Pinterest is an online tool that allows users to create online pin boards. Blog posts, photos, posters and more can be “pinned”, shared and followed. So what does this have to do with learning? Pinterest learning ideas involve two things students love: social networking and being creative.
Teachers know that it can be tough to engage learners. Books are too dry. Videos can be long and sleep-inducing. Lectures can get tedious. It's up to teachers to use any tool available to involve students in doing, and playing with material to create real understanding. Pinterest can be a novel way for students to do just this. We've got 16 great ideas that say so. 
Teachers are working to integrate this social media outlet with curriculum in order to communicate with their digital natives. Let’s look at 16 Pinterest learning ideas for fostering student learning, and interaction while working with students.
- Generate ideas and get them organized. When students pin ideas to pin boards, teachers can watch the brainstorming process evolve. They can pin ideas to a board related to a project in progress.
- Use pinning as a lesson in itself. Students are assigned to categorize and pin items based on set criteria.
- Geography becomes interesting. Students can create boards to interest others in their unique destination. Country facts, famous places, people, history and more can be used to create a virtual brochure.
- Use the platform to collaborate with others beyond the brick and mortar of a school. Create a new format to engage with pen pals. Students in Hong Kong can collaborate with your students to showcase interests, create autobiographies and more.
- Pinterest can be used as a type of journal that can capture moments from field trips and special activities.
- Students can get materials and work in groups to create their own centers based on teacher suggestions related to the curriculum. Pictures, games and activities are easily downloaded and printed from this forum.
- Literature based assignments can be created that utilize Pinterest. Children can be grouped and present a pin board of interests that a main character from a selected book would have based from information from the book.
- Students can comment on pins and create dialogue with fellow students.
- Teachers can make suggestions and guide student organization and development on the platform.
- Students can be given a specific problem and work towards a solution. Pinterest offers tutorials that they can use as a resource and as self-study tools.
- Share a laugh. Got an extra few minutes? Have students share jokes, images and anecdotes via Pinterest boards.
- Use boards for an informal end-of-the-year collage. Great memorable moments can be captured by students throughout the year and collected on a classroom Pinterest board.
- For the beginning of the year, students can document summer interests and events on their board to share with fellow students. They can comment and post their feedback on each other’s boards.
- It is possible to collect blog feeds. Students interested in business, self-help, design and Internet marketing can collect valuable information from insightful industry leaders or platform users.
- Get a resume going. Students can collect examples of visually appealing and well-formatted resumes. The resumes can be reviewed collectively or individually to serve as guidelines and inspiration for their own.
- Create an artist’s portfolio. Pinterest is great for those in the creative fields. Once images are uploaded, they can be used to showcase their talents.
How have you used Pinterest learning ideas successfully in your classroom?
