Digital Literacy: Realizing the Promise of Technology | Shauna Begley | TEDxRoyalRoadsU
Summary
TLDRThe speaker emphasizes the importance of digital literacy in a technology-driven world, where success is increasingly tied to our ability to adapt and utilize technology effectively. They argue that confidence in learning, curiosity about technology, and a commitment to experimentation are key to overcoming challenges and realizing the potential of technology in our lives. The speaker also highlights the need to balance the pursuit of digital transformation with the reality of its impact on our daily lives, urging us to be proactive in shaping our technological future.
Takeaways
- đ€ The importance of digital literacy is emphasized, as it goes beyond technical skills to include confidence, curiosity, and commitment to using technology in a digitized world.
- đ The nature of work is changing, with technology impacting many careers and companies investing heavily in tech to grow or compete, making every industry digital.
- đ± Technology is powerful but can be misused, as people often use devices for trivial apps that distract and waste time instead of leveraging their potential.
- đ§ The speaker suggests that building digital literacy is as important as pursuing high scores in games, hinting at the need for a balanced approach to technology use.
- đ Digital transformation is a dual-edged sword; it offers opportunities for improvement but also requires adaptation to constant changes and updates.
- đ« Resistance to change, change fatigue, and the intimidating nature of modern technology are barriers to realizing the promise of technology.
- đ Technology is not a 'magic button'; it requires curiosity, effort, and the willingness to learn, fail, and try again to overcome limitations.
- đĄ Encourages confidence in one's ability to learn new technologies, regardless of age or background, and the importance of continuous learning in a rapidly changing tech landscape.
- đ”ïžââïž Advocates for curiosity about technology and challenging the status quo, questioning how technology can be used differently to improve work.
- â° Recommends setting aside time each week to experiment with technology, underscoring the link between exploration and efficiency.
- đ Alvin Toffler's quote is cited to highlight that the illiterate of the 21st century are those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn, emphasizing the attitude towards technology as key to success.
Q & A
What is the main focus of the speaker's talk?
-The main focus of the speaker's talk is the importance of digital literacy and how it can be used to support success in an increasingly digitized world.
Why is digital literacy more than just technical know-how?
-Digital literacy is more than just technical know-how because it involves having the confidence, curiosity, and commitment to use technology to fully participate in a digitized world.
What is the speaker's view on the impact of technology on the nature of work?
-The speaker believes that the nature of work is changing, with advances in technology like artificial intelligence and machine learning impacting careers, and companies increasingly investing in technology for growth and competition.
What is the significance of the number '4449' mentioned in the script?
-The number '4449' represents the combined levels of a game the speaker has played, illustrating the point that despite having powerful technology, people often use it for trivial pursuits instead of leveraging it for more meaningful activities.
How does the speaker suggest we should approach technology to better realize its potential?
-The speaker suggests that we should be confident in our ability to learn, curious about technology, and commit to experimenting with it to find new ways to improve our work and lives.
What role does the speaker believe technology plays in our lives today?
-The speaker believes that technology plays a dual role in our lives, both as a tool we use to improve and deliver value and as a force that evolves and can sometimes be overwhelming, requiring us to adapt.
What challenges does the speaker identify that stand in the way of realizing the promise of technology?
-The speaker identifies challenges such as resistance to change, change fatigue, intimidation by modern technology, and the fear of obsolescence as barriers to realizing the promise of technology.
What is the speaker's advice for individuals to improve their digital literacy?
-The speaker advises individuals to be confident in learning new things, to be curious about technology, and to set aside time each week to experiment with new technologies.
How does the speaker relate the concept of building a ladder to the process of overcoming limitations with technology?
-The speaker uses the analogy of building a ladder to represent the process of overcoming limitations with technology, emphasizing the need for curiosity, experimentation, and persistence in learning and adapting to new tools.
What quote does the speaker attribute to Alvin Toffler, and what is its relevance to the talk?
-The speaker quotes Alvin Toffler as saying, 'The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.' This quote is relevant as it underscores the importance of continuous learning and adaptation in the face of technological change.
Outlines
đ The Promise and Challenge of Technology
The speaker begins by questioning the audience's confidence in using technology to support their success. They emphasize the potential of technology to enhance our capabilities and achieve aspirations, but acknowledge that this potential often seems unattainable. As a technology strategist and educator, the speaker works with various entities to align actions with technology usage for success. Digital literacy is highlighted as crucial, encompassing not just technical skills but also the confidence and curiosity to engage with technology in a digitized world. The changing nature of work, with technology impacting many careers, underscores the importance of digital literacy. The speaker also points out the irony of using powerful devices for trivial pursuits, suggesting that focusing on building digital literacy could better harness technology's promise. The audience is encouraged to balance the offensive and defensive aspects of digital transformation, actively seeking technological improvements while adapting to inevitable changes.
