Before I took an active role in directing hackathons, I would have told you that I was quite tech savvy — that is, until I was exposed to the Office of Information Technology and realized just how much I didn’t know. It was a humbling experience for sure, but it also helped me gain an appreciation for so many aspects of my current lifestyle that I had taken for granted. Now I have high-level knowledge of why “Google” is so elegantly “Google,” why updates are important for your mobile applications, how to troubleshoot my wireless internet when I lose the signal…the list is endless.
Now while I find knowledge to be constantly important, I don’t have space in my brain for every tidbit of information I have accumulated. Instead, I retain enough to get by. I don’t need to be a tech queen, my strengths lie in different areas that I’m passionate about working on.
So the first thing you need to do is get over your own status and learning style. You matter in so many ways — however you learn and with whatever passion you have. But now let’s talk about how you can you can become more fluent.
Device Roundup
I recently gathered all up of my technology (personal and professional) so that I could play around with my settings and royally mess them all up. My goal was to figure out my storage, my sync, my cloud, and any automated tasks running in the background. I quickly learned exactly what I knew and where I needed help. I haven’t had the chance yet, but I plan to visit our IT Helpdesk and some local stores to help me get sorted. They hold great workshops on a weekly basis to help those of us who are a little bit more technology challenged.
Program Party
So what the heck do you actually use on your computer or device? What is a program? What is this hardware to software jargon that folks go on about?
Program:
Provides a computer or other machine with coded instructions for the automatic performance of a particular task.
Hardware:
Wiring and other physical components of a computer or other electronic system.
Software:
Programs and other operating information used by a computer.
Now check the health of your programs, do you need to update your versions? It would suck if there were awesome features that you couldn’t tap into because your programs are still trapped in 1999, partying with Prince.
Song shout-out:
Phew. Now that you’ve got the latest versions running…let’s keep going!
Workshop Workout
I can’t stress this one enough. I know this means getting out of your Netflix PJs and actually taking some time out of your busy schedule to learn, but I will make a personal pledge to you that if you leave a workshop session feeling worse than when you arrived, I will personally buy you a pizza or coffee on the house. Get out there, talk to people who are experts in the field, and learn from them about what they do.
It’s 100% fine if it’s a beginner’s class and you’re surrounded by folks who are 20 years younger. I remember when I took a skiing class and there were a bunch of 7-year-olds kicking my ass, but that wasn’t going to deter me from completing the class and learning how to ski. We all ate sh*t together, and snow never tasted so good.
The point of going to a workshop is to soak in the knowledge. You’re a sponge, which means that a lot of stuff comes in and only some of it stays. I personally take comfort in the fact that no one human can know everything, but you don’t need to know everything, you need to know enough to know what you don’t know, and how to find out if/when you need to know it.
These 3 exercises should help you honestly assess your tech skills and start building your confidence. Soon you’ll be a technology ambassador! I encourage each of you to become familiar with the technology in your lives, learn what it does and how it can do that better, and then imagine ways you can use that technology to make your life (or the lives of others better). This is an incredible tool and you have the power to unlock its potential if you’re willing to accept the challenge.
If you want to brainstorm further with me on this topic, reach out to me via: experimentalcivics.io
Good luck and happy workshopping!