When I visit schools to facilitate workshops there is usually a mix of folks who are off and running with technology use in their classrooms and folks who are just getting started. When mixed together with those who are off and running, the folks who are just getting started can sometimes feel like they have so much to do to get caught up to their colleagues. In those situations I remind folks that they don’t have to learn it all on their own today. I encourage setting a small goal of getting comfortable with one new thing per full month of the school year. If you can work toward that goal, by the end of the school year you will have eight to ten new things in your teaching playbook.

Learning to use Google Apps for Education is a good example of employing this “one thing per month” goal. Teachers who have Google Apps for Education thrust upon them might feel like they have to learn the ins and outs of Docs, Forms, Slides, Spreadsheets, Classroom, and Sites right away. I recommend starting with one of those aspects of GAFE, Docs is usually where I start people, and getting comfortable with how it works and how it can enhance some of the activities that you do with students. Once you’re comfortable with Docs then move on to another aspect of GAFE. I use this approach in my webinars and in my in-person workshops and it has generally worked out well.

And always remember this, even if you feel like the kids know more about the technology than you do, you are still the expert on teaching in your classroom.