5 Ways to Make Learning at Home More Pinteresting

Did you know that there’s a great free tool available online that can help you brainstorm, plan, organize, and exchange ideas for your virtual school or homeschool learning lifestyle? It’s called Pinterest, and while it may be better-known for its gorgeous photos of beautifully decorated estates and trendy clothing, this site is outstanding for anyone who wants to incorporate online resources into educational activities and find creative learning ideas.

Here’s how it works. Think of Pinterest as an electronic bulletin board where users can “pin” photos, artwork, graphics, and other visual images from around the web. All your pins can be organized onto various boards that you create for each of your areas of interest, such as “Arts and Crafts Activities” or “Science Experiments for Kids.” Pins can also be shared and searched, which makes Pinterest a fun place to look for fresh, clever ideas. (It’s so much fun, you might want to set an alarm so you don’t lose track of time!) Here are just a few of the many ways you and your family can use Pinterest as an educational tool for your home classroom.

1. To learn from educational leaders. Many schools and education experts are creating their own pinboards. By “following” one of more of their boards, you will be able to see their interesting classroom ideas, learning tips, articles about the latest educational research, project suggestions, blog links, and more! Start with Connections Academy’s Pinterest page to see boards on topics including the Virtual School Experience, Creative Learning Ideas, the Virtual School Classroom, plus recipes for busy parents, including our Crock Pot Creations board! And be sure to click the red “follow” button so you’ll always see the newest pins!



2. To enrich learning. Use Pinterest to search for information by topic, just like you’d use Google or another search engine. Try a search for fractions worksheets or puppet making, and you’ll quickly see what a handy resource this can be! When you find a pinned image that interests you, click on it to follow it back to its original source, where you may find information and inspiration such as detailed articles, how-to instructions, recipes, supply lists, and related links.
3. To organize varied ideas. Pinterest is a fantastic way to save and organize those random “brilliant ideas” that are too good to lose and just may be exactly what you need one day! Create boards arranged according to your child’s academic subjects, type of project, holiday, hobby, materials used, or whatever makes sense to you—and you’ll never be at a loss for ideas again!
4. To research and gather resources. Teach your child to use Pinterest to find and organize resources for projects, presentations, papers, and essays. For a group project, help your child create a board to share with other group members. Students who are invited to collaborate on the board will be allowed to pin to it, making this an excellent way to keep the ideas, visuals, and documentation for a project in one easy-to-access place. Naturally, be sure your students follow the usual rules for safe Internet use.
5. To exchange ideas with other people. As a social networking site, Pinterest can be a fantastic way to “meet” educators and other families with similar interests. To welcome input from others, create a board about your topic and select the setting that allows multiple people to pin. For example, you could create a board titled “U.S. Current Events,” “Model Trains,” or “Building with LEGO.” Exchanging ideas with other students across the country or around the world is not only fun, but it is also a great way to help students learn about geography!

I hope this post stimulates your imagination and helps you see how Pinterest can be a fun and exciting tool both inside and outside the home classroom. Have you discovered additional creative ways to incorporate Pinterest into your family’s learning activities? If so, please share in the comments! And be sure to connect with us now to check out all the creative ideas waiting for you.