Pinterest for Educators Becca Adkins

Pinterest for Educators

A Quick Intro...

Now that that is out of the way, who loves Pinterest?

I can tell you that I really, really do!

Also...don't forget to search a variety of terms related to the topic you are interested in. For example, if searching for Writer's Workshop ideas, search WW, but also Lucy Calkins, Teachers College Reading and Writing Project, Small Moments, MAISA, etc. Also, use your topic and the grade level you want to research. This will give you more specific responses, and might lead you to connecting with colleagues in your grade level, or area of expertise.

Whom Should You Follow?

How to Make a Collaborative Board

Last, but not least, you need to pin! Don't be afraid! If it's something YOU like, and think has value, chances are others on your team, your collaborative peers, will as well. And don't let Pinterest fool you. You can pin items to more than one board. They might tell you "Hey, you've already pinned that", but you just tell them, "Too bad! My team needs to see this!". Pin it! Share it! Collaborate!

Personal Pinterest Account vs. Professional

So, here's the thing. While everyone on your team may find value in the awesome sight word game you just found, they may not want to see your every Doctor Who pin ( ). And while they can choose to unfollow the specific boards that are not meaningful to them, another way to manage your personal vs. private pins is to have two different Pinterest accounts. It's not complicated, and it's a great way to keep your personal life personal, and your professional image, well, professional. You could even allow parents and families to follow your professional account, and create a board to share ideas with them! Let me show you how I have made having two separate Pinterest accounts work for me.

What is it, and why should I use it?

Conclusion

Pinterest is what you make of it. If you just want to relax, browse, and enjoy, it's the perfect way to waste an evening.

Pinterest is a social media tool which allows its users (Pinners) to bookmark (Pin) images from the internet onto their own personal "pinboards".

Users can create their own pins, search pins of others, comment on the pins of others, and follow the boards of other pinners.

Follow Me On Pinterest!

personal account: Becca372

professional account: MrsAdkinsKindergarten

With thought and reflection, however, Pinterest can become an amazing tool for educators. It allows us to connect with others who inspire us, introduces us to new and diverse tools and strategies, and helps us to feel more connected with our teaching peers, both those we see daily, and those we may never be lucky enough to meet in real life. What an incredible tool! Go get pinning!

Follow Me On Twitter!

@BeccaAdkins3

Follow Me on Twitter

@BeccaAdkins3

How do I sign up?

Pinning is easy!

• First, install the "Pin It" button on your browser. (I will show you how!) This will let you pin from anywhere you visit.
• You can also browse Pinterest and repin any images you like. If you want to research a pin more closely, simply click on the image, and you should be redirected to the website.

It is easy! Simply go to www.pinterest.com and sign up, using either your Facebook account OR an email address.

You do not need to have a Facebook account to use Pinterest!

I'm on Instagram, too! Join me there!

Becca372

But How Do I Know What to Pin?

Basically,

if it is interesting or meaningful to you,

pin it!

That being said...you don't want your pin boards to look like an episode of Hoarders.

Believe me. I've been there and done that.

Look, I'll show you!

See that? Yep. Almost 800 pins. All related to kindergarten somehow...

but no real rhyme or reason.

How do we FIND what we pin

in a sensible way???

Making Categories

A Few Things to Remember

So, that brings us to categories...your board can either look like this:

1. Check your links, and credit your sources. If you MUST pin something that does not have a link behind it, note that in your comments.

2. If you repin from a blog, consider leaving a comment on the post you pin from, letting the creator know you appreciate his/her work.

3. Pinterest is a public tool, and, unless you create (and post to) a secret board, everything you pin is in the public eye.

...or it can look like this...

Ideas

Notes

This idea is the same as "what should you pin?". Whomever inspires you. Your colleagues. Experts in your field. The teacher whose blog you enjoy reading. The individual you follow on Twitter.

Certainly, check out the teacher section of Pinterest (www.pinterest.com/teachers). Great ideas AND the contributors to those boards are amazing individuals to follow.

Ideas

Okay, but how do I find things?

Pinterest can be a powerful tool for sharing and collaboration. Pinterest gives you the ability to collaborate on curating boards. Great examples of this are the Teacher boards shared previously, but I can show you some other cool examples (note: not all are education related).

Searching Pinterest can be done in several different ways.

• by Pins
• by Boards
• by Pinners

One individual must create the collaborative board. He or she then invites other individuals to act as contributers. The creator must follow at least one board of each of the invitees to be able to invite them. Once invited individuals accept the request, they will be able to pin to the collaborative board.

You can also use keywords to search through your own pins...so if you have a Hoarders style board, you can find what you need with a little more ease.

Ideas