Deb Norton Tech

Oh how I love a little competitive fun. Have you ever heard of an App Slam?  It's a friendly sharing of favorite apps followed by a vote to see which app gets the most votes. Having an App Slam is a great way to have students guide and personalize their own learning and it also incorporates a lot of creative thinking and technology. Here is how it works: Students (or teachers) choose an app that they think is a winner. They then create a demonstration (video, live demo, example or other) The demo slam  is short (1-3 minutes) in length, highlights the features of the app, demonstrates how to use the app, and ends with the word SLAM. Here is a Thinglink with some awesome examples of App Slams:   and here is a popular App Slam from two young ladies who are showing how amazing Google Translate is: So as you can see, the idea is not just to share an app, but to do it creatively and convincingly. In a classroom or school, teac...

Here are a few blog posts and articles that have come my way recently telling us about things that are up and coming or have just arrived. #1 Smartamp - SMART (the company that makes SMART boards) has unveiled a new way for students to collaborate and connect.  It is calles Smartamp.  I watched the live webinar last week to see the introduction to Smartamp, and I am impressed and excited for this new software. Click here for the Smartamp site.  Click here for a blog post by Vicki Davis. #2 Adobe launched a new iPad app called Voice, a storytelling tool.   Click here for a blog post.   Click here to download the free app. #3 New mobile apps for Google Docs, Sheets and Slides.  The apps have been updated to make things quicker and easier to find, create and edit.   Click here for a blogpost. #4 Google Maps also has some great updates!! #5 Plickers is a new solution to polling a class without the need for clickers. ...