Lesson 4: It’s all about Pinning!
Have you heard about Pinterest? Have you used Pinterest to find crafts or
fashion for yourself? Well…you’ve only
scratched the surface of what Pinterest can do for you in your classroom.
Have you ever had a lesson that you just need a spark to get
it going? Or need a fresh idea? Or want to do something really “cute” but you
don’t have the time to create the original….then Pinterest is for you.
Here is a quick guide to some teachers using Pinterest in
their classrooms. Some teachers even use
Pinterest almost like Edmodo….who knew!
Sometimes something rolls into to our lives that is used in
one way and we only see the way it was introduced to us, then…as you explore
you find there are more than a dozen ways to use it. Pinterest is one of those tools. In everything we do, technology should be
used as a tool – a way to make your life easier, more manageable or at least a
little more fun. Pinterest can sometimes
overwhelm you – but – it helps you organize all of those little clips of paper
that you want to try “someday!”
Teachers are so creative with uses of technology tools, the
following links will take you to some blogs and articles on using Pinterest not
only to collect things on boards, but also ways to integrate Pinterest with
your students’ learning. Take a look!
From Learning Unlimited – Cheat
Sheet and more using Pinterest
Remedial:
Never used Pinterest before – here are some basic understanding of what
and how to use it.
Enrichment: A Pinterest
Expert – think about integrating it into your classroom
Assignment: Join Pinterest. Make a board or two. Be sure one of your boards is for your
classroom. Find some pins. Pin them on your boards. Follow at least one RCE teacher. Add a pin from somewhere else. If you’d like, make a board for your students
to use.
Answer the following questions on the blog: How can Pinterest support your
classroom? What are some of your biggest
finds that others may helpful? Can you
see the use of Pinterest of a tool? If so,
how?
Jennifer B.
ReplyDeletePintrest is very useful for all grade levels. It has so many great ideas from teachers who have used and tested these ideas in their own classrooms so they know that they work with the students. I looked at it for classroom management ideas and found many that I would like to try next school year. I also looked at writing and grammar ideas and found ideas from teachers here in Texas dealing with the STAAR test and got some great ideas, As a tool I think Pintrest is just a great resource for teachers to use to find new approaches to things we possibly have been teaching for a while and making it new for our students and interesting.
Pinterest! I really feel sorry for anyone who “follows me” on Pinterest. For us ADD / ADHD people, this can be overwhelming and seem “complicated” at first. ☺
ReplyDeleteI have created a board and have people following me and have noticed some repining things I have added. I also know that people are pinning some of my things from my blog. That was strange to see – but nonetheless, pretty cool! This is just another way in which our classroom walls are being “torn down” and allowing for collaboration and for showcasing our thinking.
I have used Pinterest to help me create a visual on inferencing. I had initially found it in a Google search – and then was able to see that it was on someone’s board. I am following a variety of people now – mainly technology and education. I am hesitant to follow a few people I know – simply because I know they are addicted to pinning!!! That is overwhelming to me for some reason. Of course, sharing ideas with others is the ultimate way to go – work smarter, not harder!
Oh my...Pinterest has so many good things to use in a classroom. I have found more ideas in labeling, teaching and organization for the classroom. I've been very happy to see that so many people share their successful anchor charts and more on Pinterest. I need to explore more on using pineterest with my students. That is a whole new angle to use Pinterest something like Edmodo. There are several teachers to follow. Several from Rummel Creek have found some great pins that I have repinned. Librarians also have a good collection of things to share as well. I have found I must set a timer as I go through Pinterest...otherwise I loose too much time.
ReplyDeleteKate Evetts
ReplyDeletePinterest is a lot of fun, and I will use it. I think it was a great idea to encourage us to follow a fellow RCE teacher. Everyone should know to follow Dana. She loves this site and will do all the searching for you. I think the main time I will use this is when I need to "cutify" my classroom or a poster to get the students' attention and give them a visual. I like the ideas of some for organizing libraries or making a poster to point out important rules or components in a response. I know to come here when I have a concept, but I can't quite figure out how to share it. There are some really creative teachers out there who love to share their ideas. I wish I were one of them. At least I can give them credit when I follow them.
Lisa Davis
ReplyDeleteI agree with Theresa. This is overwhelming! I set up a few boards and added to one, but there is so much to look at that I quickly felt stressed. I think this idea is great for organizing blogs and ideas you find on the web. I will have to take some time to get myself organized with it. Right now it's so new that I can't even think about where to start. I'm going to give myself a few days to look around and add new stuff to my boards. Let's see where it takes me. As far as using it in the classroom, it would be great to have ideas for projects, virtual field trip, bulletin boards, etc so easy to reach. I don't know how I would use it with kids yet. I saw some ideas listed in the link above, but I have to get comfortable with it first. Dana has used it extensively and she shares some of the ideas with us, so now it's my turn.
