This Visualization project is a symbolic epitome of not only the atrocities of the Holocaust but my experience in this class. I was forced out of my comfort zone technologically more in this class than any other in my college career. Using new websites and applications like Padlet and Flipgrid tested my patience but I’m glad I now have the knowledge to use things like this in my classroom!
For this project, I used the website ThingLink. It allows you to put pins on to pictures that allow for greater details and links to other sources. I loved this idea. It feels like going to a museum using only a picture. For the main image, I chose one of the most memorable Holocaust pictures; The Warsaw Ghetto Boy. It allowed me to create pins that encompass narratives from various sides of the historical study of World War II. The rest of the pictures and the main picture itself were all gathered using Google Images. In order to better represent this visualization project in regards to my blog post topic, I made sure to incorporate film recommendations that show the various sides of this event. I was able to link to an article listing films instead of embedding 1 film, which would be tricky due to storage and copyright issues.
Looking at pictures for this and frankly, any historical event can be way more intuitive than reading about it in a textbook. It allows me to use pictures to analyze a topic from a human lens. Seeing the pain in some people’s eyes and the coldness in others really shows the dark contrast between Hero and Villian, Jew and Nazi, and in terms of Maus; Cats and Mice. This project can be way more than just a picture. It allows you to add links to other sources that allow myself and my readers/students to gain a further understanding that would not normally be in their textbooks.
In terms of how this will make me think of visualizations projects as a whole, this is just another great resource to add to my teaching toolbelt. I love it when we can get away from the traditional lesson structure as teachers. Students, especially ones that learn in less traditional ways can use their knowledge of technology to learn in different ways. An expectation for us as teachers is to constantly grow with our kids in order to better understand them and their needs. Things like this are a great first step that can help bridge the gap.
Tyler's Blog 
Nice blog, Tyler. It appears that we did similar projects using Thinglink. I, however, like your use of only picture because of how powerful it is. There is a lot to unpack within it and I think the pins work well. WWII is such an interesting topic because it is images like these that can show students the brutalities of war. I also like how you connect it back to your overall theme of using films to teach, which is another visual aspect. I could totally see myself using this within the classroom.
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Tyler, I like the choice of ThingLink as a platform. I’ve never seen it used before and I think it would be appropriate for anyone from preschool to adult, as long as they can click a mouse. Being an elementary teacher who works with struggling readers, I especially liked that it can read captioned text to you, if needed. I also agree with Austin that the use of one single image for your topic was very powerful and appropriate- you were able to convey so much. One more thing that stuck out for me is that it allows for both quick (reading your captions) and more in depth explorations of the topic (visiting linked websites). This could be helpful in the classroom as you allow your students choice in exploring various aspects of the topic. Well done!
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Hey Tyler,
Great job with your ThingLink project. I personally found it to be a pretty easy and powerful tool to use, and you’ve created something truly evocative (though I’m not so sure how I feel about the analogy connecting the holocaust image to your own experience with the project…). One piece of constructive (I hope) criticism: I think that if I didn’t know much about the holocaust, I’d still be left wondering “but why did the Nazi’s do this?” You mention that they saw the Jews as an obstacle to their “Perfect Aryan Race”– I think it’d be great to include a link that expands on this idea. It could even connect to modern day Nazism so that learners don’t think that this is just in the past and couldn’t possibly happen again.
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Hi Tyler,
Nice work! I like the image and the information provided was well thought out as well. I would love to see some more images as well, this time period is so interesting to learn about.
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Tyler, this is a very powerful image. I’m impressed with how you’ve turned it into a primary document for analysis through annotation via Thinglink. The nodes allow you to dissect the many parts of the image as well as add several layers of context. In addition to providing scaffolding for visual literacy, it also provides a way into historical analysis of images. This is a very creative use of the platform. I’d love to see how you implement this into your teaching perhaps having students do the same with other images and then sharing them with peers.
Thank you for sharing your interests in WWI here on your blog. I wish you well as you move forward into your full student teaching next semester.
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