Beyond the Mailbox

I began my first teaching job in 1999.  For those of you who were tricked by my youthful appearance, I’ve been doing this teaching thing for a little while now. ;)  I was hired by a man who is hands down the best educational mentor anyone could ask for.  I’ll never forget him walking me to my classroom and showing me the stack of spiral bound teacher’s manuals that sat waiting for me to use to make magic in the classroom.  I spent hours reading through all of the suggested lessons and activities.  I took only bits and pieces then added my own touches which included quality children’s literature, videos (and I’ll confess an occasional filmstrip), reading strategy guides, of course experiments and activities pulled from my trusty monthly Mailbox Magazine.  I pulled all of these resources together to cover the standards outlined by the state, and stored them, neatly organized in labeled Rubber Maid totes. It was at that time that I started content curation for student learning.  Curation can be defined as the process of collecting, organizing, and displaying information relevant to a particular topic. Admit it, if you were an elementary teacher during that time you did the same thing. (Especially the Mailbox Magazine part!) We have been curating for years, so why is it so intimidating to teachers when we talk about curating digital content?

During the month of October the PD sessions I did with YCS teachers focused on the process of curating digital resources. While this looks a bit different today, the process is the same. The only difference between 1999 and 2014 is we have many more, and better quality resources to choose from. No offense to Mailbox, of course. What’s even better, there are other teachers out there who are doing a lot of the work for us. Technology allows us to easily share with teachers who work down the hall, as well as educators around the world.  Resources like My Big Campus and Google are right at our fingertips to provide easy access for all, including our students. Say good-bye to Rubber Maid totes!

So I ask again, why is it so intimidating to teachers when we talk about curating digital content? Is it because we aren’t looking through books to find what we need? Is it because we aren’t sure about the quality and accuracy of what we are finding? Is it because there is so much out there, that we are not sure where to start?  Or is it because we are afraid that if we veer from the material provided in the textbook our students will not be prepared for the “big test”? Whatever anxieties you have, I can assure you that you are not alone.  But you know what’s awesome...You are not alone.  There are teachers among you who are comfortable with curating based on standards. Collaborate with us. Ask for help. Talk it through. There are many resources that help teachers know what to cover, and even which standards will give you the most bang for your buck.  This is an ever-changing process.  We have to be willing to explore, collaborate, and share to survive. This may change our planning practices, but it will make us better. 

Our corporation is encouraging teachers to curate and deliver digital content via Bundles.  All of our teachers have made Bundles, and while some folks are more comfortable than others, all have the support needed to curate in this way. So, if you’re a “comfortable curator”,  keep pushing forward, and reach out to a neighbor to offer assistance.  If you’re “cautious curator” give it a shot. There are people out there that will help you out! Fun Fact: Mailbox Magazine is now online.