WEBVTT 00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.879 Welcome to the Deep Dive. Today, we're tackling 00:00:02.879 --> 00:00:05.160 something pretty fundamental, actually. When 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:08.279 new tech pops up, what choices do we really have? 00:00:08.759 --> 00:00:10.419 Right. It often feels like we just have to keep 00:00:10.419 --> 00:00:13.060 up, but there's more to it. Exactly. And we're 00:00:13.060 --> 00:00:15.259 digging into this using an article from hackscience 00:00:15.259 --> 00:00:18.739 .education by Gary Ackerman called Three Choices 00:00:18.739 --> 00:00:21.059 When Faced with Technology. Yeah, it lays out 00:00:21.059 --> 00:00:24.390 three main pathways. Adopt. adapt and exact. 00:00:24.710 --> 00:00:26.170 So that's what we're going to unpack today. How 00:00:26.170 --> 00:00:28.469 we can, you know, thoughtfully engage with this 00:00:28.469 --> 00:00:30.949 stuff instead of feeling overwhelmed. And it's 00:00:30.949 --> 00:00:33.109 not just for educators, even though that's the 00:00:33.109 --> 00:00:35.429 focus of the article. It's relevant for, well, 00:00:35.630 --> 00:00:37.450 pretty much everyone. Absolutely. It's about 00:00:37.450 --> 00:00:40.270 having some agency, right? Not just being passive. 00:00:40.509 --> 00:00:43.149 That's the core idea. Yeah. Recognizing we can 00:00:43.149 --> 00:00:45.369 choose how we interact. OK, so let's dive into 00:00:45.369 --> 00:00:48.710 that first choice. Adopt. What are we talking 00:00:48.710 --> 00:00:52.250 about here? Adopt is basically the simplest one. 00:00:52.409 --> 00:00:54.429 It just means using a technology for what it 00:00:54.429 --> 00:00:56.409 was originally designed to do. It's intended 00:00:56.409 --> 00:00:58.429 purpose. Like the example in the article online 00:00:58.429 --> 00:01:01.030 testing. How does that fit? Well, think about 00:01:01.030 --> 00:01:03.130 regular tests, right? They check what students 00:01:03.130 --> 00:01:05.670 know. Online testing platforms, they do the same 00:01:05.670 --> 00:01:08.769 thing. It's online. Exactly. The goal assessing 00:01:08.769 --> 00:01:12.650 understanding hasn't changed. It just... uses 00:01:12.650 --> 00:01:15.849 a digital tool, maybe makes scoring easier, submission 00:01:15.849 --> 00:01:18.010 simpler. So the big win there is efficiency. 00:01:18.290 --> 00:01:20.689 Definitely. That's usually the main driver for 00:01:20.689 --> 00:01:23.790 simple adoption, streamlining things. So maybe 00:01:23.790 --> 00:01:26.129 for you listening, think about tech you just 00:01:26.129 --> 00:01:29.629 use. Straight up. As intended. What efficiencies 00:01:29.629 --> 00:01:32.769 have you gained? Like video calls instead of 00:01:32.769 --> 00:01:35.549 traveling. That's a perfect example. Video conferencing 00:01:35.549 --> 00:01:38.010 its purpose is connecting people across distance. 00:01:38.129 --> 00:01:39.989 And it saves a ton of time and travel hassle. 00:01:40.140 --> 00:01:42.900 Precisely. You're adopting it for its core function 00:01:42.900 --> 00:01:45.120 and getting that efficiency benefit. Simple. 00:01:45.459 --> 00:01:47.980 OK. Makes total sense. But then there's the second 00:01:47.980 --> 00:01:51.219 choice. Adapt. Sounds like things get a bit more 00:01:51.219 --> 00:01:53.700 involved here. They do. Adapting means we start 00:01:53.700 --> 00:01:56.040 changing our goals or our methods because of 00:01:56.040 --> 00:01:57.939 what the technology can do. We're not just using 00:01:57.939 --> 00:02:00.480 it, we're adjusting to it. The technology's capabilities 00:02:00.480 --> 00:02:02.739 start shaping how we work. Yeah, exactly. We 00:02:02.739 --> 00:02:04.739 see a feature and like, OK, how can we leverage 00:02:04.739 --> 00:02:07.700 that? The article brings up wikis in education. 