Advice to pass on

Today I found old advice, "sage advice", if you will. It is from a 2005 presentation by Alan Aycock at the University of Wisconsin at Whitewater, "The 20 Minute Rule: If you've been trying to do something for 20 minutes and it doesn't work, STOP - and find someone who knows how to make it work. don't get frustrated, and don't rely on a manual. People are there for a reason." 

Another Alan quote in this presentation is "High-tech is high-risk: don't choose learning technologies that are smarter than you are!" 

Here are the lessons for a 2009 update: 

1. Anticipate the areas of technology struggle for your students. Point out that there this activity might need deliberate thought and action. Provide a way for students to communicate with each other and ultimately with you about their efforts. In D2L this could be opening a Discussion Board for student-to-student interactions. 
   
2. New technology and change are constants. Start with the basics of D2L - posting handouts and updating student's grades. Add new options as your comfort zone expands.