I don’t believe the answer is “work hard, play hard”. I believe the answer is “work smarter”.
I live in a country where there is an ongoing battle between tourism and agriculture as a mean of sustaining our country’s economy. The general question about the order of importance may arise. Which one comes first? Which one comes second? Which of the two will generate more revenue than the other? Which one should I invest more into? I want to state clearly therefore that this article isn’t intended to discredit the agriculture and tourism sector of Grenada in any way, but rather to put another critical entity in the equation – technology. Technology must be used as the pillars supporting agriculture, tourism, education and other sectors to a greater extent.
I use the terms technology to refer to the technological tools.
Technology must be used as the pillars supporting agriculture, tourism, education and other sectors in a greater extent.
In today’s dynamic world, our information is fragmented across a range of mass-media channels and delivered through the ever-changing technologies. As time changes, so do men. As men change, so is technology; bringing forth new innovations. Isn’t we (Grenada) apart of this dynamic world? I believe that our country defines technology as just having a computer or a mobile phone without taking advantage of their vast capabilities.
With the declining rate of agriculture production due to the declining percentage of farmers, there is a significant concern for food security. There is numerous innovation in mobile/ information technology and energy that may aid in the alleviation of this vital issue. For example, farm management software, power systems are all within reach of farmers. Technology in the agriculture sector, if effectively deployed, gives farmers better management of their farms, better control of their resource, better quality of products and an efficient supply chain. Technology must play a key role in improving the agricultural sector in Grenada.
Moreover, the application of technology in tourism is changing the entire travel industry. According to Expedia, more than 65% of people who book a hotel room within 24 hours of checking in do so from a mobile device. According to Think With Google's “5 Stages of Travel”, the average traveller visits about 22 travel-related sites before booking a vacation and 70 per cent of business travellers will check into their flights and hotels via their mobile devices. Technology also changes the way in which tourism marketing is to be done. Tourism-related business cannot continue the use of traditional marketing mechanism. Social Media has created a platform in which these businesses and destinations can market themselves to a greater extent. For example, Social Wave in Mallorca executes a perfect example of new marketing using Twitter hashtag technology.
Nevertheless, the use of technology is the key to curb the learning dilemmas that students and educators face and improve educational standards. While technology can put electronic tablets and laptops in the hands of the student to enhance learning, it grants educators and students to a better learning environment. However, emphasis must be placed on ongoing educational technology training and to educate parents, students and teachers of the use of these tools. In no way, I am taking a stand against individual teaching approaches but against the current system of teaching as an entity.
In the final analysis, we can make positive strides if we dissolve bureaucracy and redundancy. This dynamic world that we live in is subject to constant changes. It is therefore crucial that to change one's mode of operation to suit this ever-changing technologically driven world. According to Andreas Schleicher “The test of truth in life is not whether we can remember what we learned in school, but whether we are prepared for change”.It is time for action. It is time to move beyond the traditional approaches. Let us move forward with the use of technology.