What Makes Education So Pinteresting?
String the words “social” and “media” together in a sentence when talking with most educators and the conversation inevitably turns to the Big Three: Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn.
As teachers weigh the value of social networking in classrooms, several emerging tools have also begun to pique educators’ interest — or, dare I say, Pinterest?
By now, you’ve no doubt heard about the online bulletin board that lets people post and share notes, pictures, infographics and other media with the network’s base of more than 10 million users.
A recent report on technology news site TechCrunch says the majority of those users are women, many in the coveted 18–34 age bracket, which could explain the massive valuations pinned to the company’s rising fortunes — Forbes recently estimated Pinterest’s value at more than $7 billion.
The site has also become increasingly popular in schools, where teachers pin resources to share with colleagues, and students create presentations and trade notes on homework, among other uses.
Whether you’re already using Pinterest or considering how to integrate it into the growing mix of social media applications used in your classroom, we’ve assembled three great resources guaranteed to capture your interest, or dare I say, pin . . . Enough with the puns! Just check them out already:
The Teacher’s Quick Guide to Pinterest
This article from Edudemic, written by Julie Delello, an assistant professor of education at the University of Texas at Tyler, provides some excellent examples of how to use Pinterest in the classroom and offers some guidelines and advice for getting started.
16 Ways Educators Can Use Pinterest
Got the basics down? Ready to start testing the boundaries of what Pinterest can do? Online news site Mashable presents this easy-to-read infographic from OnlineUniversties.com. It was originally designed for the college set, but each idea translates easily to K–12 education.
25 Great Educators to Follow on Pinterest
Still looking for ideas? Edudemic and education partner Best Colleges Online recently cross-posted this resource, which provides a list of educators who are already using Pinterest to great effect. Most of the educators on this list hail from higher education, but their Pinterest boards would certainly be of interest to K–12 teachers looking to integrate the social posting tool into their curricula.