đ Embracing Change and Continuous Learning
The speaker discusses the challenges to digital literacy, such as resistance to change, fatigue from constant crises, and the intimidating nature of modern technology. Despite these, the speaker remains optimistic about the potential of technology, drawing on the human history of innovation and problem-solving. The speaker suggests that technology is not a simple solution but requires active engagement and experimentation. To improve digital literacy, the audience is encouraged to be confident in learning new technologies, regardless of age or background. Curiosity is promoted as a key trait, urging the audience to explore how technology can change their work processes. Lastly, the speaker advises setting aside time for experimentation with technology, emphasizing that learning and unlearning are essential for success in the modern world, as noted by Alvin Toffler.
đ Realizing the Potential of Technology
In the concluding paragraph, the speaker reinforces the idea that a positive attitude towards technology, confidence in one's ability to learn, and a commitment to experimentation are key to realizing the potential of technology. The pursuit of digital literacy is presented as a means to make all dreams and aspirations attainable. The speaker thanks the audience and receives applause, signifying the end of the talk.
Mindmap
Keywords
đĄDigital Literacy
đĄTechnology
đĄSuccess
đĄAlignment
đĄChange Fatigue
đĄArtificial Intelligence (AI)
đĄCandy Crush
đĄDistraction
đĄExperimentation
đĄCuriosity
đĄEvolution
đĄUnlearning and Relearning
Highlights
The importance of digital literacy in leveraging technology for success.
Technology's potential to enhance our capabilities and achieve dreams.
The necessity of continuous alignment between actions, technology, and its application for success.
Digital literacy as a confidence and commitment to use technology effectively.
The changing nature of work due to advances in technology like AI and ML.
Every company and industry becoming a tech company and digital industry.
The paradox of using powerful technology for trivial pursuits like games.
The risk of becoming disconnected from the world through curated content consumption.
The suggestion to balance social media and game usage with building digital literacy.
Digital transformation as both a goal and an occurrence that affects us.
The challenge of keeping up with the rapid evolution of technology.
Overcoming barriers to digital literacy such as resistance to change and fear of obsolescence.
The historical human drive to innovate and use technology to overcome limitations.
The non-existence of an 'easy button' in technology; the need for curiosity and effort.
Three key actions to improve digital literacy: confidence, curiosity, and experimentation.
The need for a proactive approach to technology to stay ahead in the modern world.
Alvin Toffler's quote on the new illiterate being those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.
The empowerment of realizing technology's promise through intentional pursuit of digital literacy.
Transcripts
foreign
I want to start by asking you a question
hands up those of you who are confident
in your ability to use technology to
support your success
good why am I asking this question
we have come to believe in the promise
of Technology its potential to improve
our lives in new and exciting ways
to enhance our capabilities enabling us
to achieve all our dreams and
aspirations
but for many of us this promise may seem
Out Of Reach
as a technology strategist and educator
I work with organizations teams and
individuals to help them figure out how
to use technology to support and
reimagine how they get things done
in my years of experience it's become
apparent that to be successful requires
more than just adopting the latest and
greatest Technologies
our success requires a continuous
alignment between what we do the
technology we use and how we use it
this is why today I'm speaking to you
about the importance of your digital
literacy
now digital literacy is more than just
technical know-how sure someone who is
digitally literate is able to navigate
various devices and digital platforms
with relative ease
but beyond that they have the confidence
curiosity and commitment to using
technology to fully participate in an
increasingly digitized world
digital literacy is important because
the very nature of work is changing
one in five individuals is working in a
career that is likely to be impacted by
advances in technology like artificial
intelligence and machine learning
and you'd be hard-pressed to find the
company that isn't increasing its
investment in technology to fuel its
growth or compete in a market where
technology is being used in new ways
every company is a tech company every
industry is digital
and advanced tools are increasingly in
the hands of individuals and teams of
all shapes and sizes
it's an exciting time for our
opportunity to use technology and
purposeful and meaningful ways seems
Limitless
I want to share a number with you
four thousand four hundred and forty
nine
this my friends is the combined levels
of candy that I have crushed
we have all this fantastic technology
these devices in our pockets with more
power than was used to send the first
shuttle into space and yet we use them
to download apps that perpetuate our
distraction and waste time
we increasingly consume curated content
that doesn't challenge us or require us
to think
and we're at a risk of becoming more
disconnected from the world around us
now I'm not saying we should abandon
