Pinterest Basics

I have been exploring how Pinterest can be used in education as a platform for digital curation on a zero dollar budget. In order to participate, you must first know how to use Pinterest. (Feel free to check out my Pinterest boards.)

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a virtual bulletin board. On each board, you can "pin" images from websites that link back to the original site. Once you create your account, you can create several public boards and up to three private boards. The public boards are ... well, public! Anyone can find the board, follow it, and repin from the board. Only you can access your private boards.

Getting Started with Pinterest

So, you have already created your account and a couple of boards. There are a few basic options for pinning to these boards.

Pinning Basics

Many websites already have a Pin button that you can select while on that site. You will get a pop-up that allows you to select the image and board that you want, as well as the option to tweet your pin. There is also a text box which you may use to add your own description of the site. Once you have completed these, select Pin.

But what if your favorite site or blog doesn't have a Pin button? The easiest option is to get the "Pin It" button in your toolbar by following the link to the instructions. When you are visiting a website that you would like to pin, simply highlight text that you would like to appear on your pin and select Pin It form your toolbar. Another option is to copy the URL from the site you wish to pin. Open your Pinterest account. In the top right corner you will see "Add  +." Select it. Again a pop-up, but this time it asks you to fill in a URL that you can simply paste in. Then you will see the same pop-up as before which can be completed by scrolling to the image you want, selecting the correct board, checking tweet, and filling in the text box.

Advanced Pinning

You will quickly find that a site needs an image in order for you to successfully pin it. But let's not let a useful site slip through our pins simply be the writer chose not to use images. 

You may pin a quote from the page by using shareasimage, formerly known as Pin A Quote. Just drag the button to your toolbar and you're ready to go! Now when you are on an amazing site with no images that you would like to pin, just highlight a great quote and select your Share As Image button from your toolbar.

Another option is to pin an image of the entire page using Snapito!, which has a few methods for pinning. Again, you can copy the URL and paste in into the Snapito! website. You can also drag one or both buttons provided into your toolbar.

Get Pinning!

Now you are ready to explore Pinterest. You will see how using Pinterest as a bookmarking tool creates beautiful boards that you will really enjoy using. When you are ready to elevate your use of Pinterest, you will see how wonderfully it lends itself to use as a platform for digital curation.

UPDATE: Here's another great source for even more info on educators using Pinterest: Learning Unlimited.