00:02:07.939 --> 00:02:11.740 How's that an example of adapting? Okay, so traditionally 00:02:11.740 --> 00:02:13.780 maybe a student writes something just for the 00:02:13.780 --> 00:02:16.120 teacher, right? Standard, I'd say, yeah. But 00:02:16.120 --> 00:02:19.879 a wiki lets lots of people edit together. So 00:02:19.879 --> 00:02:22.639 an educator might adapt the assignment, have 00:02:22.639 --> 00:02:24.860 students build something collaboratively on the 00:02:24.860 --> 00:02:27.939 wiki. Now they're writing for their peers, for 00:02:27.939 --> 00:02:30.539 a real audience. Ah, so the purpose of the writing 00:02:30.539 --> 00:02:33.159 shifts. It's not just assessment anymore. Right. 00:02:33.289 --> 00:02:35.349 It becomes about building knowledge together, 00:02:35.509 --> 00:02:38.870 maybe a shared resource. The technology enables 00:02:38.870 --> 00:02:42.710 a different kind of learning task, deeper engagement 00:02:42.710 --> 00:02:45.569 often. That's a significant change, not just 00:02:45.569 --> 00:02:49.210 a tech swap. It really alters the process. Can 00:02:49.210 --> 00:02:51.289 you think of other ways we adapt, where we tweak 00:02:51.289 --> 00:02:54.460 our approach for a tech feature? Sure. Think 00:02:54.460 --> 00:02:57.240 about shared digital whiteboards in meetings. 00:02:57.439 --> 00:02:59.860 The old way might be one person at the front 00:02:59.860 --> 00:03:02.439 with a marker. Adapting means maybe everyone 00:03:02.439 --> 00:03:04.560 contributes ideas simultaneously on the digital 00:03:04.560 --> 00:03:06.300 board wherever they are. Oh, right. So you get 00:03:06.300 --> 00:03:08.780 more input, maybe faster brainstorming. Yeah. 00:03:08.939 --> 00:03:11.300 Potentially a much more dynamic session than 00:03:11.300 --> 00:03:13.840 the old way allowed. You've adapted the brainstorming 00:03:13.840 --> 00:03:16.099 process to fit the tool. Cool. OK, that brings 00:03:16.099 --> 00:03:20.199 us to number three. Exapt. This one sounds interesting. 00:03:20.520 --> 00:03:23.710 Comes from biology. It does. In biology, exaptation 00:03:23.710 --> 00:03:27.689 is like feathers. Maybe they were first for warmth, 00:03:27.750 --> 00:03:30.110 but then they became useful for flight, a totally 00:03:30.110 --> 00:03:33.610 different purpose. OK, so in tech. It means using 00:03:33.610 --> 00:03:35.770 a tool for something it really wasn't designed 00:03:35.770 --> 00:03:39.050 for at all, finding a completely unintended application. 00:03:39.349 --> 00:03:41.430 The article says these examples are harder to 00:03:41.430 --> 00:03:44.169 find. And there's this idea that exaptation might 00:03:44.169 --> 00:03:46.389 even come before adaptation sometimes. What's 00:03:46.389 --> 00:03:48.620 that about? It kind of suggests that sometimes 00:03:48.620 --> 00:03:51.699 the really creative, unexpected uses just happen. 00:03:51.960 --> 00:03:54.000 Someone tries something weird with a tool. Like 00:03:54.000 --> 00:03:56.500 a happy accident. Sort of, yeah. And maybe only 00:03:56.500 --> 00:03:58.860 later does that use get refined or become more 00:03:58.860 --> 00:04:01.000 common, which then looks more like adaptation. 00:04:01.199 --> 00:04:03.159 It's a bit fuzzy. OK, so what's the example given? 