My Two Cents on Pinterest and Twitter...

It has been one heck of a week!  Returning to school from summer break always seems packed with "have to dos"!!  I'm entering my second year as a campus instructional specialist and I still feel like a newbie and that it's just a matter of time before everyone finds out I'm in the wrong position!! But, I love working with teachers and helping them find out what works (and doesn't!) in their classrooms.

Now on to the reason for my post...

Pinterest and Twitter have been invaluable resources for so many educators.  Where else can you find exactly what you're looking for, in all content areas, without having to type 15,000 entries into Google search??  But many teachers, I feel, fail to use these social media sites effectively.  You may have a classroom loaded with Pinterest ideas, but do you really know why? 

I encourage all of you to take the time to investigate the ideas you gleam from Pinterest.  Don't just pin the idea without clicking on the link.  You may be surprised at what you find...and not in a negative way!  Links take you to the website the idea was originally pinned from.  Don't just look into the clicked idea, peruse the website.  Many of the ideas I initially pinned led me to new, exciting ideas on the same website!  It's also interesting to see why a teacher had an idea and how they actually use it in their classroom.  I'm always leery of using ideas that a teacher created, but has not used.  What is the purpose?  What are the results? What were the kinks that had to be worked out? If they don't know, then why would I try it???  It's great to have a cute classroom with 100 anchor charts, but did you use them the way they were intended?  What is the relevance in your classroom?

If you don't have a Twitter account, I highly suggest you get one.  Almost every educational institution, including local school districts, regions, colleges, and government educational agencies, have a Twitter account.  The great thing about Twitter is you don't HAVE to tweet to use it!  I follow so many blogs and educational accounts.  There always seems to be a link to follow full of ideas that I would have never seen on Pinterest or Facebook!!!  There may not be cute posters or colorful baskets to label, but Twitter keeps me updated on every day education news that I never see on a news website!  I can follow whomever I want.  It may be a classroom teacher tweeting about a new activity they've tried in their classroom.  Or a blogger with no cute pictures to pin.  But Twitter is happening NOW.  If a teacher posts to their Twitter, they are sharing an idea they JUST used!!!  I don't click on a five year old idea that is no longer relevant.  If an educational institution tweets, it's about what's happening NOW in education; not what happened in 1972!!!! Love, love, love it!!!!!

On to one of my many favorite Pinterest pins::::

Always,