ThingLink for Interactive Books

#1 What is ThingLink?
ThingLink is a free user-friendly digital tool that allows us to create and share interactive images. All can be done effortlessly and quickly and one can turn any static image into a multimedia rich interactive graphic by adding video, other images, audio, links to different sources...
In addition to the coloured dots / nubbins, ThingLink now has more graphic icons - we can therefore choose the one that best suits our purpose when tagging images.

#2 ThingLink in the Classroom
Its uses in the classroom are limitless. We can use it for any subject, any grade! Depending on our goals, we can tag the information ourselves or use it as a collaborative tool and ask our students to add /tag info. I've used it before with maps, with famous paintings as you can read here; I've used it with students for introductions as well as to introduce myself.

#3 Using ThingLink for Reading Suggestions
An interesting way of using this innovative and flexible tool in the classroom is also for Reading recommendations and suggestions. Bring books to life by collecting resources, challenging students / potential readers with questions, highlighting important info, presenting the author!
"Gone Girl" is a book I've finished reading recently and absolutely loved it. By then I wrote a short review here (please scroll down as there are already over 100 books!) and once the movie is going to premiere in the beginning of October, I thought about recommending it beforehand :) Here it is:

I'd be very glad to hear from you! Thanks :)
Many thanks to Susan Oxnevad for the #TLChallenge 

2012: Year in Review

In 366 days so much can happen - and certainly 2012 "was" no exception! As 2012 draws to an end, it's time for us to review what is already behind, either pleasant or tragic.
Google has produced a new fantastic Zeitgeist video according to 1,2 trillion searches in 146 languages thus highlighting the main events in 2012. Watch and remember:


The Guardian has "2012: the year in viral videos" that I'm also sharing below


Maps of The World has released a 60-second video including the top events of 2012 that you can peep here but even better is their interactive map and timeline you can access here: by clicking on each of the months, we have the main events and when clickng on the events on the map, a new box opens and you have pics and even more info. Visitors are also invited to vote: what event dominated the world's attention???

Screenshot from http://www.mapsofworld.com/events/year-2012/ 

Bio.com also has a fantastic Year in Review including a "2012 in Memoriam Video" also worth watching.
When searching the web, I'm sure you'll find some more available, such as the sound collage featuring a sampling of the musicians who died in 2012 by http://www.nytimes.com/

Also by http://www.nytimes.com/ is the year in review in pictures you can access here as well as a terrific review in graphics here.
What about yourself? What was your most pleasant moment  / event in 2012? And your saddest? Why?
What are your New Year's Resolutions? What are your 2013 goals? What will you do in 2013 to make it better??? (In case you want some input, check this New Year's Resolution Generator :=))))

Valued visitor and reader, my best wishes for 2013! A very happy and successful New Year, both personally and professionally.

Google Doodle DEC 2012

100 years of IWD

On March 8, women’s rights campaigners around the world will celebrate the 100th International Women’s Day (IWD) but, as I 've already written about this topic in previous years, this time I decided to look for teaching materials.

History.com has great materials as usual which include Famous Firsts in American Women's History, Women who Fought For the Vote besides 32 short videos and photo galleries. What I found even more interesting though was what was under More Outside History.com. I clicked here and found surprising materials that we can use in our classes - either to observe this date or for any other using biographies, always great to practise Past Simple, to enrich the curriculum with an interdisciplinary approach to learning and for critical thinking.

Interactive Timeline - as the title says - is a great interactive journey that celebrates the historical icons of Women's History from 1777 to 2000s and contains pictures, dates as well as a "Learn More" option where you can have further infos. On Notable Women we have women as History Makers organised under different topics and ordered alphabetically; one can always try this Quizz on Women's History to test the students' (or our own) knowledge on this issue.

The best part is yet to come: Bioclassroom has an impressive collection of materials for us teachers. For you to have an idea and once we are now about to observe IWD, click here for info on Amelia Earhart. Her biography, curriculum links, vocabulary, discussion questions, extended activities and webliography are included. Everything is there for us ready to use!!! For a full list of the available study guides, click here. And... you can also download here a pdf manual for educators featuring activities for students based on significant personalities (Women / Men) throughout history :)

For teachers with lower levels and not necessarily dealing with IWD but with biographies, there is Bio4Kids. Here is the printscreen:

It's cool! There are many and motivating biographies to read that the students can choose from and then present it to class. For fun or to activate knowledge, there is a Celebrity Hangman, a Sports Match Game, quizzes and videos.
Finally...Enjoy this video: 500 Years of Female Portraits in Western Art with music by BACH.

To identify all these works of art and the artists click here.