social media or delete all our games in
fact these can be great ways to unwind
from daily stress build community with
our friends and family
even improve our brain function
what I am suggesting is that if we spent
as much time building our digital
literacy as we do chasing our high
scores
we could better realize the promise of
Technology
now as we consider our digital literacy
and its ability to support our success
in the modern world we need to reconcile
that digital transformation is both
something that we strive for and
something that happens to us we play
both offense and defense
we purposely and proactively look for
ways to use technology to be better
faster to deliver more value
and as we discover new technologies and
we embrace them we feel a thrill maybe
this is the thing that will solve all
our problems make it easier for us to
communicate and collaborate make better
decisions maybe it will lower our stress
by streamlining and automating our work
but at the same time we find ourselves
on the defensive
we are at the mercy of the evolution of
the very Technologies we have adopted
are apps and online platforms refresh
with new and improved features every
weekday hour and this can be
overwhelming often unwelcome
how many of you have seen that
notification that pops up in the corner
of your screen that says here's
something new for you
if you did notice chances are you
averted your eyes or swiped it away
vowing to learn more later when you just
have the time
the digital Revolution hasn't
necessarily made our lives easier
it's increased our access to information
it requires us to decide what
technologies deserve our time and
attention
and it places demands on our time to
rethink how we do what we do
when we consider what stands in the path
to our digital literacy and realizing
the promise of Technology
the list is long
some of us take comfort in the way we've
always done things
many of us are change fatigued from
living in a world where multiple crises
seem the norm
modern technology can also be
intimidating
it may even seem pointless to experiment
knowing that the next new thing is right
around the corner and everything we're
learning today May soon be obsolete
despite all this
I believe the promise of technology is
within our reach
from the beginning of time humans have
wanted to do more and be more it is the
story of evolution that we have looked
to overcome the challenges we face
to innovate solve problems and improve
our lives
and humans over time throughout history
have looked to technology to overcome
our limitations and transform the world
around us
but technology is not an easy button
sticks on the ground are only
transformed into a ladder when we are
curious enough about what is Out Of
Reach and we decide to go and get it
we must pick up those sticks
build perhaps fail learn and build again
until we can expand our reach
in the modern world our success is
increasingly dependent on the attitudes
we Embrace and the actions that we take
to improve your digital literacy and
realize the promise of Technology
requires that you do a few things
number one
be confident in your ability to learn
new things
over and over we have heard that only
the youngest Generations those immersed
in technology from the cradle are able
to learn new technologies and use them
well
but if you have an idea to build a
ladder are you really going to wait for
someone else to pick up the sticks and
build it for you because you won't try
your generational cohort background or
education will only stand in your way if
you let it
I want you to remember that we are all
facing the same pace of technological
change every day
and this levels the playing field
be confident that if you are not
digitally literate today it is entirely
possible for you to be so in the future
next get curious about technology when
it comes to Modern work we don't often
build new ladders
we assume that the way to be more
productive is to put our heads down and
get to it
we put our blinders on ignoring the
tools available to us and the evolution
of those tools and we just work harder
we stick with what we know
dismiss those notifications maybe Crush
some candy along the way
but what if we did something different
what if we asked how can technology help
me work differently
get curious challenge the status quo and
think how can I use technology in new
ways
finally
set time aside each and every week to
try something new
efficiency isn't possible without
experimentation yet often our sticks are
left lying on the ground
create space to explore using technology
in new ways
it's one thing to be curious but you
need to spend some time playing with
your sticks to see what you can build
you never know what you might discover
that will enable you to be more
effective
and productive
and this will Empower you to connect
more with your work and the people and
causes you care about
we live in a world where even the most
Ardent change enthusiasts can be
overwhelmed
we need to be willing to rethink how we
work and reimagine how we get things
done
Alvin Toffler said the illiterate of the
21st century will not be those who
cannot read and write but those who
cannot learn unlearn and relearn
our attitude around technology is Key to
Our Success in the modern world if we
are confident in ourselves
curious about the technology that
surrounds us and commit to experimenting
we can realize the promise of Technology
our intentional pursuit of digital
literacy means that all our dreams and
aspirations are within reach
thank you
foreign
[Applause]
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