learn the top 10 tips for better prompts, and explore free tools to help you make the best prompts for your needs.

Details for this training:

• 💬 Promptcraft: Building a Better AI Prompt
• 🗓️ Thursday, September 24th, 2026
• ⏰ 3pm ET / 2pm CT / 1pm MT / Noon PT
• ▶️ The webinar will be live-streamed and also recorded for those who can't attend live
• ✅ Register at bit.ly/sep24prompt or in this Google Form

Feel free to share with others and I hope you will join me for this exciting webinar!

What's New in Google - August 2026

Catch up on everything new in Google Workspace for Education from August 2026, and see great ideas and resources!

Below is the recorded video from our August 2026 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 2026 meeting:

EdTech Links - Week of 8-24-2026

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!

Recorded BenQ Session - AI Games, Interviews & Activities for Student Learning

This year at ISTE26 I had the privilege to present a session at the BenQ Education booth where we explored using AI as an interactive partner for games, interviews, and activities for student learning.

These can be done with any grade level or subject, either as whole-class activities where the teacher manages the AI but the students still participate, or with students individually interacting with the AI for their own learning experiences. 

In this session we tried out a wide range of AI activities such as:

• 🎙️ AI Interview
• 🔠 “Choose Your Own Adventure” Stories
• 🤔 "20 Questions" games
• ❌ “Two Truths and a Lie” Games
• 📓 Emoji Definition Game
• 🤐 Classroom Taboo Game
• ⚖️ AI Debate
• ✍️ AI Co-Writing

To learn all about using AI for engaging student learning activities, see below to watch the recorded 30-minute session from the ISTE26 BenQ Education booth and to access the resources from the session.

Thanks to BenQ Education for sponsoring my presentation at their booth!

New PD Session - AI Prompts for Language Arts

Educational technology is constantly evolving, so my PD catalog has to change as well to keep up with everything new. During the course of the year I typically add several new sessions to my offerings. 

At the moment my PD catalog has over 70 different sessions that I offer for schools, conferences, and organizations. You can see the full catalog here - https://bit.ly/curts-pd

Recently I added a new session that covers AI prompts for language arts. See below for all the details and session resources. Feel free to use these resources any way you need, and if your school or conference is interested in this session or others, please reach out to me to discuss options for me to join you in person or virtually.

✍️ AI Prompts for Literacy, Reading, Writing & Language

• Description: In this session we will explore practical AI prompts specific for literacy, reading, writing and language to see how they can be used for teaching and learning. Prompts we will try out may include Decodable Texts, Discussion Prompts, Poem Writing Coach, RAFT Writing Prompts, Reader's Theater, Reading Level Analyzer, Story Co-Writer, Text-dependent Questions, Text Rewriter, Vocabulary List, Vocabulary Tiers and more.
• Resource Doc - bit.ly/curts-elaprompts
• Slideshow - View Slides - Copy Slides

Join my Gemini for Schools Online Course

Google Gemini is easily one of my favorite AI tools for education. It has a robust free version with a wide range of powerful features, can be used with any age level, and comes with free data privacy protection for schools.

I use Gemini every day in my own work, and provide PD sessions on it all the time.

I am excited to be offering a 4-week online course on Gemini for schools starting this September. This is in partnership with EdTechTeacher and their collection of eight courses they are offering this Fall.

See below for all the details on my course and how you can participate. I hope to learn with you!

EdTech Links - Week of 7-20-2026

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!

My ISTE 2026 Sessions

I am excited and honored to once again present at the 2026 ISTE Conference in Orlando, Florida this June 28th through July 1st.

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:

• https://conference.iste.org/2026

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!

EdTech Links - Week of 6-22-2026

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!

ISTE26 Session Search Chatbot

To help ISTE26 attendees find the perfect sessions, I have pulled all the details on all the sessions including Session Title, Date, Start Time, End Time, Format, Location, Presenters, Session Type, and Session Description.

