Pining away for Pinterest
If you have
not already been “introduced” to Pinterest, you are truly missing out! Pinterest can be used, solely, for
entertainment. It can, however, also be
very instrumental in motivating teachers and in assisting teachers with lessoning
planning.
Pinterest
is a web site that was created two years ago. It contains more than 10 million
members. This online location is where people can organize
ideas into different categories. An
online bulletin board is created once a person joins. The online bulletin board is where one can “pin”
different pictures of ideas or quotes they like or find interesting.
The mission of Pinterest is “to connect everyone in the world through the
'things' they find interesting. We think that a favorite book, toy, or recipe
can reveal a common link between two people. With millions of new pins added
every week, Pinterest is connecting people all over the world based on shared
tastes and interests.”
When I first joined Pinterest, I did so for pure
entertainment. I later learned there
were some amazing educational ideas out there that needed to be shared with my
teachers. I immediately encouraged them
to “follow me” on this site as I hoped to provide them with some engaging activities
for their students. I also “pinned” some
inspirational quotes from which I felt some of my teachers might benefit.
The more I
browsed this site and the more I began to “follow” many of them, the more I
began to realize that several of my teachers had already discovered this
spectacular site!
This site
may also be used for pinning current events, informing students of classroom
resources, collaborating with other teachers on shared lessons, or promoting student
work electronically. Pinterest may also
be used to connect with students or teachers from different schools or
universities online.
Blogs may
also be introduced through the Pinterest site.
These blogs can provide teachers with an innovative way of teaching a
skill that may have lost its appeal. Many teachers have indicated that through the
use of these blogs, they feel a newfound excitement for lessons they have been
teaching for years.
The
following educators and leaders are currently using Pinterest and are
definitely worth “following!”
Eric
Sheninger may also be found on my diigo list at http://www.diigo.com/user/stevisims.
Though I have been meaning to visit this site and see what all the talk is about, I haven't yet made it. I didn't realize there were educational ideas on the site, but it only makes sense. I love your idea of pinning inspirational quotes for teachers as well. I am currently working with some parents to plan our eighth grade banquet, and I know one of the parents has pinned some ideas for that as well. Technology keeps shrinking the size of our world while multiplying our possibilities.
ReplyDeleteStevi,
ReplyDeleteI would never have thought of Pinterest for educational purposes. This is a site I have seen my teenage daughter obsess over. She has used it for clothing ideas and home decorating ideas. I did not realize that anyone was using it for educational ideas. I will have to share the teacher's sites that you have included on here with my teachers.