There are a lot of
great technology tools out there for teachers that can make it easier to
connect with other educators, get ideas for classroom activities, and
find inspiration. One of the newest and best of these online tools is
Pinterest, which has quickly become a favorite among educators. Using online
“pinboards” teachers can save everything from photos to blog posts in one
easily accessible and usable place.
Educators who are
curious about Pinterest should sign up for an invitation today (it’s still
invite only, but it doesn’t take long to get an invitation) and start creating
their own amazing collections of pins. Not sure where to start? Check out some
of these great ideas on how teachers can use Pinterest.
INSPIRATION
Pinterest is ideal for getting inspired on a wide range of topics.
- Get inspiration for
decorating your classroom. Looking to liven up your classroom?
There are tons of photos of great classroom setups, from kindergartens to
high school that you can use for inspiration.
- Organize
your ideas. Do you find yourself jotting down ideas or
bookmarking websites and then forgetting about them? Pinterest can help
you keep these ideas organized and easy-to-find when you need them.
- Get ideas for an
inspired bulletin board. A great bulletin board display can make
kids excited to learn and proud to see their accomplishments on the wall.
You’ll find some amazing ideas for creating your own when you browse
Pinterest.
- Follow
interesting boards. Found a treasure trove of resources? Follow
that board! That way anytime things are posted to it you’ll see it
immediately in your own feed.
- Get fun ideas for new
projects. Whether you’re looking for holiday fun for students or
something to relate to your lessons, you’ll find some really amazing ideas
when you look through educational pins on the site.
- Learn how to get crafty. Pinterest
is full of great craft ideas, both for you and the students. Pin a few to
have fun with later on.
- Look for ways to
organize your classroom. Classroom lacking organization? Search
through pins for some great, often very creative, ways to keep your class
neat and tidy.
LESSONS
You’ll find a wealth of lessons and ideas on Pinterest to look through.
- Swap lesson plans. Pinterest
is full of lesson plans that you can use and adapt to your own needs. You
can also show off your own great ideas by pinning photos and blog posts on
your own.
- Locate
amazing images for your lessons. Pinterest is a very visual
resource, which is what makes it such a great place to look when you’re
trying to find images for a lesson or a lecture. There are tons of
material that is historical, contemporary, art historical, or just plain
interesting to look through.
- Have students
pin project ideas. Pinterest can also be a great place to get
students working. Teachers could have students pin ideas on a board that
relate to a particular project they’ll be working on.
- Use pinning as
part of a lesson. Of course, pinning itself could also be an
educational experience. Students could have to pin items that fit a
certain set of criteria as part of a lesson.
- Collect ideas for virtual
field trips. Let your kids travel the world through the web when
you find creative online field trips on Pinterest, or build your own
through great images.
- Make
group work visual. Whether you’re working with your colleagues or
helping students to work on a group project, Pinterest can be a great
place to collaborate. Share images for presentations or links to papers,
resources, and research.
- Have
students photo journal on Pinterest. There are numerous ways
students can use Pinterest to journal. How about a series of photos captioned
in a foreign language? Or documenting a trip they took? The possibilities
are endless.
- Find loads of printables. If
you’re in the market for some printable games and lessons for your
students, you’ll find tons of great stuff on Pinterest.
- Pump up your science
lessons with amazing experiments. Search through the pins on the
site for some ideas that can help bring science to life for your students.
- Get ideas on how to
make learning more hands-on. There are pages and pages worth of
pins all about hands-on projects for students. Take advantage of some to
make your lessons more interesting and memorable for your students.
- Find great books to use
in the classroom. It can be tough to choose books for young
readers that are both fresh and age appropriate. Luckily, you’ll find some
help on that when you look through Pinterest.
- Look for grade-specific
materials. Need to search by grade? You can do that, too! If you
find boards you like, make sure to follow them.
PROFESSIONAL
Develop your teaching skills and connect with other professionals using these
Pinterest ideas.
- Collaborate
with other teachers and educators. Through Pinterest, teachers
can create collaborative boards. This makes it simple to work together on
projects, build better lessons, or just connect over shared ideas.
- Start
a conversation. Inspired by a lesson plan or image posted by
another educator? Tell them! You can comment on their pins, offering you a
chance to learn more and connect.
- Share what you’re doing
in the classroom. While it’s great to sit back and take in all
the images other people have shared, you shouldn’t be afraid to share your
own as well. Pin your favorite classroom projects so that other teachers
and students can make use of them as well.
- Find out about great
reads. Whether you’re looking to be inspired or find non-fiction
reads about managing your classroom, look to pins from teachers on
Pinterest for some recommendations.
- Get links to great tech
resources. Pinterest is a great place to find out about new tech
resources for teachers, including places to print off materials, track
your students, or get free educational videos, among other things!
- Look for new and
innovative teaching methods. Don’t get stuck in the past! Learn
about new ways to connect with and manage your students from blog posts
linked to on Pinterest.
- Find out about awesome new
educational products. You can pin pictures of the latest and
greatest in educational products, though some may be dream purchases.
- Promote
your own work or blog. Show off your teaching skills and
creativity on Pinterest. You can use it to promote your blog, photos, or
anything else you think is worth sharing.
- Learn how to help with
behavior management. You can find pins and talk with other
educators for new ideas on how to handle your students, from rewarding
them for doing well to handling a disruptive kid.
- Find amazing teaching blogs to
read. If you’re looking for more reading material, you’ll find it
on Pinterest. There are loads of teacher blogs and educational posts
pinned that you can look through.
- Develop as a teacher. You
might not have thought about using Pinterest as a personal development
tool, but it works for that as well. Find ideas that can help you push
your teaching to the next level.
- Find other teachers. Seek
out other teachers on Pinterest so that you can share ideas. You can find
your coworkers or strangers and start following each other.
- Stay on top of trends. It
can be hard to keep up with the latest trends in education and well,
everything else. Check out the latest pins on Pinterest for an update.
- Find tutorials. Not
sure how to take on a project or tackle a new technology? You can use
Pinterest to find helpful tutorials that’ll make it a snap.
FUN
Pinterest doesn’t have to be all business. There are fun ways to use it, too!
- Find inspiration. Being
a teacher can be pretty hard work and sometimes you might need a little
pick-me-up. You’ll find tons of inspirational quotes and photos that will
help you get through even the hardest day.
- Create dream classrooms. There
are some truly beautiful classrooms posted on Pinterest. Collect your
favorite ideas and build a board that represents your ultimate dream
classroom.
- Laugh after a long day. One
of the best ways you can use Pinterest for fun is to create a board
dedicated to things that make you smile. Pin cute pictures, comic strips,
and funny images for an instant pick-me-up.
- Have fun! Pinterest
is one of the most fun sites out there to just browse through and enjoy,
so don’t just use it for work!
Tim Handorfhttp://www.bestcollegesonline.com/blog/2012/02/05/37-ways-teachers-should-use-pinterest/
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