Deb Norton Tech

If the past school year has taught us anything about technology in the classroom, it's that quality trumps quantity. We live in a world with no shortage of tech teaching tools and resources. The key is sorting through to find the gems. The best tech tools and websites that actually enhance virtual or in-person learning and everything in between.  The following apps and websites make the cut because they enrich learning in a meaningful way. They are not just another bell or whistle. They actually enhance learning in ways that would not be possible without technology. Google Workspaces    Google Workspace includes all of the productivity apps we know and love - Gmail, Calendar, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Meet and many more.  With features such as speech to text, real-time collaboration, smart compose etc., Google Workspaces helps us to be efficient and innovative in all that we do. Flipgrid Flipgrid is a video discussion tool with many innovative features and tools. ...

What's New? It can be challenging to stay up-to-date with everything in the tech world. Here are some recent updates you might be interested in. Activity Dashboard - You can now see who has viewed your Google Docs, Sheets and Slides with Activity Dashboard. Here is a helpful how-to video . Padlet now has a premium and free version (Freemium)  Here is a blogpost explanation.  You can have 3 Padlet boards for free in addition to the Padlet boards you already have created before this new change. The Google URL shortener goo.gl is being shut down. Read about it here and here .  Personally, I use Bitly for my URL shortener. I also use gg.gg occasionally. In case you missed it , here is what happened when the Chinese Space Station hit the Earth. Here is what I am currently reading. It was recommended by the students and I'm already feeling the impact after just a few chapters. What are you doing this weekend? My family is going to our f...

Happy Fall Ya’ll Today is my Friday, so I’m sharing some Links and Loves a little early. I want to try making these pumpkins - this is called Hydro Dipping and it is sooooo interesting!  Or perhaps I will make these since they look simple. This is an excellent video for National Stop Bullying Month (October) The people of Puerto Rico are getting some help with Internet through Project Loon.  Read more about Project loon and other moonshot thinking projects here. Padlet now has voting and grading . Woo Hoo!  I use Padlet all of the time. One of my goals this fall is to eat healthy and prep meals for the week on the weekend. Here are some recipes I’ve been giving a try.  I made the Quinoa and Mushroom Stuffed Acorn Squash and it was so flavorful! And because I had a lot of leftover Quinoa, I also made this recipe . YUMMMMMMM!  Finally, I’ve been savoring this lovely zucchini bread .  You can follow my hea...

If you are finding yourself teaching the same lesson year after year with the same materials and teaching style; then it's time to add some new technology and spice up that boring lesson.  It's refreshing and motivating for students to see a teacher using new instructional strategies and materials in a lesson. Here are a bunch of ideas: 1)  Involve the students - Use an online poll or backchannel to interact with your students during your lesson. This gives every student a voice and builds character and understanding amongst peers.  a.   Poll Everywhere b.   Tally.tl - Click here for my blog post. c.   Today's Meet d.   Padlet e.   Geddit - Click here for my blog post. 2)  Student Choice - Allow your students to show their learning with these choices. Giving students a say in how they show their knowledge is empowering. a.  Mindmapping with Slatebox or Bubbl.us - Click here for my blog post b.  Creat...

Having just returned from ISTE in Atlanta, GA, I'm happy to share some of the great tools and sites that I encountered while attending sessions and having conversations with with other attendees. Because there is so much to share, this will be a two part series. Here is the Chat with Deb video: Here is Part 1 of my presentation: Click here for all Chat with Deb videos Thank you to Intel's Teachers Engage Community for sponsoring this Chat with Deb

Wednesday, February 5th Welcome to a new episode of Chat with Deb: Here are some great sites to use with your students on DLD.  Most of them do not require a log in, so you and your students can be ready to go.   Big Huge Labs   edit photos and share    Jigsaw Planet create and share a puzzle.     QR St uff create colorful qr codes.     QR Island    read a qr code with your PC webcam  ABCya's Go Animate   create an animation and save it to your computer. Tackk  create a webpage with images, text, video, audio, hyperlinks, maps and more.  Easily share with others. Scribble Maps  use drawing tools to draw on top of a map.  Easily download and share your map with others. Magnoto  create an online poster similar to a Glogster.  You do need an account. Padlet  online sticky notes with capabi...