By now we’ve all heard the buzz going on around Pinterest. Whether it’s from a super crafty friend or a co-worker who finds great party ideas on the site, it seems like a lot of creative ideas find their genesis on Pinterest. People are using the site in their free time and personal life quite frequently, and now we are seeing Pinterest grow into having a real presence in the work realm.
Teachers on Pinterest Stats
According to an annual survey by Edutopia, Pinterest is in the top five of professional development websites for teachers. 500,000 education related ideas are pinned to the site each day! It has become so popular with teachers, that in August 2013 Pinterest started a page called “Teachers on Pinterest” (https://www.pinterest.com/teachers/).
“Teachers on Pinterest” is super cool and contains 32 different boards that anyone can follow. It has become so big that it is followed by over 107,000 people. The “Teachers on Pinterest” space is very organized and each board is for a different group or topic, such as by grade, subject or special interests.
Top Four Reasons to Check Out Teachers on Pinterest:
- Get Fresh Ideas- Each of the 32 boards in this space has literally thousands of ideas pinned to it which creates this treasure trove of great, fresh new ideas. Whether you are looking for a specific lesson plan on a topic, or a cool new way to organize your classroom, it’s all there.
- Collaborate with other Teachers- Along with following a board in the teacher space (for example the First Grade board), you can also follow the individuals that post their content on each board. Most often, the people who are posting their ideas here are other teachers! What a great way to collaborate with your peers that are creating content and sharing innovative ideas.
- Become a Thought Leader- When you post inventive ideas, projects or lesson plans on a board other teachers can re-pin your content and/or follow you directly. You can become a thought leader when it comes to your specialty, whether that is 3rd grade math or preschool art! If you put up great stuff, others will take notice and want to be connected with you so they are the first to be notified when you pin new ideas.
- Engage Your Students in a Fun Way- Have a classroom contest where students are creating an idea for a class project and the winner gets their idea posted on your Pinterest page. You can have the students vote for the most interesting, inventive idea and that person is the winner!
Give it a Try
So there you have it. Jump in and give Pinterest a try! You can look around at first and see the amazing things that can help you get some fresh ideas for your classroom. Before you know it you will be pinning ideas and creating content you can share with other teachers.
Have you used Pinterest in your classroom? I’d love to hear how it has helped you as a teacher. Comment below and let us know. Thanks!