Module 1: Entertainment used for Educational Purposes

        I still remember the day vividly when 6 o'clock quickly became 9 o'clock. I glanced at the clock again, it was true, I really did just spend three hours on Pinterest. I had told myself I was just going to take a quick look and see what the website had to offer; little did I know that it would turn into a source of entertainment. I created board after board and pinned more pins than I could count. I was elated as I slowly watched my follower number increase. From that moment forward I knew that I  had a new found gem, Pinterest. After exploring the sight longer I've noticed that their are many educational resources for teachers. What a score! Educational and entertaining all in one package. I believe that Pinterest is a great resource for teachers.
       
       Pinterest is a tool for collecting and organizing things you love. It's a collection of photos and videos that will generally have a link attached to them these are called pins.You can add a pin from a website or upload your own pin.  The pins are broken up into various categories and these are generally organized by boards. For example: if I searched for leaves on Pinterest it will bring up many pictures/videos of leaves, these are organized pins by topic. You can also create your own boards. For example: I can create a board titled "Signs of the fall" and place pins of leaves and other pins that I think belong in this category. It's a very easy and user friendly website.
          
      One follower that I came across was Teachers on Pinterest; a collection of boards related to education. Some are dedicated to individual grades ranging from pre-6th grade. The boards include lesson plan ideas and helpful tools. 
        
        In the first grade board I came across there were videos linking me to YouTube for songs to sing in the classroom. One of the videos I came across is the "No Interrupting Song-Music for Classroom management." After one listen of this song it was already stuck in my head! I discovered HeidiSongs through Pinterest she has many other videos for classroom management songs. The songs are fun and energetic, I also enjoyed the actions that went along with the songs. 

      Another board that I came across is completely dedicated to Technology in the classroom. The board had many useful article links pertaining to technology in the classroom. One aspect that I did find interesting was incorporating social media into the classroom. One idea was for a ticket out the door is to "Tweet" or comment about a topic.This is an effective use of social networks and exit slip. Although it's not related directly to technology in the classroom it does make reference to technology in a way that older students could recognize. The board also contains many other resources directly related to technology in the classroom. 

   I absolutely love the idea of using Pinterest as an educational tool.Teachers from all over the world are able to collaborate and bounce different ideas off of each other.
I love how organized everything is, it makes it easy to locate what specifically you want. For example when I searched for  math activities for 1st graders, I got many hits that matched my search item. Teachers can use this website if they are in search of new ideas to use in their classroom.
  
The boards are very well organized as shown below:

    
I would recommend Pinterest to teachers but I would use it with caution because three hours can easily sneak up on you!


 Click on the link below to discover Teachers on Pinterest.