How to Use Pinterest in Education: A Powerful Tool

Most of you are probably familiar with using Pinterest to look for gift ideas, clothing, home improvement ideas, and craft projects, but did you know it can also be a great place to look for classroom inspiration, or to solve problems in your teaching? 





Keep your ideas organized? 

If you are anything like me, I frequently see an idea that I want to use later in the year "when we get to that topic."  But then by the time we get to that unit I have lost or forgotten that pieces of paper.  With Pinterest, I made a board for each unit that I teach, along with a general teaching board, a classroom organization board, and a technology board.  As other things come up, I can add them as well.  When I see a great idea for genetics, I can pin in there.  When I go back to teach genetics, I just quickly scan through the images on that board for ideas.  Even if I didn't pin it correctly I can search and find it.  Technology is so much easier to find things than paper. 

Click on the image above for a link to my boards.  

Looking for visual inspiration?
Its true, a picture is worth a thousand words.  Pinterest is visual so you can easily type in a topic or search and get videos, images of lesson plans, and resources that you can assess at a glance.  Sometimes you can quickly see how to use a resource, or find an image that will grab your students attention.  Of course you can search for lesson plans, as well as many other things. 

I even have a board for amazing science images.  These are great warmups, or engagement tools or readings for increased literacy. 

Other collaborators in your subject area? 
There is no question that it is immensely helpful to collaborate with other educators in your subject area.  If you can do that within your school or department, but sometimes you can't.  Pinterest offers a great way to collaborate with other educators in your subject area all around the world.  You can search and click and see what they are doing in their classrooms, or build up collaborative boards with other educators. 

News articles or inspiration for your subject? 
Did you know you can also just browse by topic on pinterest? Of course, you can browse education, but you can also browse for popular pins, or those related to your content. 

What are you favorite pinterest boards? 
I teach high school science, so not surprisingly, my favorite pinterest board is called "High School Science," but I also like the general board "HighSchoolHerd" and some of my general teaching and science teaching boards shown above. 

What are your favorite pinterest boards?  Please comment below and share your favorites. 

A big thank you.  This post is part of the  

An InLinkz Link-up

Super Secondary Science Teacher Resource Giveaway! 8/9-8/14

Winners have been chosen!  Congratulations to Cherish Eagan and Emily Roesngren

Who: Science Teachers 
What: Back to School Science Giveaway -- Enter here to win $15 store credit to my store, and follow the links below to win many more great science products from other teachers for use in your classroom!  Update!  There are so many entries I will be picking more than one winner.  
Where: Right here, with links to many other science teachers below
When: August 9th to 14th
How: Use the rafflecopter below, and the links to enter at other stores. 

FAQ's:


Why store credit? Good question.....I have a variety of science products and general products in my store, and what if I am giving away middle school products, but you teach high school?  Or giving away Earth Science products, but you teach Biology?  I want this giveaway to result in a prize that is valuable to you.  So, store credit it is. 

What do I have to do to enter? Follow the steps on the rafflecopter below to enter.  The more entries, the better chance of winning.

What can I use my store credit for? Anything in the the Science in the City store.  When the giveaway ends and rafflecopter helps choose the winner, I will contact you.  You look through my store and let me know which items you would like that total $15.  I will email them directly to you.

What would you recommend as best buys? 

Depends on what you teach, but here are some suggestions....

• General classroom products I would look at the following $15 package

         

This set would be good for any class (not just science) and includes many types of exit tickets, classroom organization tools, and a puzzle template set that can be edited to review or reinforce any set of vocabulary.

• Biology...I might pick

      

• Earth Science....I might pick

    

If none of those strike your fancy, feel free to browse my store and choose your own prize package. 

Where else can I enter? At the bottom of this post is a link up to many other science teachers who are participating.


a Rafflecopter giveaway

An InLinkz Link-up

Back to School Sale

Did you know the back to school sale starts tomorrow?!  Most stores (including mine) are 28% off.  If there are certain items that you have been looking at buying, but put off because of cost, or were debating purchasing, this is your chance!  

If I were purchasing from my store on sale, here are some of my best buys.  

For general classroom use I would buy this pack of exit tickets, or the back to school pack.  This will be tools you will utilize all year long for classroom organization, seating charts, keeping organized yourself, etc.  The formative assessment can be used in any subject area as tickets out, or assessment within a lesson, or even as a jumping off point. 

 

If you teach Earth Science, you may be interested in the curriculum guide, list of "I Can Statements and Vocabulary Lists."  Also, there is always Buy My Store for Earth Science, which entitles you to every Earth Science product, and any that I add in the future.  This would be HUGE discount if you purchase it on sale.  

I also feature a curriculum and resource guide for AP Environmental Science, and many biology items.  Some of my most popular are the Buy my Store for Biology (again, every biology item now and in the future, already discounted, available at a further discount for the BTS sale), or the human body pack, which includes many of the most popular human body items grouped together.  Again, these are already discounted, and available at a further discount.  

Even if you choose smaller items just to explore, or whatever you choose, make sure to get your cart ready, and use code BTS15.  

Contact me with any questions about my products (sciinthecity@gmail.com).