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. I hope to get to learn 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!