How Pinteresting

I'm going to get serious about this blog this year. I think starting earlier in the summer, way before school begins, will help me accomplish this goal.

Just last week I heard about a new technology trend (just like oh, every week of the year) called Pinterest. I enjoy technology but usually I wait it out to see if it's really THAT COOL. Let me tell you- Pinterest really is THAT. COOL. Pinterest is a social bookmarking site, similar to Delicious. You can choose activities, products, ideas, inspirational pictures, anything you'd like to bookmark.

Look at it- even the font is enticing! Instead of organizing your bookmarks as text which you can search through, Pinterest stores them as pictures. When you find something worthy of bookmarking, simply click on the icon you've installed in your bookmarking toolbar (don't worry, they show you how and it's simple), choose the photograph you'd like from the site, and choose a category. You decide the categories, you decide the captions, and you decide which bookmarks go where. The end result is like a giant cork board to which you've "pinned" items of interest.

This is my page. You'll notice there are some categories that look fuller than others- that's because I just started this morning. Each larger square is a different category that I created and named to suit my needs. Inside are the items I've pinned. To see a category, I simply click on the larger square and I'm taken to a new page with access to all the pictures I've pinned. From there I can click on any picture and be taken to the website from which it originated.

Teachers who know all about Gardener's theory of multiple intelligences will see why this site is so appealing. It appeals to spatial learners who can't get enough of pictures, diagrams, and models. One could argue that anything on a computer screen is appealing to a visual learner, but this site takes it much further by showing all the pictures at once.

I myself love being able to bookmark sites on Delicious and refer to them easily through their tags, but Pinterest allows me to add an aesthetic value to my references. Do I need a visual when I'm searching for that great asparagus recipe I found last month? Not really. But if I'm looking at ways to organize my office supplies or ideas for a party, pictures are the way to go.

In conclusion, everyone needs to get on Pinterest! It is an incredibly fun way to organize your bookmarks, plus you can check out other people's boards for even more great ideas. The best part? They refer to as the "curator" of your page. Come on.