Control Alt Achieve

Monday, April 28, 2025

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!

EdTech Links - Week of 4-21-25

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!

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!