I LOVE pinterest! I have many boards—a few for the classroom, home ideas, recipes, clothes, exercise, etc. And yes Kate is right about Dana’s boards! I get a lot of my pins from her. She always has fabulous pins! Pinterest has helped support my classroom by giving me a place to collect all of the classroom ideas and resources in one place making it easy to get to and sort through when trying to find an idea. While I could see the kids using a board as an easy way to get to resources there are some things to think about: First I think it has an age limit on who can join. Secondly, even though I don’t pin things that are inappropriate things do pop up on my page depending on what friends I'm following might pin to their boards. You can look at boards without being a member so students would need to closely monitored if they use pinterest. If one board was created for the class to use, I would just have the kids use the link to get to the board instead of signing up. This would be a great way to pin our 2nd grade videos for our flipped learning Math class. Also creating a parent board with links to various apps, parenting sites, and resources for homework help could be beneficial to parents wanting resources to help them at home.
ReplyDeleteNow, this is my favorite site (and time killer) of all time! I'm all about Pinterest. I use it all the time at school and at home. During planning time with my team, it is like me to pull up Pinterest and show them ideas for experiments, foldables, projects, etc. I use on my ActivBoard to show anchor charts, pre-write prompts, experiments, movies (esp in math processes), and more. I do not think it is appropriate for kids to have their own pages. I also think it would be difficult for parents to follow me since so many don't do Pinterest. I love that the ideas are sorted by boards to keep it organized and accessible. When I find a board that is too large, I separate it into smaller ideas so I can easier find things. I don't "follow all" when following people b/c that makes too difficult to explore. I choose boards from individual boards and follow only those that are meaningful to me. Above all,l it is user friendly and something I can access easily and quickly. I love-love-love my Pinterest boards.
ReplyDeleteI love, love, love Pinterest for so many reasons. I am the freak who has shelves of binders full of pictures I have torn out of magazines. Not only am I saving space and trees by using Pinterest, the torn pages no longer sit waiting to be put into their proper binder!
ReplyDeleteSome of my greatest anchor charts have come from Pinterest. At least once a week I have something on my ActivBoard for my students to see. Often it is grammar related, but there are puns, similies, spelling, etc. that is created in such a fun way that I can't resist showing them. They love it!
I do not think it is appropriate as a means of communication with students or parents. I have friends in the neighborhood who follow me or whom I follow, but not the children. Often we pin sayings or pictures that are above their heads or just not appropriate in the teacher/student relationship.
One way I need to use Pinterest better is to organize it in a more user friendly way. I simply have one board called "For the Classroom," but I could find things much easier if I put it into smaller categories. Most of my pins are language arts related, but there are quotes, organizational tips, student gift ideas, classroom management suggestions, etc. I would easily find what I need if I would just take the time to do it.
Amy White
ReplyDeleteI love Pinterest. I have several boards that I use to collect information about various topics from quotes to kitchen ideas to classroom ideas. I use it to support my classroom because if I need information or a way to teach a topic, I can look it up on pinterest and get multiple ideas. Some of my biggest finds are classroom management ideas as well as specific ways to teach various topics from place value to measurement. I see pinterest as one tool that I use as resource for me. I don't see myself creating a board for students to use because it is difficult to monitor. There are so many topics and pictures available on pinterest that I wouldn't want them to be exposed to something inappropriate.
Becky W.
ReplyDeleteHello, my name is Becky, and I have been a Pinterest addict for over a year now... :) Originally, I would go to the site just for recipe and home decor ideas. But the more I explored, I found it useful for other things, including my classroom. Through Pinterest, I have found ideas for classroom management, anchor charts, activities/lessons for all subjects, etc.. One thing that I have found useful is that it leads you to the original sites where the ideas came from. Because of that, I have found so many blogs and websites that other educators have created. I've bookmarked them and now check them once in a while for ideas and to see what is happening in their classroom.
Debbie Moore- Okay, it looks like I am BEHIND in the "Pinterest World"! I have gone to pinterest for recipes and ideas but have never pinned anything or made a board. I cannot tell you how much I am excited about it now. After looking at all of the suggestions Karen listed, I know that I will use it a lot this coming year. I plan to create my board, to organize ideas, and have them available quickly. I like the fact that you can get motivational quotes, lesson plans, and search topics. from other teachers. One of the first areas I looked at was cool classroom ideas and class management ideas. Having "fresh" ideas for the beginning of the year makes it more fun for students and teachers.
ReplyDeleteKerry L
ReplyDeleteI used Pinterest last year all the time. I would look up bulletin boards and art projects to do with kids to reinforce the unit we were working on. We also found several discipline and reward charts to use in the classroom with our kiddos. It was a great place to look for holiday gifts for parents. There are lots of very creative people on Pinterest!
I LOVE Pinterest! I mean this is like hoarding without the mess. I have found cute ideas for fun things to do for class. I love following other teachers. I follow Dana and Brandy and they have found the neatest ideas! It is fun to see what other people are finding. I have a school board and look for everything from science experiments to gift ideas. I really like it! It is very handy when you see something online you can go back to your board and find it much easier than looking for it on the web. I can't say enough about this resource!
ReplyDelete