Curation+Tools


 * //Curation tools can be a valuable part of your personal learning network and a great way to share and organize content, both for yourself and for students. Try them out!//**

Pinterest

 * Teachers are signing up for [|Pinterest] in droves due to the unique, image-based interface and the relevant, socially curated content. But what is Pinterest and how can it be used in the classroom? Let's explore the possibilities and take a look at several other social-curation sites as well.
 * Pinterest is a social networking site where you pin content to your own pinboard. It differs from social bookmarking sites such as Diigo in that you pin a photo representing the content instead of saving a link. It's like pinning a photo to a bulletin board. The images then link to the original content. For visual learners, the image-based collection is a huge benefit.
 * For teachers, Pinterest is a wonderful visual organization tool. Whenever you find great lesson tips on the internet, simple pin them to your board. Make sure you share your boards with other teachers. By the way, you can share your boards with non-members such as colleagues, parents and students. Many teachers these days are making social-curation sites such as Pinterest their first stop when looking for new lesson ideas.
 * You're probably always looking for ways to share online resources with students. Create a new pinboard for each unit in your curriculum and share the board with your students. Every resource they need will be in one convenient place.
 * Students who are age 13 and over can create their own pinboards. Make sure you clear this with your administration first. Content for research papers and other projects can be collected by individuals or groups. Your students will love creating collaborative boards and rearranging pinned images to organize their thoughts.

Scoop.it

 * [|Scoop.it] allows you to create a topic, add keywords and search for relevant content. When you collect (scoop) content, an image and excerpt are placed on your topic board. Content can be moved and organized as needed.

Storify

 * [|Storify] is another excellent choice for student projects. Check out the [|5 awesome alternatives to a traditional classroom blog] article for more tips for using Storify.