Have you heard of Pinterest? It is a new social website that is revolutionizing the way teachers and parents get new ideas for education! People post ideas and photos for anything from education to craft ideas, home decorating, recipes, fitness, art, gardening, travel, etc. Most pins are linked to a website or other virtual place that will give you directions/prices/variations to try.
SUPER fun! You can look around the site for free; however for full access you must sign up to be a member. Membership is free. Then you can save "pins" (ideas and photos people post) onto your virtual bulletin boards. Pinterest is useful as more than just a place to find photos and ideas, though...I have made some professional contacts and gotten so many new ideas for the art room from other art teachers because of Pinterest. You can follow other peoples' boards and see what they post - build yourself a network of people who inspire you, for whatever reason, and you can see what they are following too. I am following some really creative people that have cool things to share every day. As an art teacher, I find inspiration all the time in all different places, but this website gives me an opportunity to not only find new ideas, but keep them all in one place and available for sharing. It is exciting to see that another art teacher has re-pinned an idea from one of my boards - I am happy to share! As an artist, I am excited to have creative inspiration for my personal art too.
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| My Pinterest "Art Lesson Plans" Board |
Pinterest is like paging through a glossy, expensive magazine - lots of beautiful pictures, lots of successful and gorgeous final products, lots of pretty people selling pretty things. As an educational resource, you do need to filter through lots of pins and ideas before you find something you want to use. But there is so much to see, it is fun to look!
And it is free!
As a parent, I encourage you to use Pinterest to find artistic endeavors to try at home with your family. Ideas range from cute holiday crafts for the little ones to professional photography tips and some amazing fine art. Kids and adults can always benefit from a little creative inspiration. Gifts that are homemade are always so special, and you can find so much to try here. Don't be afraid to make mistakes when you create something you find on the website - as I tell my students - in art, it is not a mistake, it is an opportunity, and you may just discover something you love! No one is grading the artwork you make at home together!
Check it out at
www.pinterest.com
