Digital Literacy: Realizing the Promise of Technology | Shauna Begley | TEDxRoyalRoadsU

Summary

The 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

• 🤖 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.
• 🌐 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.
• 📱 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.
• 🧠 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.
• 🔄 Digital transformation is a dual-edged sword; it offers opportunities for improvement but also requires adaptation to constant changes and updates.
• 🚫 Resistance to change, change fatigue, and the intimidating nature of modern technology are barriers to realizing the promise of technology.
• 🛠 Technology is not a 'magic button'; it requires curiosity, effort, and the willingness to learn, fail, and try again to overcome limitations.
• 💡 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.
• 🕵️‍♂️ Advocates for curiosity about technology and challenging the status quo, questioning how technology can be used differently to improve work.
• ⏰ Recommends setting aside time each week to experiment with technology, underscoring the link between exploration and efficiency.
• 🌟 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

00:00

🌐 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.

05:01

🔄 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.

10:02

🚀 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.

Keywords

💡Digital Literacy

Digital literacy refers to the ability to navigate, evaluate, and create digital information effectively, safely, and responsibly. In the context of the video, it is portrayed as essential for full participation in a digitized world, going beyond mere technical know-how to include confidence, curiosity, and commitment to using technology for personal and professional growth.

💡Technology

Technology in this video is presented as a powerful tool with the potential to improve lives and enhance capabilities. It is the central theme, illustrating how it can be harnessed to achieve dreams and aspirations, but also how it requires a thoughtful approach to integration and use to be truly beneficial.

💡Success

Success in the video is associated with the effective use of technology to support personal and professional endeavors. It is not just about adopting the latest technologies but ensuring a continuous alignment between actions, technology, and its application to achieve goals.

💡Alignment

Alignment in this context means the harmonious integration of technology with one's actions and goals. The video emphasizes that success with technology is not accidental but requires a deliberate and ongoing process of ensuring that the technology used is in sync with what one aims to accomplish.

💡Change Fatigue

Change fatigue is a state of exhaustion or frustration that results from constant change, often experienced in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. The video mentions this concept to highlight the challenges people face in keeping up with technological advancements and the need to overcome this fatigue to embrace digital literacy.

💡Artificial Intelligence (AI)

AI is mentioned as one of the technological advances that are impacting careers and the nature of work. The video suggests that understanding and adapting to AI, along with other technologies like machine learning, is crucial for individuals to remain relevant and effective in their professions.

💡Candy Crush

Candy Crush is used metaphorically in the video to represent the trivial use of technology that distracts from its more profound applications. The speaker mentions their personal high score in the game to illustrate how technology can be misused, detracting from its potential to enhance our lives.

💡Distraction

Distraction is portrayed as a consequence of not using technology mindfully. The video warns against the risk of becoming disconnected from the world around us due to the consumption of curated content and the pursuit of trivial digital activities.

💡Experimentation

Experimentation is encouraged in the video as a means to improve digital literacy. It is the act of trying new things with technology to discover more effective and productive ways of working. The speaker suggests setting aside time each week for such exploration.

💡Curiosity

Curiosity is highlighted as a key attitude for embracing technology and improving digital literacy. The video suggests that being curious about technology can lead to innovative uses and better adaptation to the evolving digital landscape.

💡Evolution

Evolution in the video refers to the continuous development and improvement of technology. It is used to convey the idea that technology is not static, and our relationship with it must be dynamic, requiring constant learning and adaptation.

💡Unlearning and Relearning

Unlearning and relearning are presented as necessary processes in the pursuit of digital literacy. The video cites Alvin Toffler to emphasize that the ability to let go of outdated knowledge and acquire new skills is crucial for success in the modern world.

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]