These are the innovators, those who are interested enough in the technology to handle the idiosyncrasies of the services they use and fix any technical problems which might arise. For the next wave of users to come on board, a number of factors will have to be addressed. The technology and services themselves must become more intuitive and friendly to use. There must be support from senior staff in schools and the various education management systems. Teachers should be encouraged to spend time accessing online resources and taking part in discussion, and this needs to be accepted as a valuable use of time.
Time is crucial.
If teachers are to be encouraged to reflect on classroom practice in order to adapt and improve rather than adhere to routine, it is essential that opportunities and time are made available for disciplined inquiry into teaching and learning. They need access to a computer and online system. Perhaps a professional development area in the school which holds details of conferences, courses, books, magazines and computer and telephone point, all set up for easy access to the chosen systems. They will need ongoing support, someone who can encourage staff to try new things, to seek new resources and join different groups. There needs to be an in-house 'mentor', someone who genuinely wants to help others gain the most from the resources available and who can advise where help may be found.