Surfing the DigiChange
We hear a lot of talk about the digital life that is infused into the world around us. One could almost describe it like a wave, washing over everything in our world. And just like any wave, it floods our senses and pushes us into survival mode, urging us to swim our hardest, just to keep our heads above water. For we often think that the wave is the thing to surf, the trend to follow, the "new direction", and if not followed, we would sink. Figuratively speaking, of course.
So who's best equipped to navigate this new ocean of possibilities?
Those who have seen calmer waters, lived on solid ground, and now adapt their values and experiences to the new; or the ones who were born on the surf, but have never had the chance to really walk or truly see the huge ocean around them, because the next wave is always in front of their eyes, distracting their view of the whole? We all swim in the same waters, only at a different pace. Those who are adapting have the what. For them, the past is essential. It carries with it lessons learned about success and failure, and it must reconfigured into the new framework; the digital world then becomes a juggling act, trying to keep the balance between the "tried and true" and the "this is not going anywhere, have to figure out how to do this". For the digisurfers, the horizons are open! They have the how. For them, the challenge comes from fitting into their present a past that they cannot relate to. The digital world then becomes an open space that must be populated with relevant content; their challenge comes from balancing the “so many ways to do this” with “where do I find the what”?
So how do we thrive?
We live in social networks, be they our families, our circles of friends, our professional network; when we get excited, they get excited, when we suffer, they try to find ways to support us. If “we are only as fast as the slowest person in our group” then in order to cross to the finish line, and win the race, we must help each other. There are countless recipes for change out there, but here are a few tips for coping with the digichange.
1. Admit you don’t know! Nobody knows everything. We always learn, throughout our life, so digilearning is no different. It is ok to be a beginner, but more importantly, it is ok to be scared of the new. The good news is that fear immediately goes away when we start understanding. All you have to do is start somewhere.
2. Ask a friend! It is always easier to ask a friend how they use a digitool, or what they like most. The comfort level is greatest, and the probability that learning will come easier is greatest. Do make sure you ask the friend who has a lot of patience!
3. Start small! You may have heard about twitting, and blogging, and instagramming, but they may just sound like a bunch of goopity-gook. Google them (or go back to #2). Choose only one that you think you would enjoy. For example, if you are someone who knows everything about everyone, then twitter is for you! If you love imagery, try pinterest. If you are an introvert, but you like writing, start a blog.
4. Try it out on your own! Everyone has a favorite feature of every tool they use. If you get help or training for a tool, try to find what you like best about it, and practice on your own; play with all the features that you can find –a scavenger hunt for things you can do with this tool is great! If you’re still not sure, go back to #2.
5. Use it for all your activities! Whether at work or at home, find ways to incorporate the tool into your routine; it then becomes a given, and is no longer a scary new thing. Besides, practice makes perfect! For example, a ready-to-make video site like Animoto can win you big points with the family at that upcoming reunion, baptism, birthday, anniversary; but it is also an awesome tool for any kind of work presentation, lesson introduction, exit ticket, project outcome, etc.
6. Teach someone who doesn’t know it! Just like you were more comfortable learning it from a friend, others will like it better too! It also feels empowering to show off your new skill, and you don’t have to worry that there will be any critique – even if you don’t know everything about it, remember they don’t know anything. And you know what they say: “if you care, you share”!
7. Give a daily routine a digital twist! Do you have a list of favorite websites that you visit every day? You can Symbaloo all! The great thing about digital organizers is that they save you space and you can use them to catalog both professional and personal sites.