The information this week on moodle is AWESOME. There is so much there I could have been lost for weeks. We were instructed to narrow our search to something that we could use in class that would benefit students and enhance the learning experience, and one digital tool really captured my attention.
In the past I have created interactive PDFs to explain web design choices and provide explanations of what works from a design perspective to clients. I would then ask for feedback and due to their limited skill (that’s why they had me) their feedback was usually verbal and subject to misunderstandings. Plus, the interactive PDF would not always perform as it was supposed to on the customers end because of their differing computer systems. The Digital Tool, ThingLink eliminates these issues and turns webdesign and marketing into a project that can be collaborative between designers and their clients.
How amazing is the concept of ThingLink in a educational setting!
Media Studies/ Business – Students could be handed an image of a poster/business card etc.. and assigned the task of identifying the design qualities and/or, demonstrating how it could be improved. Then, using that knowledge, upload an image of their own making and LINK their creative thought process.
English – Students could be presented with a video file and their job could be to identify the shot angles and what the videographer was trying to portray by using these angles.
ThingLink allows these projects to be either individual or collaborative.
I have made a three ThingLink projects. Two have been designed as individual work and one has been designed to be collaborative, so feel free to add a link and have a play.
INDIVIDUAL WORK – Book Cover for a hypothetical biography.
Image Source: Victoria Muller
INDIVIDUAL WORK – Hypothetical student describing different shots in a movie snippet.
COLLABORATIVE WORK – What’s your Favourite Digital Tool? Click the image to g add your favourite links. I have added a few of mine to get you started. Image Source: Victoria Muller
Media Studies – Video: Substitution – Right now, teachers show the video in school then pause at certain areas to point out screen shots. To further demonstrate they may (they have my daughter’s teacher is an example) put the information into a powerpoint to demonstrate to the class.
English Book Cover Design: Substitution – Right now, designs are discussed in class. Teacher puts ideas up on a whiteboard and students call out suggestions/answers.
Media Studies – Video: Augmentation – Children are interacting with the actual video, not merely watching and making notes.
English Book Cover Design: Augmentation – Children are making notes on the actual book cover using Thinglink instead of using words on paper to describe areas of the cover.
Media Studies – Video: Modification – Thinglink substitutes the use of video then using pencil and paper to write descriptions.
English Book Cover Design: Modification – Thinglink substitutes the use of images then using pencil and paper to write descriptions.
Media Studies – Video: Redefinition – Assessments or pre-assessments can be submitted via Thinglink. This demonstrates knowledge of the subject area, eliminating the need for extensive word descriptions via essay submission.
English Book Cover Design: Redefinition – Assessments or pre-assessments can be submitted via Thinglink. This demonstrates knowledge of the subject area, eliminating the need for extensive word descriptions via essay submission
Many schools do not allow the use of digital tools that have to be downloaded and installed so on line digital tools can be an invaluable resource.
Image editors I have used and would recommend:
I use imgur more, for the convenience of linking images on websites to save on storage space, than for any other purpose. With Imgur, you can edit images as well as store them and use only codes to make them visible on your site.
Most of the images on this site have not been uploaded. They have been linked via Imgur. Let me explain:
When an image is upload to Imgur there are number of options for linking. To link to this blog (for example) you would grab the DIRECT LINK and add it via the TEXT TAB not the VISUAL TAB.
If you add via the VISUAL TAB it will look like this: http://i.imgur.com/RcFCojz.png
If you add via the TEXT TAB it will appear as an image:
Like Thinglink, tools such as these are great because they pose no real security threat because the only piece of information you need to access them, is your email address.
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