Thinglink is an app that allows you to create images that imbed videos, links, and text to make pictures interactive. With this app you can add any website URL and any video from YouTube you want.

To test this app, I decided to create an interactive guide to Beethoven’s Mass in D: Missa Solemnis. I included a video recording of the first movement as well as a website I would want my kids to explore. I also added a few questions for the students to answer on a separate sheet of paper.

Making my interactive photo was a lot of fun, and would work for any composer or any piece of work. I can see this app being a very critical component in a music appreciation class. It allows kids to absorb information in a fun and explorative way. My image is posted here:

Besides how I used Thinglink, I believe there are an infinite number of ways to use this in the classroom. Students could create a “get to know you” profile for their classmates to explore. In a music classroom, it could be used to make visuals audible by using pictures of a symphony, scenes from an opera, or baroque instruments that students are not familiar with today.

Not only is Thinglink a very fun tool, it is also easy to use and create your own! For a tutorial click here.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this app, and will definitely use it if I ever teach a music appreciation class. This app can really be used for any subject in so many ways–I am very impressed. The only downside is that you have to embed the pictures, which can be tricky for the less tech savvy bunch. However, With help and experimentation, one can easily figure it out.