I then created some resources below to help you search through the sessions and get AI-generated recommendations. Please use and share however you need. Let me know any suggestions you have for improving these resources.

And be sure to check out all of my ISTE sessions at bit.ly/curts-iste26 and my ISTE26 Sharing doc at bit.ly/iste26-share

📓 Conference Concierge Notebook

• This Notebook contains datafiles on all of the sessions for the ISTE 2026 Conference. You can ask any question to get suggestions for sessions to attend, such as “What are good sessions on Monday related to AI and elementary students?”
• Or you can type #CONCIERGE to switch into Conference Concierge Mode. In this mode the notebook will ask you several questions to understand what you are interested in and will then create a suggested schedule of sessions. It does one day at a time.
• Because NotebookLM is a grounded AI tool, it will only pull from the provided files and will have the lowest chance of hallucinations and mistakes with the schedule.
• ISTE 2026 Sessions Notebook - NotebookLM link
  

🤖 Conference Concierge Chatbot

• This custom chatbot is a version of my "Conference Concierge" prompt. It will ask you several questions to understand what you are interested in and will then create a suggested schedule of sessions. It does one day at a time.
• ISTE 2026 "Conference Concierge" chatbot - ChatGPT version - Gemini Gem version

📊 Spreadsheet

• This is a Google Sheet with details on every session at ISTE26.
• ISTE 2026 Sessions Spreadsheet - Google Sheets link

My 2026 CFISD Digital Learning Conference Sessions

I am excited and honored to once again present at the 2026 CFISD Digital Learning Conference this year.

This year is the 16th annual CFISD Digital Learning Conference and is:

• Entirely virtual with over 50 EdTech sessions
• Held on July 21st and 22nd
• Open to all educators
• FREE!

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

• All sessions for 7/21 - https://cfisd-dlc-2026.glide.page/dl/d0a5f4
• All sessions for 7/22 - https://cfisd-dlc-2026.glide.page/dl/da19fa

There is no need to register for the conference. Just click the links above on the dates of the conference to watch any of the live streaming sessions for free.

Below is a list of sessions I will be presenting for the 2026 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!

EdTech Links - Week of 6-1-2026

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!

12 New EduGems from May 2026

EduGems is my website where I share my favorite Gemini Gems for schools.

You can access, use, and copy any of the Gems at edugems.ai where I currently have 145 Gems!

Each month I add new Gems to the site. See below for links to the 12 new Gems I added during the month of May 2026, along with a short description for each.

Feel free to share with others and please consider submitting your own Gems to the site.

Podcast Spotlight - SupportED Learning

I recently had the pleasure to be a guest on the "SupportEd Learning Podcast" hosted by Dr. Joseph Sebestyen.

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:

On a mission to speak with global education experts on how we can revolutionize the education system, especially in the dawn of AI.

I had a wonderful time chatting all about a wide range of topics including:

• What Schools Get Right and Wrong About AI
• EduGems: The Free AI Prompt Library
• The Top 3 AI Tools Every Student Needs
• Guided Grading: AI-Powered Feedback
• The Biggest Mistake Schools Make With AI
• The Wrestle, Wrap, Reflect Framework
• The MIT Study That Changes Everything

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 - May 2026

Catch up on everything new in Google Workspace for Education from May 2026, and see great ideas and resources!

Below is the recorded video from our May 2026 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 2026 meeting:

EdTech Links - Week of 5-11-2026

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 Jeffrey Powell Mobile Learning Conference

I am excited and honored to be providing a keynote session for the 17th annual Jeffrey Powell Mobile Learning Conference this summer!

This is an entirely virtual conference, so anyone and everyone can attend, with a wide range of educational technology sessions from amazing educators (and friends of mine) including Ken Shelton, Stephanie Howell, Melissa Kincaid, Steph Sukow, Katie Fielding, and many more.

