I will be the first to admit that I am not tech savvy. I actually feel sickened going into a store that sells laptops, thumb drives, tablets, and so on. Why? Because I see all this stuff that I really don’t understand and then realize that someone out there is updating and making more stuff that I don’t understand.
Ask The Kids
Thus, I gradually ease into new things, and I ask for help from MY KIDS! Yes, my kids. They are a wonderful resource of knowledge in all things new! I am amazed at how quickly they can learn a new device, app, or other items that I find a mystery.
Technology moves fast, and it is hard for me to keep up as a homeschool parent and wife. My concerns range from feeding the kids on a budget to making sure we are signed up for standardized testing. I don’t have as much time to dedicate to learning elaborate electronic gizmos and other re-chargeable, battery operated, Bluetooth capable, Internet connected, Wi-Fi enabled, GPS tracked devices (Did I miss anything?).
At the end of the day, I don’t want to learn all the ins and outs of my phone in one swoop. So even after months of having a new phone, I can be surprised when my kids point out a feature that could be useful and show me how to use it. And yes, I know how to text, use emojis, and send pictures 😛 Thanks to my kids!
Help Is Closer Than You Think
Here’s a tip: Many of you that use www.MySchoolYear.com may not even realize all the powerful tools and capabilities that are available. You might be astonished at the extensive amount of features you have access to by just playing around on the site. Let your tech savvy student check it out and show you what you may be missing.
Some common features often overlooked are:
- Entering in past years class grades without entering in lessons
- Ability to reschedule lessons
- Searching and using other members’ lessons (no personal info displayed)
- Create-A-Plan’s ability to force an end date and to start on “next available” school day
So if you share my common lack in mastering the novel, then humble yourself and allow your kids to teach you a thing or two. Alternatively, you can make it a “technology” class for them to present the wonders of the world to you. Sneaky, but effective.
Or you can always just ask them nicely to do it for you and save your learning time for those things that are important to you – like how to get permanent marker off the carpet!