Eugene’s Likeness via Compfight

Pin·ter·est \pin-t(ə-)rəst\noun, name A virtual pinboard online allowing users to organize and share images they find on the web.

With over 10 million users, Pinterest has rocketed to pop-culture fame since its launch in beta in March 2010. This rapid growth makes it the fastest growing social media site of the past year. If you’re familiar with Pinterest, it’s easy to understand why. The system of “curating” all things found on the Internet is easy to use, free, and frankly, addicting. It’s a whole new way to collect and organize all those appealing, intriguing and interesting images and ideas you come across on the Internet every day. What’s more, you can share your boards with other Pinterest users.

People from all walks of life are finding new and exciting ways to use Pinterest. While a bride-to-be might curate boards based on flowers, attire, food and more for her big day, travel aficionados can create boards based on their dream destinations. Educators have caught on to Pinterest in a big way. From kindergarten to college, teachers, professors and students are using Pinterest creatively to organize and share ideas from all around the Web and even in their own classrooms and campuses.

As an example, if your class wanted to study the Korean-pop, or K-pop, breakout song “Gangnam Style” by rap artist PSY, you could use Pinterest searches to explore the neighborhood and fashion sense in Seoul that the song is about. Here are some examples: A pinterest page about the Gangnam Ward: http://pinterest.com/kokomilgrim/real-gangnam-style/

A pinterest page about Gangnam style fashion: http://pinterest.com/dosogwan/gangnam-style/

Not sure what Pinterest is and how it works? Learn more about Pinterest and see how and why educators and educational institutions are using Pinterest inside and outside of the classroom.

Sources:

4 Colleges that are Using Pinterest, Ed Tech Magazine, July 2012
State of US Internet in Q1 2012, ComScore, June 2012
Teachers Pin with their Students, Mashable, March 2012

Courtesy of: WorldWideLearn.com