What it is: Pinterest is a new obsession of mine. I signed up for the invite-only version a while ago but hadn’t done anything with the service since. In between Reform Symposium sessions I wandered back on to check it out. Wow. I know there are other tools out there that do what Pinterest do but none that are so immediately user friendly and visually appealing. I am impressed and addicted. Pinterest lets you “pin” things from around the web on virtual pin boards. You can create as many boards as you want and share them with others. Each time you pin something you can give it a description and tags if you want. Pinterest does the rest and automatically cites the source and provides a trail to get back to the original. As a teacher I love Pinterest for pinning all of those great ideas I find around the web visually. I can write a quick reminder to myself about what I was thinking when I pinned it or how I want to use the tool. SO great! A lot of times I come across some random craft or picture that spurs an idea for something I want to do for the classroom. Because it isn’t a tech-tool or related to education it often gets lost. Pinterest is helping me grab all of those ideas and keep them around so I actually put them to use. Very nice.
How to integrate Pinterest into the classroom: Pinterest is a great way to organize yourself as a teacher. Gather up all those ideas you see online and then share them with other teachers (who may or may not be Pinterest users…it really doesn’t matter).
Because you can share Pinterest boards with non-Pinterest users, this is a great way to share things with students. The resource could be anything- pictures, a website, a video. Create a board for every unit that you do and share those boards with students so that they can continue exploring and learning.
Students can use Pinterest too, invite young students to help build boards in a class Pinterest account. Create a board for every letter of the alphabet and let students add pictures that they come across to the letter board that it matches. Pinterest has a bookmark tool that you can put in your bookmark bar to make this as easy as one click! Students can put their first name in the description so you (and other students) can keep track of who found what. Like a year-long web scavenger hunt!
Older students can create their own Pinterest boards. Pinterest would be a great place for them to collect images that they feel say something about them-an identity board. These boards can be shared with others and added to all year. Not only will you get to know your students better, but other students will find connections they didn’t know they had.
Pinterest is a nice visual way for students to share their web findings. Pinterest even lets students decide if they want to be the only contributor to their board or if they want to open it up for collaboration so others can add their findings to the board. Way cool.
I have two Pinterest boards that may be of interest to you, one is Classroom Inspiration where I am keeping ideas of things I want to do with students or for our classroom. The other is School Design where I am collecting inspirational designs that I want to see in our school when we build our own building.
Tips: Right now Pinterest is an invitation only site. You can sign up to receive an invitation (I received mine in about 10 min) or you can let me know you are interested in an invite and I can get you on the list. See that? It is worth reading to the bottom of posts- VIP access! Leave a comment if you want an invite and be sure to use a real email address because that is how the invite gets to you.
Please leave a comment and share how you are using Pinterest your classroom!
This sounds great! I’ve used lino and wall wisher, but this seems like it might be easier with students. Thanks for sharing. When you have a chance, I’d love an invite.
This sounds very interesting and I would like to share it with my teachers.
I have become completely caught up with Pinterest too. I made a separate account for my professional pinboards, and another account for all my other numerous personal interests. That way I can share resources and ideas that are education-related one with my colleagues.
One more idea–I wanted to share my board thus far where I’m collecting some kid-friendly infographics!
http://pinterest.com/eheastman/infographics/
I would love an invite.
Thanks for sharing Elizabeth!
Would love an invite! Thanks!!
I agree! Pinterest is pretty awesome. I have already found some great teaching ideas.
My only caveat would be that some of the images on Pinterest that I’ve seen are adult in nature. They don’t pop up all the time, but are bound to come up sometime.
I’ve been experimenting with ScoopIt for curation but Pinterest sounds wonderful!
ooh this looks great – would love an invite if you have any left
ps – the onswipe theme means comments dont work on ipad. i ended up removing it from my own blog
I’m a fan Pinterest too ’cause’s useful and fun even I don’t have there an account yet (is about just a timeless question).
I’d love an invite! I had recently heard about pinterest, but your description makes me much more interested in trying it out. Thanks.
I also hooked – not using with my very young preschool class, but was a staffroom for sharing ideas with other educators and creative individuals.
These look great, I see the permalink on them and was wondering if you can embed them?
I love this blog! I was reading about your love of pinterest on Twitter and popped over to your blog. You totally sold me on this with the uses for school. I think my grade 7’s will love this. I’m also thinking the grade 2/3 class I’m teaching phys.ed might be able to use this as well! If you have another invite available I’d love one- but I can ask for my own if you are out.
Based on your review I am very interested, please send me an invitation. Thank you.
I would love an invite!
Lindsey, not sure if you can or not but would be awesome if we could!
Hi I am a middle school teacher and just viewed a webinar on illuminate where you talked about Pinterest. I am interested in checking it out, could you please invite me?
Thank you
I would like an invite please.
I have seen this from some crafty blogs I follow but LOVE the idea of using it for the classroom. Not only to organize my thoughts (which change depending on which website I’m looking at) but your idea of sharing different things with the students is awesome as well!
How would one get invited? It sounds so interesting to try out! 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Would love so much to have an invite. Been waiting awhile. Thanks!
You got it Ginger!
Kelly,
If you still have any invites left I would certainly appreciate having the opportunity to explore the site and create some professional and personal boards. I have been waiting for months.
Thanks.
You got it!
I posted a new blog entry about Pinterest in the classroom that I thought you all might find interest – 10 concrete ways to use Pinterest with your students! http://teachbytes.wordpress.com/2012/03/10/10-ways-to-use-pinterest-in-the-classroom/