Why ThingLink?
ThingLink is a way to make images more interactive. I loved this add-on and use it with labeling in Spanish. When learning a second language, it is so important to learn the target language without going through multiple languages. For example, when learning Spanish, one shouldn’t have to go from English to Spanish, then back to English again. For this reason, I love labeling and the use of images when acquiring a new language. ThingLink is the perfect platform for this.
Implementation
All that is needed to create a ThingLink is a computer and an internet connection. This add-on is very user-friendly and easy to manipulate.
As the teacher, I was able to create an interactive image for my Spanish 1 class. Â I labeled two people with contrasting adjectives in Spanish and had students, as a class, decide which worked best for each character. After this activity, students were given the same sort of assignment. They were given a presentation on how ThingLink works. Following that, they had to find an image online and label it with a series of points. Each point was assigned contrasting adjectives. Here are some student exemplars ( 1 , 2 , 3 )
Beyond the simple labeling feature of ThingLink, I could see myself using this to have students present information about countries. In Pre-AP Spanish, students are given a project where they must be a “diplomat” of a Spanish-speaking country, becoming knowledgable in all aspects about that place. With ThingLink, I think students would be able to deliver all their learned information in a very visual way. It would also be very easy to present to an audience.
Connecting to the Standards
Even though Spanish in not included in the Common Core Standards, I believe it most coincides with English Language and Literacy. The activities that I would utilize with ThingLink could be attributed to the following Speaking and Listening Standards. They are:
| Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source. | |
| Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization, development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task. | |
| Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings, reasoning, and evidence and to add interest. | |
In those activities, students would be creating their own ThingLink to help them relay specific content to their audience, whether it be me or their fellow classmates. They would be using the add-on as a platform for presentation and discussion.
Sample Lesson Plan
Please find below a sample lesson utilizing ThingLink to teach adjective meaning and agreement.
