Teachers can benefit from using Pinterest in the classroom in many different ways. One way teachers can benefit from Pinterest is by using it for lesson planning. Pinterest is a good tool for teachers to collect/sort ideas and bookmark pins to be used later on. Pinterest is also beneficial to students by enhancing learning opportunities. Teachers can make lessons more interesting for students by using Pinterest to offer links to fun activities or interesting sources that correlate to the lesson plan. Another benefit for teachers using Pinterest is designing group projects. Pinterest is ideal for group projects because it allows students to easily share information. Students can do a group project by having individual boards or by having shared boards. All of these are benefits to using Pinterest in the classroom.

Below is the link to an assignment I designed to share to Pinterest.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B6i-WRiiM27gVjk5XzJYUEdfUzg/edit

After designing this assignment and completing it myself, I learned that it is a good project for getting students to use technology. The whole assignment is done online through an annotation webtool. I also learned that using an online annotation tool is very helpful in organizing thoughts. 

1. Saved short story, Harrison Bergeron, to desktop.

2. Created an account with A.nnotate.

3. Uploaded Harrison Bergeron to A.nnotate.

4. Highlighted passages that represent the promotion of equality or sameness.

5. Annotated the text by typing three sentences explaining how the passage represents the promotion of equality or sameness.

6. Below is the finished annotation to be printed.

http://www.benettonplay.com/toys/flipbookdeluxe/

Flipbook is a video tool that allows you to make your own animated videos. The tool is similar to paint. By painting frame after frame, you can make a stick figure come to life. This tool could be used to make an introduction video for a class. It could also be used as an assignment in which students make their own animation that correlates with a lesson plan.

http://www.snagfilms.com/

SnagFilms is a resource tool that allows you to watch free documentaries. These documentaries include historical, political, and other educational videos. There are also educational videos from National Geographic. This tool could be used in class after a specific area of study. It could also be used as a take home assignment in which the student watches the film and answers questions.

http://www.yudu.com/

Yudu is a writing tool that allows you to upload and publish your writing. These publications can range from magazine articles, ebooks, or digital brochures. You can even create a personal library of all your publications. This tool could be used as a resource for your students to read others publications. It could also be used as an assignment in which students write and publish their own digital magazine.

http://montage.cloudapp.net/gallery

Montage is an image tool that allows you to make a collage of anything that interests you. You can integrate your montage with images and articles from any source that you desire. Montage also allows you to view and use montages published by others. This tool could be used to make a visual aid to present to students. It could also be used as a final project assignment in which students combine images or videos with research.

http://www.diffen.com/


Diffen is a creativity tool that allows you to compare any two things. You can type in whatever you want and it will produce the differences between the two. This could range from the difference between planets, authors, foods, or ANYTHING! This tool would be good for printing handouts to give to students so that they can easily identify differences. It could also be used as a take home assignment in which students look up differences between two things on their own.

http://yodio.com/

Yodio is an audio tool that allows you to record your own voice. Your voice can then be added to presentations that include images. These presentations can be made on your phone or computer. This tool would be useful for an online class in which students would need to watch an online lesson. It could also be used as a tool in which students produce their own narrated presentation.

http://thinkature.com/about/

Thinkature is a collaborative tool that allows you to stay in contact with people that you are working with. It can be used as a meeting room or a personal web-based whiteboard. You can keep in touch with your collaborates through instant messaging. This tool could be used to post assignments for students to view at home. It could also be used as a tool for a group project assignment in which students work outside of the classroom and stay in contact by instant messaging and sharing their research.

http://www.yourfonts.com/

Fontcaputre is a drawing tool that allows you to design your own font. You can use your own handwriting to create a personalized font. All you have to do is scan in your handwriting. This tool could be used to personalize lesson plans or handouts. It could also be used as a fun writing assignment in which students write a story typed up in their own handwriting.

http://prezi.com/

Prezi is a presentation tool that allows you to design presentations. You can integrate images, videos, research, etc. It's similar to a PowerPoint presentation. This tool could be used to create in class presentations. It could also be used as a project in which students research a topic and use pictures and video to present their findings to the class.

http://www.equizzer.com/

Equizer is a quiz too that allows you to create online quizzes. This tool also allows you to manage student scores. A quiz can be fill in the blank, multiple choice, true or false, multi-marked or matching questions. This tool could be used as a take home quiz assignment for students. It could also save you time since it grades the quiz's for you.

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2013/10/time-to-start-taking-pinterest-seriously.html

In the article above, Pinterest is called a "scrapbooking" website. I think this is an accurate description. Pinterest allows you to post things that interest you, such as recipes, decor, fashion, etc. Personally, I prefer to use Pinterest as a website where I can obtain ideas. Like the writer of the article, I created a pinterest and made several posts, but my account is now dormant. Despite the fact that I no longer post anything, I found Pinterest to be very useful when I needed inspiration for my wedding and for decorating the house my husband and I recently moved into. Using Pinterest for inspiration is typical for a girl my age considering 80 percent of the people who use Pinterest are women. Although I don't spend hours of my time on Pinterest like the writer says his female friends do, the use of Pinterest is average for women "whom are at the age where they're getting married and setting up new homes."

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/15/fashion/instagram.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

Like most young adults, I am guilty of having an Instagram, which I check numerously everyday of the week. The article above talks about something that I think most of us Instagram users can relate to: "Instagram envy." I have to admit that I experience "Instagram envy" rather frequently. Having the capability to follow people that travel, eat good, dress well, and are more attractive, can stir up jealousy. Seeing these images routinely will eventually make you compare yourself to the people you follow on Instagram. It's possible that one could even obtain a false sense of reality by viewing others "picture perfect" lives. But, as said by Ms. Fink, a woman interviewed in the article, "the intent is not to inspire envy, but simply, to inspire," which is an important thing to remember as an Instagram user.

The image above is a photo that I took on a weekend trip with my husband. He and I love traveling and photographing scenery. We were both born and raised in Hot Springs, AR, which is where we met and were recently married. Photography is an interest that we shared early on in our relationship and something we still share today. I have an interest in 35mm and 120 film photography and he enjoys using instant films, such as Polaroid. My love for film was derived when I took a photography class seven years ago, which allowed me to work in a darkroom for the first time. The process of shooting and developing my own 35mm film was an experience that I knew could never be replaced by digital photography. Although I don't currently have access to a darkroom, I still take photographs on 35mm and 120 film. Fortunately, I can still get my film developed at a local business in Hot Springs.

Besides photography, I also have an affection for reading and writing. I enjoy reading all kinds of literature including novels, short stories, and poetry. I have recently started writing my own poetry and hope to eventually write short stories and novels. The inspiration that I have gained from reading literature has given me the hope that I can also be an inspiration. I want to be an inspiration not only through writing, but also through teaching, which is why I am majoring in English. As a high school English teacher, I hope to be an inspiration by encouraging young adults to read literature. 

My intentions for creating this blog are to integrate my interests and to inspire others who have an interest in photography and literature. Below are some links to blogs that are similar to what I want to recreate.

http://beacon225.blogspot.com/

http://michaelraso.blogspot.com/