Allot of them seem to have the idea that you need to be using Healing Surge often, which isn't the way I've been doing it, and I've tend to end fights with much more mana then many of them.
I am mostly going to be talking about healing 5-mans here as I haven't been raiding really yet, haven't even seen anything other then Baradin Hold as dps.
I won't go to much into gearing as resto shaman, as for the most part, it has spirit on it and its mail, you want it, I think that should be pretty self explanatory. Int > Spirit > Haste >= Master >= Crit.
Ok spells..
Earth Shield
Earth shield is generally most useful on the tank, but if the tank is okay, and someone else is taking the brunt of the damage, you might consider tossing this on them instead. In raids if your healing one tank its a good idea to keep an eye on how the other tank is doing as well, if you notice the other tank is taking a bit more spike damage switch your shielded target to help the other healers out, this applies if your raid healing as well, try to pick the target that's gonna need the charges more.
Healing Wave
This is your bread and butter healing spell, you will be casting this allot, if your not casting this allot, then your doing it wrong. The concept of healing in Cata is around using smaller mana efficient heals and for shamans this is healing wave. You can essentially cast this for free for a very long time without running out of mana. You use this constantly as long as the person you are healing hasn't taking some spike damage that drops them down very low, like closer to half health. At the end of most fights if you look at your healing done, this as either your #1 spell or at the very least as your second highest healing spell, never should healing surge, or greater healing wave.
Greater Healing Wave
If someone has enough health that most of this heal would be overkill then its not the right time to use it.
Healing Surge
okay, crap someone is going to die without a big heal now, use this, otherwise..no
Chain Heal
This spell has been a royal pain at times, but is otherwise awesome. If you have multipul people who are needing a heal and your reasonably sure that the heal will be able to jump, people aren't to far spread out, then go ahead and use this.
Riptide
Riptide is a bit of a buffer spell, if someone is taking damage but not in large amounts, you can use this to top them off, I usually try to maintain this spell on the tank at the very least, It can be possible to keep riptides going on multiple people, specially with the glyph but you really shouldn't have to.
Healing Rain
Healing Rain is a area of effect healing spell, this is a targeted heal that will rain on a area you select, this is helpful on fights where people are clumped up and taking damage, if most your party is not clumped up I don't recommend using this spell, I think its probably best to use this spell only when 3+ people are going to be healed by it and will most likely remain in the area for the duration, but even then its your call on it, you can use it with chain heal if you thing the damage is going to be a fair amount or just chain heal or healing rain through the damage.
Healing Stream Totem
While this is a spell, that heals, its not something you are constantly spamming but a totem that you place out that will heal your party. When it comes between this and choosing mana stream it really depends on your party make up, and if your feel comfortable with your mana regen. If you have a pally handing out might then obviously you don't need mana spring.
Glyph of Stoneclaw Totem
I really underestimated this glyph at first, since I started using at a healer though, I've found it very useful, Basically its like tossing a priest's power world: shield on yourself. Basically I try to use this when there is aoe spell damage hurting the party, and to a degree while it last anyways will remove my health from the equation and I just have to worry about others.
Spirit Link Totem
The new cool down added for shamans in 4.1. What this totem does is redistribute health amoung the people within 10 yards of the totem. So far I'm not quite sure about this totem, but when I try to use it is when multiple people are getting rather low on health and are close together, this way I can basically spam heal one person and get them all back up. I think its best if you only do this when you know the tank or tanks will not be effected, last thing you would want to happen is your tank gets low then gets one shot cause the totem distributed his health away.
