Thinglink

=ThingLink= =Description:= ThingLink is a tool where people can interact and share by tagging pictures and connecting it with content. Tags can contain links to websites, music, videos, and text. It was created back in 2008 by Ulla Engeström and Janne Jalkanen .According to Atlantic Records, Digital Marketing, "It’s an innovative way to introduce the album cover to the public and have it be dynamic, not just a static image. To have video & audio accompany the image really helps connect the marketing and the social tie in is a big plus.”

=Strengths:=
 * Free for a basic account
 * Directly link embedded audio, video, and rich media
 * Can be used with Facebook, Wordpress, or Tumblr
 * Users click on tags that directly link to Amazon and make purchases
 * Rich Media Tag solutions for those interested in codes
 * Users can upload photos from their own personal file, Flickr, and the web.
 * Real Time statics- users can track how their audiences users interact with the image.
 * Uses SoundCloud to add music to images.
 * Upload interviews.
 * Thingtag removes inappropriate and offensive content.
 * Teachers receive a 67% discount if they want to upgrade to the other plans. Write to education@thinglink.com and request a free educational upgrade ftom Basic account to Plus (with 500 image uploads).

Weaknesses
=Opportunities= =**Threats:**=
 * With the free account, users are only only to upload 50 images (see above to upgrade account to 500 images)
 * Must be logged into ThingLink
 * Can be used in the classroom for a variety of subjects
 * Students can share tag photos with classmates
 * Teachers can share pictures to use for a particular unit
 * Integrate various media and other web 2.0 tools
 * May support all types of learning styles.
 * Some content may not work with school filtering programs such as Facebook and Flickr.
 * There are no other perceived threats.

=Classroom Uses=
 * Multimedia definition- students can add content to a picture to demonstrate its meaning.
 * Use tags to document progress in a skill or competency such as student portfolio
 * Create interactive reports.
 * Getting to you know portrait- students can take pictures of themselves and include tags that contain information about them such as their hobbies or favorite subjects.
 * Map data
 * Students can add tags in a quiz where they have to label and describe something.
 * Storytelling. Students could create story by adding tags.
 * Include artifacts of students works that are tagged for parents to see
 * Interactive bulletin boards and book talks.
 * Students can practice using adjectives, verbs, and nouns to describe a picture.
 * Virtual tour of your classroom- create tags of the pictures you took around your room to show parents
 * Students can add tags to picture of their favorite book and provide information about the author and the book.
 * Have students create tags to their Wordle.

=Resources:=

Ideas for the classroom:
@http://auntytechideas.tumblr.com/: @https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0ASfUsgJWgfcsZGNjOWZxZHRfNjI5Zno5MmszZ3Q @http://edutl.tumblr.com/-teaching ideas and pictures to use in the classroom. http://www.thinglink.com/scene/269449954164998146- different tags that are useful for educators and librarians.

An example of tags about an author: http://yourteacherlibrarian.wikispaces.com/Laurie+Halse+Anderson

Good site for teachers on digital differentiation. Also good example of how tags can be used. @http://d97cooltools.blogspot.com/2012/02/digital-differentiation-get-wired.html

Tutoral