Embedding an Instagram Slideshow on Your Blog

Today I got an email from the awesome elementary science teacher I work, Kalei Chang, who told me about embedding photos from Instagram on a blog.  Genius!  You don't have to log into your blog to update photos, just tag them in instagram!  How you ask?  Snapwidget allows you to add a gallery of instagram photos into your blog or website.   Here's how it works:

1. Go to http://blog.snapwidget.com/ and click on Get Your Widget in the upper right.
2. Choose the hashtag you want to use and enter it in the hashtag field.  Notice there are also three choices for the widget type.  After filling out the appropriate fields, click Get Widget
3. Copy the code in the pop up and click close
4. Navigate to where you want to embed your slideshow. 
   
   In blogger, click on HTML in the upper left, paste the code from step 3 and then click back on Compose.
   
   In Wordpress, click on the Text tab in the upper right, paste the code from step 3, and then click back on the visual tab.
   
5. Publish your post and VOILA!  Instagram slideshow!

In the slideshow above, I used the hashtag, #kshawaii.  Anyone's photo that are tagged #kshawaii will show up in the slideshow.  As an educator, you may want to create your own hashtag for your gallery to control the content.  You can also create a school instagram account and make a gallery of photos taken with that username. 

Just think about the possibilities!  Students take photos, tag them, and instantly share them with the class.  Great for field trips or working on class projects!  Teachers could embed photos from a current event...all in one place.  The possibilities are endless! 

A word of caution.  Instagram is a social media site and as educators we always want to keep COPPA in mind.  If you're working with children under the age of 13, you should probably create a generic account that you are in control of for students to use as well as inform parents and get their consent.

Please share other examples or ideas for using instagram in the classroom!