Extra to Images Adds Content

On July 25, 2011 Richard Byrne posted on his blog, Free Technology for Teachers, of an application called Thinglink.  As explained at their site:

A Thinglink is an interactive hotspot you define inside an image, from a THING (an object, a person, or a place) to a LINK (a shop, a blog post, or anywhere you like).

Thinglink is meant to be used by persons of any age but if users are under the age of thirteen it is requested that their parents or guardians be aware of that usage.  This service is currently free of charge.  You can sign up using your Facebook account or generate another account with your name, email and a password.

Once you are signed up a page appears asking you to install Thinglink relative to the platform being used as your web site or blog.  You are taken to a page which provides code to embed the Thinglink service into your blog or web site.  It is a simple process of copying and pasting.  Once completed any image on your blog can be linked if you are logged into the Thinglink service.

When you are logged in you will notice two sets of two small dots in the upper left hand corner of the image.  When you mouse over the image additional small icons appear beneath those dot sets.  By clicking on the pencil you can edit the image, add links or change what has been previously done.  The small figure icon allows the user to share the image via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Google +, Tumblr, Edmodo, email, create a Thinglink app on Facebook, and copy an HTML embed code or URL link of the page.  The middle icon allows the user to collect images they may like.

The small round circle represents a hotspot that I created for this image.

Once you have tagged your first image, refresh the Install Thinglink page.  Your dashboard will appear.  The dashboard reveals statistics about your images and further opportunities to edit and import additional images.

The Thinglink blog has numerous posts about uses of this service.  I am currently doing a class read of Brian Selznick's Wonderstruck with my third grade students.  We are blogging about the reading on Kidblog.org.  It might be interesting to have the students add links to an image of the book cover on the main blog.  It would get them researching about not only the book and its author/illustrator but also about topics contained within the story.

(Please note:  These instructions may not be as accurate as when this review was posted due to changes at the site. 11/19/2013)