ThingLink Spotlight! Lighting Up Immersive Learning with Amanda Pickard
ThingLink Luminaries is a series of guest blog posts highlighting certified trainers who are creating interactive and immersive experiences to make learning more engaging, accessible, and meaningful. Our educators and learning designers bring a thoughtful approach to immersive learning, and their work reflects a deep commitment to creativity, pedagogy, and innovation.
In each profile post, we’ll explore their background, teaching philosophy, and favorite ThingLink projects—offering insight into how they’re making a lasting impact in their classrooms, organizations and communities! Enjoy!
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Introducing Amanda
I am a Primary teacher turned Digital Development Officer working in South Ayrshire, Scotland, with a passion for playful, purposeful learning. A Microsoft Innovative Educator Expert, MIEE Fellow, and proud ThingLink superfan. I am also a champion and ambassador for a number of educational tools and apps that spark creativity, curiosity, and connection. I believe learning through play, and making it fun and interactive, is essential for creating meaningful, memorable experiences. Fun fact: I once took a Primary 2 class to the moon and back before home time, using stories, soundscapes, lights, and interactive magic to launch an unforgettable adventure.
More Fun Facts about Amanda!
I love powerlifting and currently hold the Masters 4 UK records in bench press and deadlift… lifting learning and some serious weight! 😄 I used to live on a boat and sailed from Shetland to Italy, living onboards in ports and anchorages along the way.
Amanda’s ThingLink Project
My “Building Sentences,” ThingLink is an interactive resource designed for 4 and 5 year olds to support language and literacy development. With the help of my trusty assistant, Travis, and playful hotspots, my pupils were able to explore simple sentence structures by listening to and building basic sentences using familiar vocabulary and visuals. My intention was to create something that could help to develop oral language, sentence formation, and communication skills in a fun, accessible way.
What inspired this project?
I chose this ThingLink which I created during the first lockdown in 2020 because it transformed how I connected with my Primary 1 class, who were just 4 and 5 years old. Online learning was a huge challenge for children so young, but this interactive resource gave them a way to engage independently in a fun, playful, and meaningful way. It offered them choice, sparked curiosity, and gave families a supportive way to explore learning together at home. This was also the first ThingLink where I got a wee bit braver to explore different digital technologies, experimenting with app smashing to create something powerful, creative, and truly engaging for my learners.
How was it used with your learners, how did they experience it?
This ThingLink was shared with my learners during the first lockdown in 2020. Coming from a play-based classroom and finding our way with online learning was incredible challenging. Yes, my wee learners were all independently able to login and use a learning platform however, trying to engage my wee learners through a screen during lockdown was like trying to run a mud kitchen on a Teams call was dry, unnatural, and miles away from the joyful chaos of play-based learning. But creating this interactive ThingLink for Primary 1 became a turning point. Families were quick to let me know that it had grabbed the children’s attention, reignited curiosity, and brought back that spark of joy in learning we’d been missing.
I recently visited this group of pupils (now in primary 6) who were so excited to share their memories about the fun they had exploring this ThingLink. It was a powerful reminder of how interactive learning doesn’t just engage in the moment, it leaves a lasting impression.
Do you have any other projects you’d liek to share?
I love my Where in the World ThingLink – Which made it easy and fun for my little learners to see where Scotland sits in the world, starting with a global map and zooming right in. Along the way, they were able to click on videos, photos, and audio to explore Scottish culture and meet Rabbie Burns in a lively, engaging way. It was all about letting my learners follow their curiosity, hear the accent, see the sights, and get a real feel for who Burns was and why he still matters today.
What do you love about ThingLink?
I love how easy, quick, flexible, accessible and powerful ThingLink is. ThingLink makes learning stick, it transforms content into clickable learning adventures. ThingLink allows me to simplify complex topics, leading learners through topics with clarity. ThingLink gives me creative freedom and design without limits to fit,. There is nothing that I don’t love about ThingLink.
Connect with Amanda
📎 Amanda loves to share her moments of insight across her social media channels, connect with Amanda through them, more on her Link Tree
