At the end of the most recent episode of the Flipboard EDU Podcast, Coach Jeffery shares a “flip tip” for getting started with Flipboard: build a Magazine. He does this after telling his listeners that Flipboard is not just an educational resource but also a community of people who want to share ideas.

Magazines are great for enhancing instruction in education, but you can also use them for self-expression, collecting stories you love and sharing content with others.

As an educator, we know you’re taking a well-deserved break, but hear me out: Chances are you will enjoy creating your first Flipboard Magazine. Why? Because you can make it about anything you like! For example, you can use it to collect stories about a travel destination, your hobby or ideas for a home improvement project.

Before creating your first Magazine, you need to take these 3 steps:

1. Download the app on your iPhone orAndroid phone.

2. Sign up for an account. In addition to choosing a name, add a picture and a short bio.

3. Follow topics you’re interested in. You’ll see some popular ones when you sign up, but you can search for others you don’t see on the list. Following topics you’re interested in will give you lots of content to choose from for your own Magazine.

Create Your Own Flipboard Magazine

Now that you have taken care of the basics, you are ready to create your first Flipboard Magazine. Magazines are collections of articles, social posts, photos, videos, GIFs, music and podcasts. Almost anything that exists on the web can be added! We recommend starting with the things you love.

Set up the Magazine by tapping the profile icon in the bottom navigation bar, then select the grey box under your profile description, and choose “For collecting”. Give your magazine a title and a description — extra credit for creativity. A specific title like ”Italy: There is only one Montestigliano” will catch the eyes of fellow Flipboard users much more than a Magazine simply titled “Travel.”

Now, when you see the + button at the bottom of a story, picture or video onFlipboard, just tap on it to flip the item into your Magazine. That’s how easy it is! 

Many teachers try to find ways to make learning fun for their students. We want to make sure learning is also fun for educators. Not only will you model what you want to see in your students, maybe what you learn over the summer will come in handy next school year.

 —Christel van der Boom, head of communications, is following the Flipboard EDU Podcast

Note: for a deeper dive into Magazine curation, check out this step-by-step tutorial created by Flipboard community member Janette Speyer.