For my keynote I will be presenting:

• 🍳 Your Brain on AI: Moving from Crutch to Catalyst
• Tuesday, June 9th at 10am ET
• When students use AI, are they learning or just offloading? As beneficial as AI can be, overreliance on it can hurt thinking skills, creativity, and understanding. How do we avoid this? This keynote offers the 'Wrestle, Rap, Reflect' framework, a powerful, practical solution that keeps the human in the loop by requiring learners to engage their own brains before and after the AI interaction. We will learn to move students from a passive 'crutch' mindset to an active 'catalyst' partnership, ensuring AI builds intellectual agency, not atrophy.

Here are the key details for this virtual event:

• 💡 Jeffrey Powell Mobile Learning Conference
• 📅 June 8-9, 2026
• ⏰ 10am to 5pm ET (7am to 2pm PT)
• 💲 Cost - $25 (includes access to live sessions and replays for up to 2 weeks after the conference)
• 🔗 Website - nemcc.edu/mobilelearning/
• 🎟️ Register - 2026mobilelearning.sched.com/registration
• 📋 View full schedule - 2026mobilelearning.sched.com/list/simple

I hope you can join this event. I look forward to learning with you!

My HICE26 Sessions

I am excited to be presenting at the 2026 HICE Conference right here in northeast Ohio on June 2nd and 3rd.

This is the conference that we put on through my work at SPARCC and the Stark County ESC. It is a free, in-person event with over 130 sessions covering all areas of education, teaching, learning, technology, and more.

I even created a Gemini Gem to help you select the best sessions to match your interests!

If you are anywhere near the area, I encourage you to join us for this amazing conference! Here are the key details:

• 💡 High Impact Conference for Educators
• 📅 June 2-3, 2026
• 🏫 Lake Middle High School
• 📍 709 Market Ave SW, Uniontown, OH 44632
• 🔗 Website - https://bit.ly/summerhice
• 🎟️ Register for free - Google Form

Below is a list of sessions I will be presenting at HICE26, 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 4-27-2026

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!

12 New EduGems from April 2026

EduGems is my website where I share my favorite Gemini Gems for schools.

You can access, use, and copy any of the Gems at edugems.ai where I currently have 133 Gems!

Each month I add new Gems to the site. See below for links to the 12 new Gems I added during the month of April 2026, along with a short description for each.

Feel free to share with others and please consider submitting your own Gems to the site.

What's New in Google - April 2026

Catch up on everything new in Google Workspace for Education from April 2026, and see great ideas and resources!

Below is the recorded video from our April 2026 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 2026 meeting:

EdTech Links - Week of 4-20-2026

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!

Recorded Webinar - AI Games, Interviews & Activities for Student Learning

I recently recorded a webinar about using AI as an interactive partner for games, interviews, and activities for student learning.

These can be done with any grade level or subject, either as whole-class activities where the teacher manages the AI but the students still participate, or with students individually interacting with the AI for their own learning experiences. 

In this session we explored a wide range of AI activities including:

• 🎙️ AI Interview
• 🔠 “Choose Your Own Adventure” Stories
• 🤔 "20 Questions" games
• ❌ “Two Truths and a Lie” Games
• 📓 Emoji Definition Game
• 🤐 Classroom Taboo Game
• ⚖️ AI Debate
• ✍️ AI Co-Writing

To learn all about using AI for engaging student learning activities, see below to watch my recorded 1-hour webinar and to access the resources from the session.

Podcast Spotlight - EdTech Bites

I recently had the pleasure to be a returning guest on the "EdTech Bites Podcast" hosted by Gabriel Carrillo.

The first time I was on the podcast was six years ago when I was in Austin, Texas and Gabriel and I enjoyed a meal of fatty brisket at Black's BBQ and discussed well-being (and yes, I acknowledge the irony of that). 

