Pause Before You Pin!
By Nicole Hansen
Ask nearly any teacher about Pinterest (http://www.pinterest.com) and they'll likely tell you how invaluable it is. The website allows users to collect and post ("pin") images extracted from the Internet to a virtual "board" for later viewing, as well as browse the "pins" of others. Though Pinterest can be used for everything from sharing recipes to planning weddings, it is the fifth most popular website among teachers (Scholastic, 2014) because it is a rich source of lesson plans, classroom decorations, and teaching tips.
Why Use Pinterest?
Pinterest allows you to take your professional education beyond the four walls of the classroom and gives you access to ideas related to any topic you can dream of—math activities, writing strategies, classroom management techniques, and more! Pinterest is also accessible 24/7, offering a worldwide network of educators at your fingertips to provide inspiration and ideas at all hours of the day. You can even connect to professional organizations or other individuals teaching similar content on social media websites, expanding your professional network and connecting you to a community that can support you early in your career (Risser, 2013).
Pinterest is a rich source of lesson plans, classroom decorations, and teaching tips. To make the most of this vast resource, consider the following '5Cs' to ensure that your pinning not only inspires but transforms your teaching practice.
1. Consider the Needs of Your Students
It's easy to get caught up in the most eye-catching ideas on Pinterest. However, before you use an idea, first consider the unique needs of your students (Grote-Garcia & Vasinda, 2014). Some aspects to consider include the grade level of your students, the developmental appropriateness of the idea, and the interests and prerequisite skills that your students bring to your classroom. You may decide to make some modifications to fit the exact needs of your class.
2. Check the Pin for Accuracy
A study of mathematics-related pins (Hertel & Wessman-Enzinger, 2017) found mathematical errors in roughly one-third of the pins! Anyone can post anything on Pinterest, whether it is accurate or not. Carefully evaluate the entire resource you've found for accuracy before you use it in your classroom. If you are unsure, ask a trusted colleague or mentor for their input.
3. Consult the Original Source
When you find a "pin" on Pinterest that interests you, you can click on that "pin" to go to the original source. This will bring you to the website where the idea was originally shared. There, you may find further instructions, more pictures, details about the context in which the idea was used, or even comments from other teachers who used the same idea.
4. Curate an Organized Collection of Ideas
Pinterest allows users to divide their "boards" into "sections." Set up a structure that will make it easy to find what you need later when you are in a hurry. For example, you can create a board called "Fifth Grade Science," and add sections within that board for each topic (e.g., "Space", "Ecosystems"). Organized boards will allow you to pin ideas all year long.
5. Collaborate
While many teachers primarily use Pinterest to find and save ideas (Carpenter et al., 2018), the platform also offers collaborative features that can enhance your teaching practice. For example, you can comment on the "pins" of others, follow other users, follow professional organizations, and create group boards. This is a great way to collaborate with other teachers within your school and even worldwide!
Finding good resources can be challenging, but it's rewarding when you see your students learning from the creative ideas that you use in your classroom. Try these tips to take advantage of the many resources available on Pinterest!
References
Carpenter, Jeffrey, Amanda Cassaday, and Stefania Monti. "Exploring How and Why Educators Use Pinterest." In Proceedings of Society for Information Technology & Teacher Education International Conference, pp. 2222-2229. Association for the Advancement of Computing in Education (AACE), 2018.
Grote-Garcia, Stephanie, and Sheri Vasinda. "Pinning and Practice: Using Pinterest as a Tool for Developing Pedagogical Content Knowledge." Texas Journal of Literacy Education 2, no. 1 (2014): 36-45.
Hertel, Joshua T., and Nicole M. Wessman-Enzinger. "Examining Pinterest as a Curriculum Resource for Negative Integers: An Initial Investigation." Education Sciences 7, no. 2 (2017): 45.
Risser, Hilary S. "Virtual Induction: A Novice Teacher's Use of Twitter to Form an Informal Mentoring Network." Teaching and Teacher Education 35 (2013): 25-33.
Scholastic. Primary Sources: America's Teachers on Teaching in an Era of Change. 2014. http://www.scholastic.com/primarysources/PrimarySources3rdEditionWithAppendix.pdf.
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