00:04:03.419 --> 00:04:05.900 Social media, like Twitter, used by educators. 00:04:06.199 --> 00:04:08.780 How's that adaptation? Well, Twitter, Facebook. 00:04:09.229 --> 00:04:12.370 They were built for broad social chat, sharing 00:04:12.370 --> 00:04:14.969 news, personal updates, right? General communication, 00:04:15.069 --> 00:04:17.990 yeah. But when a teacher uses Twitter to, say, 00:04:18.269 --> 00:04:21.069 post homework reminders specifically for their 00:04:21.069 --> 00:04:24.949 class or share links to study resources or even 00:04:24.949 --> 00:04:27.389 showcase great student work. They're repurposing 00:04:27.389 --> 00:04:30.459 it. Exactly. They're taking this broad communication 00:04:30.459 --> 00:04:33.379 tool and using its features like quick updates, 00:04:33.660 --> 00:04:38.259 links, reach for a very narrow, specific educational 00:04:38.259 --> 00:04:40.759 goal that wasn't part of the original design. 00:04:40.980 --> 00:04:43.300 That makes sense. You're leveraging the platform's 00:04:43.300 --> 00:04:45.939 mechanics for something else entirely that it 00:04:45.939 --> 00:04:48.120 feels like where real innovation could spark. 00:04:48.220 --> 00:04:51.060 It often is, yeah. Finding those unexpected angles. 00:04:51.519 --> 00:04:54.180 Can you think of other examples where we repurpose 00:04:54.180 --> 00:04:56.759 tech like that? Hmm, maybe like using online 00:04:56.759 --> 00:04:59.100 survey tools. They're designed for market research, 00:04:59.379 --> 00:05:01.100 right? Data gathering. Yeah, forms and stuff. 00:05:01.199 --> 00:05:03.660 But people use them to create fun quizzes or 00:05:03.660 --> 00:05:05.740 maybe small learning checks within an online 00:05:05.740 --> 00:05:08.699 community. The goal isn't data for the tool creator. 00:05:08.939 --> 00:05:11.560 It's engagement or informal assessment using 00:05:11.560 --> 00:05:13.879 the survey features. Oh, OK. Taking the mechanics 00:05:13.879 --> 00:05:16.420 and applying them elsewhere. Got it. Adopt, adapt, 00:05:16.579 --> 00:05:18.379 accept. Those are the three choices. But Ackerman 00:05:18.379 --> 00:05:20.800 makes a really strong point about a fourth option. 00:05:21.149 --> 00:05:24.209 or rather a non -option. Right. He argues that 00:05:24.209 --> 00:05:26.790 simply ignoring technology isn't really sustainable. 00:05:27.610 --> 00:05:29.990 Especially for educators. Why does he say that? 00:05:30.209 --> 00:05:32.509 His point is, you might think you're just sticking 00:05:32.509 --> 00:05:34.810 to the old ways, like say, insisting on handwriting 00:05:34.810 --> 00:05:38.009 everything. But even if the core task seems the 00:05:38.009 --> 00:05:41.189 same, the whole context is changing. The way 00:05:41.189 --> 00:05:44.149 society shares information, collaborates, solves 00:05:44.149 --> 00:05:47.449 problems, it's all being shaped by tech. So trying 00:05:47.449 --> 00:05:49.850 to ignore it is like pretending the world isn't 00:05:49.850 --> 00:05:52.089 changing around you. Pretty much. He warns that 00:05:52.089 --> 00:05:54.430 if educators, for example, don't engage, they 00:05:54.430 --> 00:05:57.069 risk becoming, well, his word is irrelevant, 00:05:57.610 --> 00:05:59.750 being ignored themselves because they're disconnected 00:05:59.750 --> 00:06:02.529 from how students and the world operate. That's 00:06:02.529 --> 00:06:04.490 quite blunt. Yeah. But you can see the logic. 00:06:04.750 --> 00:06:06.649 If the tools everyone else uses to think and 00:06:06.649 --> 00:06:09.379 work of all... And you don't. You get left behind. 