Make this the year you learn about We Are Teachers (WAT, www.weareteachers.com). Sandra Fivecoat, who was the first director of education technology for the state of Texas and then held senior positions with Lightspan and Apple Computer before starting her own consulting and executive coaching firm, created We Are Teachers in 2007. It is a social network designed to connect teachers of all types and help them to “gain financial benefit through the publishing and selling of their own content, by promoting and delivering their time or tutoring services, and through recommending commercially available products to others.”
But it’s so much more than that. Here you can learn best practices from other teachers, share news and ideas, apply for microgrants, and give back to the community. Lesson plans, tutoring services, science kits, software—a wide range of products and services are reviewed by members in the Marketplace. Businesses and associations can also join WAT as Partners. Partners not only sell products through the Marketplace, but also find a forum for focus groups and feedback while developing new concepts.
With a network of about 80,000 educators—17,000 visits in November, of which 2000 were repeat visitors—WAT grows by about 12% each month. There is no charge to join We Are Teachers. You get out of it what you put in to it.
Join this relatively new and rapidly growing community. You will help others—and yourself!