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Inspiration [Conversation]

Pinterest as an Inspiration tool for Students

Started on Feb 26, 2012 by epictraveler
Last post on Aug 12, 2012

If you, like me, have fallen in love with Pinterest as a way of getting ideas and your daily creativity "fix", you have probably thought, like me, that this could be a useful tool for students to find inspiration. I am curious if anyone has had their students to use Pinterest for this purpose?

9 Keeps, 1 Likes, 11 Comments


  • ArtGirl 03/03/2012 at 12:48am
    I am in love with Pinterest, and have saved several ideas for my classroom but haven't directed my students to use it yet. Do you have any specific ideas that would be good for kids using Pinterest?


  • Abbyesc 03/18/2012 at 07:29pm
    ArtGirl, I'm not currently teaching but if I did use Pinterest with students, I would use it as like an extension for a sketchbook. They can have a board for images that fit their style and aesthetics.


  • silvios 03/20/2012 at 06:27pm
    I teach elementary and have not had my students use it...yet. I am thinking of ways to introduce it to them next year. They have been blogging this year and have done well with that so this would be a great extension of that. They could find inspiration and blog about it to others. I have been using it as a GREAT resource tool and have found many other creative fellow art teachers.



  • ahigdonlobaugh 03/26/2012 at 09:25am
    I haven't used it in my classroom yet but I have a classroom board and have talked with some of my pinning students. I think it might work best with my advanced students (smaller classes) first. I like the sketchbook extension idea Abbyesc suggested.


  • artsyfartsy77 03/29/2012 at 07:40am
    My students actually introduced me to pinterest. The only problem I have with it is that some students just want to copy what they see, which I is not forcing them to use their own imagination, instead they are depending on someone elses.


  • RuthByrne 05/16/2012 at 07:44am
    I used it recently with my second graders. I had them go through my Jomon pottery board (which mostly consisted of tools and pottery) and illustrate what they thought life in a Jomon village in 10,000 bce would look like. They clicked through to some great websites and did a lot of accidental learning. Many of them were able to extrapolate details from the clues on the board. If there were hooks, their must be fishing boats...
    In the classroom, I view it as an interactive slide show with rabbit holes you can go down! It'd be great to have the kids create their own boards someday too, like Abbyesc said.


  • MsLundstrum 05/16/2012 at 10:21am
    I really like the sketchbook extension idea. It would be a great way for students to organize their artist/technique inspirations and their resource images. The only glitch with this idea is that the high school that I work at has Pinterest blocked because it is classified as social media. It could work as a good homework assignment though.

    As artsyfartsy77 said, some students find great things on Pinterest and simply copy the piece of art. (...and this brings up a great opportunity to talk about copyrights.) Although it may not be great creativity-wise, it may encourage students to experiment with new techniques.


  • lbfreer 06/05/2012 at 03:13am
    I had a discussion with some students about it this year-they were already using it with great enthusiasm. My district seems to filter out online resources that are so useful. I guess it is time to try Pinterest and see if it can be used. Great food for thought!


  • Craftybunn 08/12/2012 at 02:01pm
    Our system filters most social media sites as well. I did not discover Pinterest until this summer. I'll be soooo bummed if it is blocked. If it is, I plan to get with the other art teachers in the county and see if we can talk them into allowing it. Can anyone see how it would be abused if students had access? Facebook I understand, needs to be blocked, but Pinterest? Not so sure. To be continued...