'Pinteresting': Four Great Ways To Use Pinterest in Teaching and Learning

Pinterest is a recent phenomenon in social networking. However, it spreads like wildfire across the internet world.

This medium is not new to me. In fact, I was one of those who opened an account when it was introduced (probably 54,356,297th; LOL!). Because I didn't know how to make sense of it, I lost my password. LOL!

When I attended day 2 of my Reading Foundations workshop recently, our facilitator's promotion of Pinterest was so strong that it brought back my interest in Pinterest (the rhyme sounds ridiculous but I can't help it!). Ms. Laura Pilland, 1st grade teacher at Dare County Schools, NC, is a guru in Pinterest, and she needs to be named and recognized. She showed us how organized her account is, and what we could get from Pinterest.

After 24 hours of waiting to be re-invited in Pinterest (that's what you will also do if you are new to Pinterest!), I tried to figure out how we can make sense of it in teaching and learning. Below are recommendations on how Pinterest becomes a potential tool. Be in a hurry before school districts include Pinterest in their 'firewalled' sites.

1. It helps students brainstorm concepts, ideas, and resources for individual or group projects. Because sharing is global, students can be exposed to brilliant ideas that they can blend or integrate in order to produce a knowledge that they can call their own.

2. It can be used as a community board for projects or ideas that may be used in the future. In my generation, we needed to compile old magazines for future posters, collages, and presentations. With Pinterest, nothing is lost -- and chances are, everything is there in no time. Whatever it is that they pinned on the board can be retrieved any time they need it.

3. Use the board or boards (Ms. Pilland said she has 39 boards in one account) to organize photos, and design projects and collages.

4. Pinterest can be used to showcase student work online. It is like running an ad in a global television. The only difference is that it is free.

Although it sounds astounding to use Pinterest, educators should not forget their responsibility to monitor online activities of students. Even if Pinterest is self-moderated by members, we cannot simply put students on autopilot in using it. One last thing to observe is internet ethics (also known as 'netiquettes'). It is absolutely free to re-pin stuff on Pinterest. However, it is also appropriate that the original posters must be recognized in your pinning and re-pinning activities. Student must be told to do this early on before things go out of hand.

Ask for an invitation from Pinterest.com. Happy pinning!

Category: All levels

Reading Rockets: Source of Beginning Reading Strategies

Reading Rockets is a new find. It features voluminous articles about teaching how young readers read. It has a section for beginners, gifted, and exceptional children who perceive reading as a challenge.

The site is not just a home of guides; it also features researches about how children learn to read. It is another must-see for educators. The wealth of information that it presents is tremendous. 

Big Ideas in Beginning Reading Website

The University of Oregon College of Education has instituted a site that is mainly centered on beginning reading. This site is very rich in information and a must-see for teachers -- both beginners and veterans.

The site revolves around five great ideas: phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, accuracy and fluency with text, vocabulary, and comprehension.

This is another discovery, a goldmine for teachers doing foundations of reading research -- without tears.

Click here to access the site.

Making Students Write through The Potter Games

I was in search of creative activities that can be used in "pushing" students to write in the classroom when I bumped into The Potter Games. Uh-uh, sounds like it's an integration of Harry Potter and the Hunger Games! See for yourself! There's one person who is going to pass out of this surprising treat: my daughter who, accidentally, is a fan of both series.

The Potter Games is an online strategy game that presents a multiplicity of scenarios. At the end of each scenario, the player/s will choose between a couple of options, from which choice another scenario will be presented. It goes on and on. Students, along the way, will be comparing and contrasting, draw conclusions, make inferences and generalizations, think logically, and so much more intelligent moves that they are using, well, in the daily classroom activities.

The game, based on my personal evaluation, is suited for grades 7-12 (may be considered for grades 5-6 depending on the learners' skills) because the demand for vocabulary skills, analogy and logical reasoning is high.

Use this in your class to engage students into writing by making them reflect upon a chosen scenario, validate their decisions and put them into writing, or make them relate a chosen scenario into personal experiences, or to real life setting.

To lead your students to the world of imagination, go to http://thepottergames.com/

Downloadable Article for Free at What Works Clearinghouse

What Works Clearinghouse is a site that is rich in downloadable article and reviews that are helpful to teaching and learning.

If you have a passion (and the need) to read something in your specialized area, look no more. All you need is browse, and download the materials you need.

For example, I was driven to 'Literacy' page because I was browsing about interventions for students with learning disabilities, and it stormed me with a gazillion of materials!

Try the following topics for yourself:

• Improving Reading Comprehension from Kindergarten through 3rd Grade, or
• Assisting Students Struggling with Mathematics: Response to Intervention (RtI) for Elementary and Middle Schools

All materials come in PDF format. If your computer has no PDF reader (which is unusual in this generation), you will need to install it by visiting adobe.com.

IRA as an Ultimate Teaching Source

The International Reading Association (www.reading.org) presents a whole new way of looking at teaching of reading. Although ideally a subscription program, IRA delivers rich information to guests, such the one that features about beginning reading (click here to go directly to the page). What's best about IRA is the presence of ReadWriteThink.org, a peer-reviewed lesson plan hub for teachers of reading.

On top of that, there are also free webinars and podcasts, booklists, meetings and events, and awards and grants that are available to promising reading teachers.

Starfall: Free-to-use Reading Program for K-2

With the right introduction and consistent motivation, Starfall is a perfect fit for K-2 beginning readers (and struggling readers, as well).

It has features that would amaze the children, such as getting ready to read, tales to read, about me, art gallery and magic, plays, non-fiction, comics, and more.

Starfall does not claim to be the end-all, be-all hub. As the site says: Starfall is an educational alternative to other entertainment choices for children.