QUESTION: Just found out I will be teaching elementary next year - Advice?

[Greg Williams]

Hello everyone,

I just found out I will be teaching in Oklahoma as an elementary school teacher starting next year. I am not sure the grade level, or the exact location. I am just curious of general sites/resources/things that you would  use if you could re do your first year of teaching over again.

Any other advice or thoughts would be well received :)

[Ryan Goble]

Hi Greg, Have you seen this great book by Jeff Share at UCLA - Media Literacy is Elementary (Rethinking Childhood)?

[Greg Williams]

No! But now I know what I want for Christmas :) 

Thanks for the recommendation. 

[Susan Stephenson, the Book Chook]

Greg, when I first started teaching, Vic 20s weren't even in schools, so maybe that explains why I love what technology can do for teachers and kids! 

However, if I were starting out in elementary school, I would build a personal learning network on Twitter and use those people for advice and support. I would get to know curation sites like Delicious, and Pinterest and ScoopIt, choose one, and start assembling interesting ideas that I'd like to pursue in class. I would subscribe via RSS to bloggers who inspire me, and delve into both things that inspire me and things that terrify me. 

But the number one "thing" I would do is to get to know my students as individuals and try to find a balance between catering to their needs and doing what is mandated. 

[Greg Williams]

Thanks Susan! I am trying to start building my PLN in a variety of places, so it is good to know that it will pay off later. I really like what you said about getting to know students. I feel like the teachers that made the biggest difference with me were the ones that seemed to actually have an idea of what kind of kid I was. 

I appreciate your response!

[Susan Stephenson, the Book Chook]

You're very welcome, Greg. And as far as curation is concerned, I am really starting to enjoy Pinterest. It's free and amazingly easy to start a board where you can collect specific resources say for a theme like Holidays or Science Experiments or iPad apps etc etc. Like Twitter, people start to follow your boards (all or one or some), thus introducing you to a range of content when you go take a sticky-beak at theirs. I know some of the high profile bloggers/tweeters are using it too, and it's a nice visual way to browse.  

[Greg Williams]

I am glad you bring up Pinterest - only recently have I started getting on that platform. It looks like you have some really great boards up! I am excited to learn from you and others, and I agree that the visual factor is very helpful.