You can listen to that blast-from-the-past interview here - EdTech Bites Episode 57

Now six years later, I got to sit down with Gabriel again, this time at the MACUL Conference in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

If you are not familiar with his podcast, Gabriel describes it as follows:

EdTech Bites is a Podcast about all things EdTech and Food hosted by Gabriel Carrillo. He interviews teachers, leaders, and innovators to discuss the latest trends in educational technology. Many times, while sharing a meal together. So subscribe, tell a friend or colleague, and remember that great conversations happen when we break bread with great people.

I had a wonderful time chatting all about my EduGems website, examples of Gems, my process for creating Gems, the importance of sharing Gems, and a challenge to schools to create and curate their own libraries of Gems for their staff and students.

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

EdTech Links - Week of 4-13-2026

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!

My 2026 NETA Sessions

I am excited and honored to be presenting at the 2026 NETA Conference in Kearney, Nebraska on April 30th.

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 NETA information and register for the conference at:

• https://netasite.org/?page_id=9458

Below is a list of sessions I will be presenting at NETA, 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 ISTE 2026 Sessions

I am excited and honored to once again present at the 2026 ISTE Conference in Orlando, Florida this June 28th through July 1st.

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:

• https://conference.iste.org/2026

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!

EdTech Links - Week of 4-6-2026

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 - LinkedUp Podcast

I recently had the pleasure to be a guest on the "LinkedUp Podcast" hosted by Jerri Kemble and Jamie Saponaro.

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:

Tune in to LinkedUp: Breaking Boundaries in Education to hear from Jerri Kemble and Jamie Saponaro as they seek global perspectives on educational topics that matter. With so many people to hear from and so many lessons to learn - they are gaining insights from education leaders worldwide. Powered by ClassLink, they are linking up the movers and shakers who make it happen!

I had a wonderful time chatting about topics including:

• Overcoming Challenges: How high school theater helped manage my childhood stutter and build a foundation for public speaking.
• The Human Element: Why AI will never replace educators, but instead give teachers more time to connect with and inspire their students.
• Shifting AI Perspectives: Moving past initial fears of cheating to focus on getting AI into the hands of students for personalized learning.
• "Wrestle, Wrap, Reflect": A practical framework inspired by an MIT study to help students use AI as a catalyst for critical thinking rather than a cognitive crutch.
• The E-Bike Analogy: A comparison illustrating why throwing screens out of the classroom robs students of valuable learning scaffolds.
• EduGems.ai: An overview of my newly launched platform with free, ready-to-use Gemini Gems for educators.
• The Power of Sharing: The importance of releasing educational resources under Creative Commons to help the entire teaching community grow.

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

Recorded Webinar - Making Graphic Novels with NotebookLM

I recently recorded a webinar about creating educational graphic novels with NotebookLM.

A while back I came up with a workflow to use Gemini and NotebookLM to generate graphic novels, which I shared on my blog. 

People have been loving this project and creating so many amazing things to help with teaching and learning in all subjects and grade levels.

To help more people try this out I did a deep-dive hands-on session where we covered the following:

• 🗯️ Graphic Novel Overview
• 📚 Loads of Pre-Made Examples
• 🛠️ How to Create a Graphic Novel
• 💡 Choose a Topic
• 🎨 Choose an Art Style
• 📄 Create the Script
• ✍️ Review and Edit the Script
• 📓 Create a Notebook
• 📖 Generate the Graphic Novel
• ✂️ Edit the Graphic Novel
• 💾 Download and Share the Graphic Novel

To learn all about creating educational graphic novels with NotebookLM, see below to watch my recorded 1.5-hour webinar and to access the resources from the session.

Upcoming Webinar: AI Games, Interviews and Activities for Student Learning

I am excited to be presenting a free webinar about using AI for educational games, interviews and activities for student learning

AI can be the perfect interactive partner for learning activities and games. These can be done with any grade level and any subject, either as whole-class activities where the teacher manages the AI but the students still participate, or with students individually interacting with the AI for their own learning experiences.

