Wednesday, February 8, 2012

Pinterest in Education

I noticed lots of people using Pinterest recently and thought I would look into ways it could be used in the classroom. Pinterest is an electronic bulletin board where users can “pin” images from around the web. These images are then categorized into various boards on the users’ profile. Pins are also shared and searchable, which makes Pinterest a wonderful resource for visual information. So what are these pin boards good for with regards to integrating them into the classroom? Pearson has come up with a list of four ways for teachers to use Pinterest:
  1. Lesson Plans- As briefly mentioned above, Pinterest is a superb visual resource full of pictures, videos, and website links. You can search for pins with a specific theme or subject, i.e. “Periodic Table,” making it an ideal resource for teachers 
  2. Sharing ideas- Pinterest is a social networking site that emphasizes interacting through interests and ideas. This makes it a perfect platform for sharing ideas with those who have a similar profession, trade, or hobby. For educators, Pinterest can be a great way to collaborate with teachers, parents, and students 
  3. Organization- One of Pinterest’s most attractive qualities is its aid in organization. Instead of crowding your desktop with countless folders, you can pin your sources to classified boards that will display on your profile
  4. Student Use- Pinterest can be a creative tool for students to use to organize resources for presentations, projects, essays, etc. If students are engaging in a group project, they can create a board for collaboration with their group members 
Link to tutorial


I am also exploring ways our journalism students may use in the classroom.
5 Ways Journalists Can Use Pinterest 

The Ultimate Guide to Pinterest (slideshare