Friday, January 16, 2015

ThingLink - Cool Creation Tool

ThingLink
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As the DIF at schools with three different devices, I love when I find a tool that can be used for all the students I work with.  ThingLink has an app for Apple and Android devices, and our Chromebooks can access it through ThinkLink.com.  I love that this tool can be used in the classroom for creative exploration of content.  ThingLink converts images into interactive experiences by adding video, music, sound, text, web content, and Google Docs that are all linked into the same image.  By embedding links within the image, students are able to get deeper into the explanation of a topic and are able to take control of their learning experience.





In this example, students in Ms. Strock's second grade class wrote their own "Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" after they completed the novel by Kate DiCamillo. They used PicCollage to organize the pictures they had taken of Edward around the room and then added links to their collages with their stories. Ms. Strock then had her students post their ThingLinks on a Padlet wall so they could explore each other's projects. This particular example was submitted by Jack G. in Ms. Strock's class.




This is an example that could have been from a history class. In this example, added links shows a deeper understanding of Mary Todd Lincoln. This example was created by Becky Keith (@KeithTis) of eTechCampus.



Finally, this is an example that students could re-create to illustrate steps in a process. Great for elementary students. This example was created by Bridget McKnight (@McKnightBrigdet), from eTechCampus. I had the pleasure of meeting her at an iPad workshop in October when she introduced me to ThingLink.

This is a tool that truly can be utilized in all content areas. You are only limited by your imagination, the possibilities are endless!

Happy creating!

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