Monday, July 21, 2025

World Snorkl Day 2025 - Virtual PD

Snorkl has been one of my favorite AI tools for education since even before it officially launched.

If you are not familiar with it, Snorkl was one the featured AI tools in my "Cool Tools 2023" series. For more details you can read that original blog post and watch my 12-minute tutorial video all about the tool.

In short, here is how Snorkl works:
  • You create a problem, question, or prompt for your students and provide an exemplar answer for the AI.
  • Students then record themselves speaking as they solve the problem or answer the question while explaining their reasoning.
  • If needed the student can draw on the digital whiteboard while speaking.
  • The AI then reviews the student's explanation based on the guidance you have provided.
  • The AI then provides personalized feedback for the student on their work.
  • The grades and feedback are all collected for you as the teacher to review.

The great news is that Snorkl is running a free virtual PD event on July 30th with a wide range of sessions to help you learn, explore, and apply Snorkl even better.

I am super excited to be presenting one of the sessions. See below for all of the details and how to register for this free event.

My 2025 CFISD Digital Learning Conference Sessions

I am excited and honored to once again present at the 2025 CFISD Digital Learning Conference this year.

This year is the 15th annual CFISD Digital Learning Conference and is:
  • Entirely virtual with over 100 EdTech sessions
  • Held on July 22nd and 23rd
  • Open to all educators
  • FREE!
You can get all the details on the conference website at: www.cfisd.net/DLC
Below is a list of sessions I will be presenting for the 2025 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!

Saturday, June 28, 2025

My ISTE 2025 Sessions

I am excited and honored to once again present at the 2025 ISTE Conference in San Antonio, Texas this June 28th through July 2nd.

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:

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!

Tuesday, June 24, 2025

Quizizz Has a New Name and the New Name Is…

You are probably familiar with Quizizz. It is an excellent tool for creating interactive quizzes and learning activities. But did you know that they are changing their name?

Partly it may be because the name can be a little tricky to spell. How many Z's are in there? There is a double Z somewhere. Is it in the beginning or the end? I know I have misspelled it before.

But the main reason is that Quizizz has grown over the years to become much more than just … well … quizzes. For example, there's the ability to create interactive lessons, their massive library of standards-aligned resources, and their thoughtful use of AI to help customize content so that it’s just-right for each student.

So what is their new name?

Well Quizizz was kind enough to send me a box in the mail, which supposedly has the answer to that question inside.

Take a look below for my short 5-minute video where I open the box and reveal the new name...

Monday, June 23, 2025

What's New in Google - May 2025

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

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

Recorded Webinar - Power Tools for the Classroom

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

Recently I was excited and honored to be part of a webinar all about new AI updates from Google, Canva, and ChatGPT. The webinar was hosted by Jennifer Womble from FETC, and featured Monica Burns (covering ChatGPT updates), Rob Dickson (covering Canva AI updates), and me (covering Google AI updates).

Here is the description:

🛠️ Power Tools for the Classroom: What’s New from Google, Canva & ChatGPT for K12
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!

The recording for the webinar is now available to watch on demand on the "Road to FETC Webinars" page here - Power Tools for the Classroom

I hope you find the recording helpful!

Friday, June 20, 2025

Podcast Spotlight: Integrate This!

I recently had the pleasure to be a guest on the "Integrate This!" EdTech podcast hosted by Jeremy Mikla and David Berner.

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:

Integrate This! is the podcast where education and innovation meet real conversation. Join Jeremy Mikla and David Berner as they dive into thought-provoking discussions and interviews with inspiring voices across the EdTech and education world. From classroom insights to big-picture ideas, each episode brings fresh perspectives and honest dialogue about the future of learning.

I had a wonderful time chatting about:
  • Creative ways to use Google tools beyond their traditional roles
  • My philosophy on AI, student struggle, and lifelong learning
  • Guidance for teachers navigating tech fatigue and staying current
  • How NotebookLM helps analyze AI guidance docs
  • Why Gemini is my go-to AI tool for schools
  • My top tips for using AI ethically and effectively in education
Take a look below to listen to the episode, access the resources that I shared in the episode, and explore more about the podcast.