Tech, Tac, Toe: Sea Turtle Thinglink

For my second tool, I decided to use an interactive image.  I found the free tool on http://www.thinglink.com.  I took a step back from math and decided to focus on animal science.  I know from personal experience that any subject matter focusing on animals is always a favorite.  Animals (like ice cream) are loved by students, and I have not heard of many students who dislike learning about them.  I chose the specific animal for this lesson to be the sea turtle.  There are so many fascinating facts about this animal and most kids have not seen one.  So, I assumed that it would be an intriguing animal to study.
The particular interactive image I made of the sea turtle has nine points that either connect to a YouTube video, a picture, or a link about sea turtles.  One point even has a link to the definition of "reptile".  I would love to make this interactive image during class with my students.  I think that after an initial discussion on sea turtles in class, it would be fun for the students and their teacher to work together to make an interactive image about this topic.  It could also be used as an assessment tool for the teacher in order to see what the students remembered about these creatures. The students could help the teacher find videos, articles, and other pictures about sea turtles and then work together to put the points on the image via their iPads.  Another way is that they could also project the image on a Smartboard and instruct the teacher on their computer on where to put the points and what they should link to those specific points.
I honestly believe that this would be a fun and exciting way to combine all the students' knowledge about the animal into one tool.  This tool could even be accessed later on as a "review sheet" for the students when they are about to take a quiz on sea turtles.  They could use their iPads to access the image and study.  Also, I believe that students remember information easier if they help to create a project that uses their own personal knowledge about the subject.  I think that the combination of animals and interactive play would be a great way to enhance this topic matter and help the students learn effectively.  I think that this would be a great tool to use in any classroom.

Below is my example of the Sea Turtle interactive image.  Beware that some sea turtles chomp.

http://www.thinglink.com/scene/639975288729501696

Just keep swimming.