Using Pinterest for the Classroom

For many years, I clipped magazine photos and articles of things I would like to incorporate into my classroom. I stored these in an avocado green file box (give you a clue to the year I started this?) and added to it as I swiped old magazines from doctors’ offices and my sister’s coffee table. Now there is a better way to find photos online.Seriously this website is probably the most fun I have had in a long time!! I love social media and Pinterest is the latest in a line of social networks. But the difference is that you work with images rather than simply words .How can this help in your classroom? Simply by allowing you to connect with other people who share your interests. I have found ideas for crafts, recipes, books to read, classroom displays, technology integration and a number of other things. The best part of Pinterest is that I do not have to imagine someone’s ideas— they post the pictures there. It is similar to an online bulletin board. You can find pictures for your classroom here too— great for content area lessons. I have found photos of landmarks,animals, bacteria, You can save the images you like to your own pinboard, which you set up when you register for the site.Named by Time Magazine as one of the best websites of 2011, Pinterest is gaining popularity quickly. You can look at Pinterest without joining the site, but in order to create your own pinboard, you must request an invitation from Pinterest in order toregister and join. I did and received an invitation about two days later. Pinterest isreally a simple, low-stress way to connect with other people—teachers or not— andshare ideas and images. Give it a try!