EdTech Links - Week of 3-24-25

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!

Classroom Guidelines for Student AI Use - Free Adaptable Template

AI isn't coming - it's already here and it is not going away.

Classrooms around the world are seeing an explosion in the use of AI tools such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and more. Whether we are ready or not, our students are already using these tools, and will just keep experimenting with them more.

As educators, we need to help guide our students' use of AI so it’s productive, ethical, and supportive of learning. And what better place for them to learn about AI than our classrooms?

Now there are dozens and dozens of sample guidelines and policies for the classroom, and I have shared many of them in the past. Over the last few years I have reviewed these examples, spoken with educators across the country, and worked to identify the critical elements of classroom AI guidelines for students.

In the end I created two things:

• A comprehensive template with classroom guidelines for student use of AI
• A powerful prompt to help you modify my template to fit any grade level and any subject area

If you don't already have a set of AI guidelines for your classroom, or if you are looking to improve the guidelines you do have, then I believe this template and prompt will be a great asset to help get you there. 

See below for access to the template and directions on how to use it for your students. And please email me with your suggestions for improving this template and process. I would love to hear your ideas and learn along with you!

EdTech Links - Week of 3-10-25

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!

Google Sheets Pi Day Projects

Pi Day is March 14th each year (since the date is 3/14 and Pi starts out with 3.14). As a previous middle school math teacher, this is always a fun day to be a math nerd, do Pi-themed educational activities, and of course eat some real pie!

Over the years I have shared several technology activities for celebrating Pi Day in separate posts. This year I have pulled all those together in one place including:

📈 Discovering Pi with Google Sheets

✍️ Create "Pi Poems" with Google Sheets

🏙️ Graph a Pi-Line Skyline with Google Sheets

See below for this great collection of technology activities to help students explore, understand, and create with Pi!

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 recently had the opportunity to present a webinar where we took 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 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!

See below for the one-hour recorded webinar video and session resources. And be sure to share your favorite Chromebook tips and features. I am excited to learn with you!

EdTech Links - Week of 3-3-25

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!

Podcast Spotlight: Innovator Insights

I recently had the pleasure to be a guest on the "Innovator Insights" podcast from GAT Labs.

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 hosted by Scott Fisher and is described as follows:

Exploring the minds and journeys of today's innovators to inspire tomorrow's leaders. Every episode tells the story of an innovator-someone who has faced challenges, overcome obstacles, and carved a new path in industries like technology, business, education, and beyond. Through their triumphs and setbacks, we uncover the heart of what it means to lead, to innovate, and to shape the future.

I had a wonderful time chatting about:

• How my journey from math teacher to tech integration specialist shaped my approach.
• The challenges of limited resources and how creativity with existing tools can break barriers in education.
• The role of AI in personalizing learning and providing teachers with actionable insights.
• And more!

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