ThingLink is a well-known platform for making interactive images, videos for educational channels, web, social, and advertising. Its interactive images provide an opportunity for students to enhance their learning and develop 21st century skills.
Students can create, collaborate and communicate and engage in critical thinking and problem solving. It is an amazing tool that is transforming teaching and learning.
- It’s a tool for annotating images and defining through multimedia.
- Create multiple ‘hot spots’ to annotate images with text, pictures, video, audio and hyperlinks to web content.
- Mobile apps for iOS and Android to quickly capture life’s moments with wifi.
- Help students develop 21st century skills.
Rich Media Tags
Rich Media Tags is something that when you create a link that will embed information on the page, so you don’t have to click and go someplace else. There is a huge list of Rich Media Tags supported by ThingLink.
Use Across Platforms
ThingLink is also flexible across the platform. The idea is there’s a circle of possibilities, so the teachers and students can use whatever devices is convenient to them. ThingLink is primarily is a web-based tool, so you can log-in from any internet-connected device. It also works on a tablet through web browser. Well if you have the app then it’s wonderful, but if you don’t have the app, you can certainly use ThinkLink on whatever web browser you have. Its app is also available on IOS and Andriod and it do not require wifi.
About the Apps (Little More)
Recently it has released iOS 2.5 update. What is interesting about the apps is:
- Support learning beyond classroom walls.
- Annotate images with text.
- Take photos and add on top images.
- Create and capture videos and add on top of images.
- Create and use Channels.
Way to use ThingLink EDU
Here are amazing ways teachers can use ThingLink EDU.
Differentiated Resources
Teachers can provide students with differentiated resources they can collect everything they need and they can pack into one image or channel of images.
- Create collection of student work.
- Use as a student portfolio tool for goal setting, reflection and assessment.
- Create collections of resources as alternative to textbook.
ThingLink supports different media and hence support different various types of learners.
Guided Learner
Another way is to use ThingLink is to guide the learning. Educators can create their own resources outside and connect it with ThingLink.
- Share content using variety of multimedia.
- Use number icons to guide learning.
- Add tags with links to resources to collect feedback.
- Students can work in class or at home.
Flipped Lessons
ThingLink is also a helpful app in flipping lessons in classroom. Educators can create homework designed to prepare students for work in class.
- Level the playing field by providing students with background knowledge.
- Students come to class prepared to use what they learned.
- Students can pace themselves and review when needed.
- Make up work is available 24/7.
Field Trip- Unplugged
With ThingLink, you can take your students on field trip and engage them beyond classroom.
- Create a scavenger hunt type activity and engage students more fully in the learning experience.
- Students can create video on the spot, take photos and document questions and ideas.
- Return to wifi and extend the learning.
Provide Built-in Tech Support
With built-in tech support, students can watch the video and can solve their own problems related to any tech problem. It maximizes instructional time and keeps the focus on the content.
- Create tech tip resources to help student’s problem-solve the ‘how to’ of using the technology.
- Use existing tutorials or create your own.
- Save time when introducing a project.
- Demos available when students need them.
ThingLink premium feature account is available for $35/year. You can log-in on ThingLink using Facebook, Twitter and G+.
The article has been extracted from this webinar.
