Monday, November 2, 2015
ThingLink & Google Docs Together at Last!
Great news! Great news! ThingLink now supports a rich-media tag to embed a Google Doc right on an interactive graphic. Now it’s easier than ever to transform teaching and learning with just two tools, ThingLink EDU and Google Docs!
Read more and explore my sample Rainforest Project example on the ThingLink Blog.
Building a Free Library of Interactive Resources
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| Ulla Engeström, founder of ThingLink |
“It has been my deliberate choice and goal to build an amazing free resource of interactive media for educational and editorial use.”
Learn the Story Behind this Campaign
Explore this interactive image to learn why Ulla has decided to participate in the Women Who Tech Campaign.
Building a Library of Interactive Resources
With support from this campaign we can create and share a powerful library of interactive resources for use across all content areas and grade levels. Here are a few of the powerful possibilities for students, teachers and parents.
A Library of Interactive Books
Interactive books can be created when ThingLink images are added to a slideshow channel with the click of a button. These books are very enjoyable to read and explore. Turn the pages in the book below to find images annotated with a variety of media to support all learning styles. Interactive images can tell any story beautifully, whether it's fiction or nonfiction.
One of the best things about Thinglink interactive books is that students can author them too. I like to have students start with an image and construct knowledge through research about a topic as they add layers of media. To help students develop writing and presentation skills I use the opportunity to focus on learning how to write clear and concise descriptions to the image tags. Writing clear and concise text is a useful 21st century skill. Explore this example to image the possibilities for teaching students to write a readable image.
A Library of Resources for Teachers
Thousands of educators use ThingLink every day to turn images and videos into fun learning experiences. In this campaign we are raising money to collect the amazing creative work of our users into a free library of interactive books, presentations, and videos across all subjects and grade levels, powered by a subject and grade level specific content search on ThingLink. Supporters of this campaign can subscribe to a curated monthly edition of interactive books and videos that support learning across all grade levels to help build our community of educators who create, share and use ThingLink. Explore just a few amazing resources created by ThingLink Expert Educators and consider the possibilities for a comprehensive interactive resource library.
Easily Reuse and Personalize Library Resources
One of the best features of ThingLink is the ability to Remix an image to customize it for your own use. Users can start with a ThingLink, click on the Remix tag and make a copy of it for yourself. The existing tags are visible and editable. Users can add additional tags, delete existing tags, and build on the work of others to create a unique interactive resource that is personalized.
Support Women Who Tech
Teachers and students have embraced and welcomed ThingLink and it been chosen many times as one of the best free web tools for education. Your support will help us make ThingLink an even better resource for all teachers, students, and parents around the world. We hope you will support Ulla's campaign and help us spread the news!
Drawing & Painting: ArtPad
Drawing and painting can create a bridge between the ideas in a child's head and the blank piece of paper. Students are generally pretty movitivated and engaged when drawing and painting on the computer, and many are very good at it. In an effort to encourage content based writing and promote tech literacy, I'd like to introduce you to a very good, easy to use, online painting tool.
This simple tool is designed to bring out the artist in us all. It records the process used to paint, then makes it available for viewing. There is no login required and students can easily use this tool. Teach students to take a snapshot of their finished painting, then insert the picture into a document for writing.
View the artpad gallery glog to see what some of our teachers have created and please consider submitting a painting of your own for display. Student paintings are appreciated too!
Connect & Collaborate Through Global Virtual Classroom
For many years my dear friend and mentor, Janet Barnstable, has been part of an amazing Global collaborative project, The Global Virtual Classroom (GVC). As we approach the start of the school year and registration opens for this year’s participants, I asked Janet to write a guest post to share this great learning opportunity with readers of this blog. I hope you will consider connecting and collaborating internationally through GVC.
What is this contest?
Three schools are teamed by the GVC into a single team. That team works together to create a website about a world issue that they have chosen collaboratively. This is a full year commitment. Schools need strong collaboration skills, as the 3 schools in each team are separated geographically, but need to work together as one.
Who may participate?
Teacher guided Primary (Grades 1-7) and Secondary (Grades 8-12, or equivalent) classes and youth groups around the world that have access to the Internet and know or can learn to use Google Sites.
Contest Benefits
Why would a teacher and class take on this task?
- Real world experience and audience
- Global collaboration
- Build on each person's strengths to create a whole; the group is better together!
- Nothing teaches faster than learning from each other.
- Authentic assessment rubric provided for guidance
What do projects look like?
To see what others have done, look here. The Primary division is listed first, followed by the Secondary.
Ready for this adventure?
Click here to register.
Contest
If you have questions, contact our Program Manager, Janet Barnstable.
Sponsored by Give Something Back International FoundationAbout the Author
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