I teach three 'Cs' Comfort - Control - Creativity

I would teach them the tools their kids use, so they'd understand them.

Facebook, Internet safety, As much web 2.0 as they could digest.

First- tech is all around them. There are no neophytes. Fire & the Wheel were hi-tech for their day. Phones, cars, microwaves & calculators

they no longer think of as technology. The personal computer won't always look this way, its changed in past decades. Let's start with that.

It puts folks at ease, lets them know they DO need to learn & do this. You don't have to rebuild an engine to drive a car - but you do need

to understand changing the oil, putting gas in it, and how to drive. Caution is GOOD! Intimidation is not.

I would teach the short cut stuff on a Mac... I taught that stuff to an older friend of mine and she took off on a Mac with much more

confidence since she wasn't so frustrated finding simple commands.