I’m attending the SLANZA conference today, and multitasking my way through it, mainly to disprove something I’ve heard from too many women colleagues to name.
During the first keynote, Judy O’Connell introduced her concept of a “digital toolkit”, and suggested in a years time if we didn’t have at least five digital tools we could call on unconsciously we wouldn’t be able to do our jobs.
In the following break, a colleague reported speaking to some others who were deeply concerned by this statement. Her impression was that they were overwhelmed by the challenge of digital, and that they weren’t “given access” in the first place.
The truth is, being digital isn’t a challenge. Sure, some systems are enormously complex to fully understand, but getting started is in this day and age literally a barrier a child can overcome.
One of the roles I seem to have fallen into over my career is the speaking to the nondigital people with the message, “it’s ok”. I understand the wish to alarm people into embracing this fantastic new world that is evolving around us, but fear is only useful in convincing farmyard animals that the sky is falling.
I was recently in a meeting talking one of the groups of AnyQuestions operators working in Auckland Cities. One of the group – a competent operator, and a very able Children’s Librarian – said that she felt like a “possum in the headlights” when online.
My response? That she wasn’t a possum, and that was just a feeling.
The session I’m now in, I’m hearing school librarians talk about being in a situation truly worthy of fear – the earthquakes. The group reported needing rescue remedy to deliver the talk, but each describes themselves as “one of the lucky ones.”
And that’s what I think about the digital age. Yes, there are some drastic changes underway. All the same, we’re lucky to be living now.
The generally complete lack of interest and curiosity about what I consider to be so amazing and absorbing, the feeling of having the world at my finger tips, is what astounds me. I have learnt to watch for that eyes-glazed expression most people get when I wax lyrical about some new digital discovery to my colleagues. Sometimes I feel like an alien.
Interestingly I think the more digital I let myself get, the less “alien” I feel – or maybe the world’s catching up with those of us who were already geared up for the digital age.
I agree it isn’t a challenge either. I always say, “If I can do it, you can do it.” I’m no digital whiz, just willing to give it a go. Nice post.
It’s my approach too – although I have had a love of things digital for a long time now.
I love how you’ve put this – and explained that it is not about being frightened – it’s about meeting the challenge of a digital age. For those who are not yet familiar with things digital there is almost no way to put it simply – it’s a digital challenge that must be met. Most importantly – the kids can ‘do digital’, so surely we can too ….. !
Thanks Judy,
I’m always interested in tracing our paths of “becoming digital” back to their roots, so separating out these little feelings and tensions is most important to me.
What five digital tools were suggested?
The 5 were one’s own choice of go-to tools. That being said, Jude provides a very useful list here:
https://sites.google.com/site/ptcweb2/toolkit-a-z
Ah, I see. Well, I’m definitely using about 5 or more.