Use Pinterest as a classroom resource

Submitted by Fiona Beal
Pinterest is one of those social networking programmes that everybody is talking about. It is one of those applications that you know you are going to have to do something about joining  at some stage! So, when a friend recently invited me to join Pinterest,  I knew the moment of joining and trying out this amazing and popular application had arrived. I made a start by reading Edudemic’s ‘Teacher’s Quick Guide to Pinterest.  http://edudemic.com/2012/03/the-teachers-quick-guide-to-pinterest/

What exactly is Pinterest?

Pinterest is another curating tool in the form of a visual pin board that allows you to pin images from blogs and websites so that you can easily refer to them at any stage. Recently Pinterest has added the use of YouTube videos to its features, so now with one click you can get your videos to an already existing collection on your Pinterest wall or on a new one. Pinterest allows you to tweet your pin or share it over Facebook if you chose to link your account with Pinterest. You can also play and watch the videos you include without leaving the website.. It seems that Slideshare and Pinterest have reached an arrangement as well.

Policies

Earlier this year educators were worried about Pinterest’s privacy policies, but Edudemic recently advised that Pinterest has now corrected “some potentially disastrous mistakes: their Terms of Service, Acceptable Use Policy, and Privacy Policy.”
http://edudemic.com/2012/03/why-ill-start-using-pinterest-again-after-april-6th/

How to create a Pinterest board

This is a helpful YouTube video showing how to go about creating a Pinterest board.




I also came across this Slideshare which had a lot of useful information about Pinterest
http://www.slideshare.net/krisrocs/pinterest-slideshare

Pinterest SlideShare from Kristie Johnson

Following others

One of the features I love about about Pinterest is that you can follow people who have interesting boards. After reading the Teacher’s Quick Guide mentioned above I came across this post called ‘30 inspiring pinterest pins for teachers'. 
http://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/2012/01/02/30-inspiring-pinterest-pins-for-teachers/
This seemed to be a good place to follow others. 

How can Pinterest be used in the classroom?

Educational technology experts have started digging into pinterest's educational potential and quite a number of articles have been written on this topic so far.
http://edudemic.com/2012/06/3-ways-to-use-pinterest-for-education/

1. Add subject specific images to use in an assignment or a class discussion

2. Find crafts and projects for school

3. Get lunch ideas for kids

4. Use it to pin infographics

5. Find new books to read and recommend

6. Summarise a conference or event
http://pinterest.com/coolcatteacher/iste12/

7. Keep a record of your lesson plans
http://pinterest.com/techchef4u/ipad-lessons/

8. Homeschoolers have found a great number of ways to use Pinterest. Here are 30 of their ideas. http://edudemic.com/2012/02/homeschool-pinterest/

9. Pinterest is a great tool for librarians.
http://edudemic.com/2012/03/20-ways-libraries-are-using-pinterest-right-now/ 

My Pinterest boards

I have started four pinboards to date:
a) Places to find lesson plans
http://pinterest.com/fibeal/places-to-find-lesson-plans/ 

 b) ESL Language Learning Resources
http://pinterest.com/fibeal/esl-language-learning-resources/

c) My favourite blogs (still in the early stages)

d) Our e-books (still in the early stages)

Further reading

a) Four ways to use Pinterest in Education
b) A LiveBinder called Pinterest for Education:
c) Pinterest resources for teachers from Cool Cat Teacher Blog 

d) Teaching history: 

e) Social pinboards: 

f) Middle Ages pinboard