Upcoming Webinar - Power Tools for the Classroom

Technology is a moving target with constant updates and new features. This is especially true with AI advances.

I am excited and honored to be part of an upcoming webinar all about new AI updates from Google, Canva, and ChatGPT. The webinar is being hosted by Jennifer Womble from FETC, and features Monica Burns (covering ChatGPT updates), Rob Dickson (covering Canva AI updates), and me (covering Google AI updates).

Here are the details and registration info:

• 🛠️ Power Tools for the Classroom: What’s New from Google, Canva & ChatGPT for K12
• 📅 Thursday, May 15, 2025
• ⏰ 4:00 PM Eastern
• ✅ Registration - Free sign up form
• AI is evolving at lightning speed—and so are the free tools educators rely on every day! In this fast-paced, must-attend webinar, three expert practitioners break down the newest updates from Google, Canva, and ChatGPT that are reshaping teaching, learning, and classroom creativity. Join us for a power-packed hour designed specifically for K12 administrators and educators who want to stay ahead of the curve. Discover real-time demos, practical applications, and time-saving tips you can implement immediately. If you’ve been feeling overwhelmed by the pace of change, this is your moment to catch up, get inspired, and re-energize your digital teaching toolkit. Your AI update starts here!

Looking forward to learning with everyone!

Beyond the Book - AI for Librarians

I recently put together a new professional development training on the topic of AI for librarians, and have had the chance to present it several times so far.

As with all AI resources, I am sure I will continue to develop this session over time, adding many more tools and ideas. But for now I wanted to share what I pulled together so far.

Here is a description of the session:

Beyond the Book: AI for Librarians

Artificial intelligence in education isn’t just for the classroom. Librarians can harness AI for reader’s advisory, collection development, book promotions, community outreach, and more. In this session we explore practical applications of AI to expand and enrich your library program, including prompts tailored for librarians, tools to generate read-alike lists, multimedia book trailers, AI chatbots, verifying AI-generated information, and educating students about responsible AI use. Whether you serve K–5, 6–8, or high school, you’ll leave with dozens of ideas to spark innovation and engagement in your library.

See below to access the resource document, slideshow, and selected content from the session. And please feel free to share your ideas, tools, resources, and suggestions to add to this!

2025 Ohio AI Summits

AI is continuing to grow in its capabilities and its impact on teaching and learning. To help support Ohio educators, a series of AI summits are being provided by aiEDU, Innovate Ohio, the Ohio Department of Education & Workforce, and Ohio Educational Service Center Association.

I am excited and honored to be presenting at all five of the Ohio AI Summits taking place across the state this April and May!

All AI Summits are FREE to all Ohio ESC employees, district leaders, building leaders, and K-12 teachers. If you are anywhere across the state of Ohio, please consider attending one of the summits near you.

See below for all of the details on each summit and register today!

EdTech Links - Week of 4-14-25

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 - The Global Education Station

I recently had the pleasure to be a guest on the "The Global Education Station" podcast hosted by Annette Levesque.

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:

This unique podcast is dedicated to exploring the vast world of education through the voices of esteemed education leaders from around the globe. It's more than just a podcast; it's a virtual community where educators unite to learn from one another and grow collectively. Please join us for each episode as we delve into insightful conversations with top educators from universities, colleges, K-12 schools, and corporate training programs. Our guests share their personal journeys in education, discuss the challenges they've faced, and celebrate the triumphs they've achieved within their organizations.

I had a wonderful time chatting about:

• How Brisk Teaching and Magic School streamline lesson planning and enhance classroom engagement.
• The importance of free and accessible AI tools for teachers and students 
• How AI-powered platforms personalize learning and support differentiated instruction 
• Insights into Control Alt Achieve and its mission to empower educators with creative tech strategies 
• Why lifelong learning is crucial for educators in the ever-evolving digital landscape
• 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.

AI in Education Roundtable - Recorded Session

I recently had the pleasure and privilege to be a member of an AI in Education Roundtable that was hosted by Scott Fisher from GAT Labs.

I was joined by Jason Towne from Squirrel AI, and by Mandy DePriest from AI for Education, as we discussed the significance of incorporating AI tools to create personalized learning experiences that address individual student needs.

Some of the topics covered in the discussion included:

• Exploring AI's Benefits in Education
• Innovative AI Tools for Teaching
• Engaging Students with AI
• Motivation and Personalization through AI
• Motivating Students in the Age of AI
• Engaging Students with AI Activities
• Identifying At-Risk Students with AI
• Developing Soft Skills and Critical Thinking with AI

The session was recorded and you can watch the full video below, as well as access all of the resources shared throughout the roundtable discussion.

What's New in Google - March 2025

Catch up on everything new in Google Workspace for Education from March 2025, and see great ideas and resources!

Below is the recorded video from our March 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 March 2025 meeting: