A symbolic illustration showing a parent teaching their teenager how to drive in an empty parking lot, with a car in the foreground and a city skyline in the background. The scene gradually transforms into a classroom with students working on laptops, using simple AI and edtech tools. The image should visually blend the two concepts—learning to drive step by step and integrating technology in education. The atmosphere should be modern, inspiring, and forward-thinking, with a balance of realism and a touch of conceptual creativity. Bright, clean colors with a professional yet approachable style, perfect for an education and technology blog header.

One Mile… Turn Right

A few episodes back, I told you about my oldest kid getting his learner’s permit—and how the idea of him behind the wheel totally freaked me out.

Fast forward a few months, and here’s what I’ve learned: teaching your kid to drive isn’t about one big milestone. It’s about 100 tiny steps.

We didn’t hit the highway on day one. We started in:

  • 🅿️ An empty parking lot
  • 🌳 A quiet park
  • 🚧 Some winding neighborhood roads
  • 🟢 Then one red light… then two

Step by step, we added more:

  • Right turns ✅
  • Left turns 😬
  • Busier intersections 🫣
  • Faster roads 🚗💨

Each time, a little more speed, a little more complexity. And that’s what real progress looks like—not just behind the wheel, but also in the classroom.

Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast

As I sat there in the passenger seat, pressing my imaginary brake pedal every 15 seconds, I was reminded of a quote from Jim Carroll:

“Think big. Start small. Scale fast.”

That’s exactly what we’ve been doing.

The big goal? He needs to be road-ready. But we’re getting there one drive at a time. Intentionally. Consistently.

And it’s the same in our classrooms.

What Does This Have to Do with EdTech?

Let’s be real—we all want to raise future-ready learners. We want to build students who are:

  • 💭 Critical thinkers
  • 🤝 Collaborators
  • 🧠 Problem-solvers
  • 🤖 AI-aware and ready for the future

But trying to do everything at once in your classroom? That’s the equivalent of putting a brand-new driver on the highway on day one. Just… no.

So instead of launching a full-blown AI project, what if we started smaller?

  • Instead of a full large-language model, try a simple chatbot in MagicSchool
  • Instead of recording a podcast, have students record short reflections using Padlet or Mote
  • Instead of redesigning your entire lesson plan, just tweak one slide or one activity

It’s not about doing everything. It’s about starting in the parking lot and scaling from there.

When “Start Small” Feels Impossible

Recently, I read a reflection from an educator I support. She had just watched a presentation from another teacher and wrote:

“I can’t possibly do all of that.”

You know what? That’s okay. She doesn’t have to—not yet, at least.

Because most big things don’t happen all at once. They happen a little at a time, with practice and purpose. Just like learning to drive.

Urgent vs. Important: Enter the Eisenhower Matrix

Here’s where it gets tricky: those small steps? They don’t always feel urgent.

You’re busy juggling:

  • Parent emails
  • Last-minute sub plans
  • Staff meetings
  • Oh, and today’s lesson

So even if trying something new feels important, it gets pushed to the bottom of the list.

That’s where the Eisenhower Matrix comes in. (Yes, the one created by President Eisenhower and popularized by Stephen Covey.)

It breaks tasks down into four quadrants:

  1. Urgent + Important (do it now)
  2. Important but Not Urgent (schedule it)
  3. Urgent but Not Important (delegate it or just get it done)
  4. Not Urgent + Not Important (maybe just… don’t do it?)

Trying that new edtech tool? It’s in the “important but not urgent” box.
But guess what? If you wait until it is urgent, it’s already too late.

Scale Fast—One Small Step at a Time

When my son got his permit, we went weeks without practicing. Not because it wasn’t important—but because it didn’t feel urgent.

After a while, we started prioritizing it, Because if we had waited until it was urgent? He wouldn’t be ready to get his license.

Same goes for us as educators. If something is important, we can’t wait until it’s on fire. We have to prioritize it—even when it’s quiet.

So what’s your “parking lot” step?

  • Is it trying MagicSchool’s chatbot generator?
  • Is it exploring a new strategy for student voice?
  • Is it giving students a little more agency in one activity?

It doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be on purpose.

Think Big, Start Small, Scale Fast.

Final Thought: What’s Your Goal?

We can’t just implement tech for tech’s sake. We have to ask:

  • What’s the big goal? (think big)
  • What’s the small step you can take today that leads you there? (start small)
  • What comes next? (scale fast)

If we want our students to be critical thinkers, collaborators, and confident in an AI-powered world—we need to build toward that with intention. One thoughtful, not-so-urgent step at a time.

Share your answers below!

We covered this in a video too—tap the images below to watch it.