00:06:09.720 --> 00:06:12.160 Your ability to connect, to be efficient, to 00:06:12.160 --> 00:06:14.720 innovate, it all diminishes relative to others. 00:06:15.160 --> 00:06:18.060 It applies way beyond education, too, in almost 00:06:18.060 --> 00:06:20.560 any field. Yeah, you can definitely see how sticking 00:06:20.560 --> 00:06:22.899 your head in the sand could lead to problems 00:06:22.899 --> 00:06:25.579 down the line. It's a tough reality, but an important 00:06:25.579 --> 00:06:28.800 one to face. OK, so wrapping this part up, we've 00:06:28.800 --> 00:06:32.310 got adopt for efficiency. using tech as intended. 00:06:32.589 --> 00:06:34.889 Adapt, where we change our methods to leverage 00:06:34.889 --> 00:06:37.709 tech features for new possibilities. And exact 00:06:37.709 --> 00:06:40.629 the creative repurposing for unintended, sometimes 00:06:40.629 --> 00:06:43.050 innovative uses. And the crucial takeaway is 00:06:43.050 --> 00:06:44.750 that these aren't just things that happen to 00:06:44.750 --> 00:06:47.350 us. We have an active role. We make choices. 00:06:47.629 --> 00:06:49.910 It puts the power back in our hands, in a way, 00:06:50.189 --> 00:06:52.370 to be intentional about it. Exactly. It's about 00:06:52.370 --> 00:06:54.750 making conscious decisions, not just reacting. 00:06:55.290 --> 00:06:57.629 Understanding these modes helps you be more strategic. 00:06:57.879 --> 00:07:00.100 This has been really useful, actually. Just having 00:07:00.100 --> 00:07:04.180 that framework adopt, adapt, exapt helps make 00:07:04.180 --> 00:07:06.600 sense of how we can approach all the tech coming 00:07:06.600 --> 00:07:08.839 at us. And remembering Ackerman's point about 00:07:08.839 --> 00:07:11.300 why just ignoring it isn't really a long -term 00:07:11.300 --> 00:07:13.319 plan. Definitely. And it's not like you have 00:07:13.319 --> 00:07:15.379 to pick just one mode. Bro, absolutely not. You 00:07:15.379 --> 00:07:18.199 might adopt email for basic communication, adapt 00:07:18.199 --> 00:07:20.060 your project management around a specific piece 00:07:20.060 --> 00:07:22.980 of software, and maybe find some clever, exapted 00:07:22.980 --> 00:07:25.379 use for a tool you already have. It's a mix -and 00:07:25.379 --> 00:07:27.930 -match situation. Completely. It's about having 00:07:27.930 --> 00:07:30.209 these different tools in your thinking toolkit 00:07:30.209 --> 00:07:32.810 when you encounter something new. Okay, so as 00:07:32.810 --> 00:07:34.689 we finish this deep dive, here's a final thought 00:07:34.689 --> 00:07:37.230 for you to mull over. Yeah. Considering these 00:07:37.230 --> 00:07:40.829 three choices, adopt, adapt, exempt. Think about 00:07:40.829 --> 00:07:44.089 one piece of technology in your own life or maybe 00:07:44.089 --> 00:07:47.389 in your work. Is there a way you could consciously 00:07:47.389 --> 00:07:51.029 shift how you engage with it? Hmm. Like, could 00:07:51.029 --> 00:07:53.810 you lean more into adoption for pure efficiency? 00:07:54.189 --> 00:07:57.170 Or could you adapt how you use it, really leverage 00:07:57.170 --> 00:08:00.129 its unique features in a new way? Or maybe. Is 00:08:00.129 --> 00:08:02.509 there a completely different accepted use hiding 00:08:02.509 --> 00:08:04.629 there that could unlock something unexpected? 00:08:04.949 --> 00:08:06.769 Just something to reflect on your own relationship 00:08:06.769 --> 00:08:09.069 with technology and how you might consciously 00:08:09.069 --> 00:08:11.310 choose your approach next time something new 00:08:11.310 --> 00:08:11.750 comes along.