In this session we will try out these AI activities live and hands-on as we explore:

• 🎙️ AI interviews
• ⚖️ AI debates
• 🔠 "Choose Your Own Adventure" stories
• ✍️ Co-writing activities
• 🤔 Games including 20 Questions, 2 Truths and a Lie, Classroom Taboo, the Emoji Definition Game

Details for this training:

• 🎲 AI Games, Interviews and Activities for Student Learning
• 🗓️ Tuesday, April 21st, 2026
• ⏰ 3pm ET / 2pm CT / 1pm MT / Noon PT
• ▶️ The webinar will be live-streamed and also recorded for those who can't attend live
• ✅ Register at bit.ly/apr21games or in this Google Form

Feel free to share with others and I hope you will join me for this exciting webinar! Come play and learn!

12 New EduGems from March 2026

EduGems is my website where I share my favorite Gemini Gems for schools.

You can access, use, and copy any of the Gems at edugems.ai where I currently have 121 Gems!

Each month I add new Gems to the site. See below for links to the 12 new Gems I added during the month of March 2026, along with a short description for each.

Feel free to share with others and please consider submitting your own Gems to the site.

Googley Poetry Projects and Tools

April is the time of year

For kids to write a poem.
There's loads of fun activities
Here for you to show 'em.

Google tools can be used
To make the perfect rhyme,
With templates, tools, and writing prompts
To save your students time.

Draggable Drawings, random Sheets,
And Google Docs highlighting
Will give your students inspiration
For their creative writing.

So look below to find out more,
Then get your students on it,
Writing their ode, haiku, free verse,
Their ballad or their sonnet.

EdTech Links - Week of 3-16-26

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!

Recorded Webinar - NotebookLM for Schools

I recently recorded a webinar about NotebookLM for schools.

If you are not familiar with NotebookLM, it is Google's free AI-powered tool where you can load your own trusted sources and then generate engaging resources that are grounded in your vetted content.

In this deep-dive hands-on session we covered the following topics:

• 🗃️ Add sources to Notebooks including your own Google Docs, Slides, PDFs, websites, videos and more
• 💬 Explore how to "chat" with your sources to find specific answers and summarize key concepts
• 🔊 Use the powerful Studio tools to instantly generate Audio and Video Overviews, slide decks, infographics, mind maps, data tables, flashcards, quizzes, and reports
• 💡 Discover practical and creative ways to use NotebookLM for teaching and learning

To learn all about using NotebookLM in schools, see below to watch my recorded 1.5-hour webinar and to access the resources from the session.

Upcoming Webinar: Making Graphic Novels with NotebookLM

I am excited to be presenting a free webinar about creating educational graphic novels with NotebookLM.

A while back I came up with a workflow to use Gemini and NotebookLM to generate graphic novels, which I shared on my blog. 

People have been loving this project and creating so many amazing things to help with teaching and learning in all subjects and grade levels.

To help more people try this out we will be doing a deep-dive hands-on session where we will cover the following:

• 🗯️ Graphic Novel Overview
• 📚 Loads of Pre-Made Examples
• 🛠️ How to Create a Graphic Novel
• 💡 Choose a Topic
• 🎨 Choose an Art Style
• 📄 Create the Script
• ✍️ Review and Edit the Script
• 📓 Create a Notebook
• 📖 Generate the Graphic Novel
• ✂️ Edit the Graphic Novel
• 💾 Download and Share the Graphic Novel

See below for details to participate in this training:

• 🗯️ Making Graphic Novels with NotebookLM
• 🗓️ Thursday, April 2nd, 2026
• ⏰ 3pm ET / 2pm CT / 1pm MT / Noon PT
• ▶️ The webinar will be live-streamed and also recorded for those who can't attend live
• ✅ Register at bit.ly/apr2graph or in this Google Form

I hope you will join me for this exciting webinar!