Go...slow..to.gofast!

When it comes to trying something new, people fall into different categories.  Some will dip in a toe, some are very reluctant, and then there are some like me...

Early adopter status can be good, but jumping in headfirst isn't always the way to go, especially when you get so excited that you forget to look first.

There were definitely some bumps to the start of my year in a new job and I have to admit that several of them were of my own making.  While I have no regrets on utilizing Google Classroom or other technology in my classes, I should have implemented their utilization differently.

Having come from a district that used Google Apps exclusively the last two years, I'd forgotten about what things were like for students and staff when we first started using it.  In my first assignment, I asked students to create a document, but many had never used Google Docs.  Many students didn't know their Google logins or even that they had to use their school login info to register for Google Classroom.  Additionally I didn't anticipate some of the technology issues that we encountered such as administrator settings preventing students from logging into Google Apps from their devices and needing to instead use their browser.

So often we refer to this generation as being "digital natives" but we have to remember that they need guidance on how to use their connectivity as a tool and not just for entertainment.  There were many students who told me that they didn't have a computer at home to do their video assessments, but were carrying a smart phone in their pockets, not realizing that their phone IS a computer.

While taking care of some of the issues stemming from technology problems, my principal reminded me that when doing something new we often have to remember to go slow to go fast.  Buy in takes a certain level of comfort, and we need to teach to reach that level.   As an impatient, head first jumper, this is not always a strong suit of mine, but a valuable one to remember.

So here's to trying new things and failing forward!  Teaching often has its bumps in the road, but if we remember to slow down sometimes, we'll reach our intended destination much faster.