5 ways to use Pinterest as a creation tool for learning

As I looked into using Pinterest  as an educator tool, I found that most people I asked were using it more as a consumption or curation tool. (See the infographic at the bottom of this post for those type of ideas.) However, as the Pinterest guru NewYorkBob (who has more than a million followers) tells us, it is also a great creation tool. Among other things, one of the reasons I like this tool is because unlike some other cool sites that allow you to share photos (think Instagram), you are not tied to having a certain device. This makes it a great educational tool since it is accessible across platforms. Once you create your board, you can invite the school community to interact by commenting, repining, or liking. So how might this be used in a school?  Here are five ideas.

5 ways to use Pinterest as a creation tool for learning

1.       Get to know staff

Share photos of teachers with their teaching philosophy. Send this out at the beginning of the year to parents so they can get to know who works at their child’s school. This could be modified as a get to know your classmates with pictures of each and in the comment area they can share their passions. Note: If you don’t have consent to share student photos, the photos could be representative of their passion instead, or…you could make the board secret.

2.       Celebrate science fair projects

Share photos of science fair projects with a description of the project. Even if parents can’t be there they can still see what was on display.

3.       Share books

Share photos of suggested books to read with a description of what the book is about and who might enjoy it. Families and their children can comment on the books they’ve read and share if they liked them.

4.       Sports teams

Share a photo from each event and include information such as final score, MVP, etc.  It’s a great way to document a season and provides a way for the school community to show their support.  Another possibility is to create a board with players photos and share.

5.       Neighborhood guide

Make a guide of your school neighborhood by taking pictures of various places and describing them. Others can share their comments and insights.

These are just a few ideas to get you started. Have more? Have examples? Please share in the comments.

Here are ideas for using Pinterest as a consumption or curation tool for learning.

Note: Pinterest's terms of service dictate that users under the age of 13 are prohibited. If your student’s don’t meet the age requirement, make sure it is only a teacher account that is being used.