How I'm Preparing for the Certified Senior Advisor Exam (Without Taking It)

While I don’t plan to take the Certified Senior Advisor (CSA) exam, I am using its topic framework as a guide to systematically build a strong foundation for working with older adults—especially in the area of technology use. My goal is to develop expertise at the intersection of aging and technology, ensuring that I understand key issues beyond just the tech itself.

A Structured Approach: My Senior Advisor Learning Plan (SALP)

To keep my learning intentional and organized, I developed a Senior Advisor Learning Plan (SALP), which ensures steady progress and prevents me from getting stuck on any single area. For each topic, I take the following steps:

• Identify Key Resources – Books, articles, reports, and online courses that provide foundational knowledge.
• Locate Relevant Reports – Recent studies and industry insights that highlight trends and emerging issues.
• Find News & Updates – Staying informed on policies, innovations, and real-world applications.
• Understand Key Concepts & Vocabulary – Ensuring I have a strong grasp of terminology in aging, healthcare, and technology.
• Leverage Local & Virtual Resources – Attending talks, webinars, and training sessions.
• Listen to Podcasts – A great way to absorb expert insights on aging, technology, and senior care while on the go.

How I Organize My Learning: TiddlyWiki & the SALP Tag

With so much information across different topics, I needed a way to track my progress and connect ideas. I use TiddlyWiki as my electronic notebook, tagging everything related to this learning journey with SALP (Senior Advisor Learning Plan).

How This Helps:

• Easy Retrieval: If I need to review my notes on a specific topic (e.g., long-term care financing or digital literacy for seniors), I simply search the full text of my notes or I filter based on the SALP tag.  Within the broad SALP tag category, I have more specific tags as well. 
• Connecting Ideas:  I link related topics, such as how cognitive health research intersects with AgeTech solutions like wearables and smart home devices. I make extensive use of hyperlinks within the TiddlyWiki.
• Tracking Progress: I can see which topics I’ve explored deeply and where I need more research.
• Refining My Understanding: When I revisit older notes, I update them with new insights, making my knowledge base dynamic and evolving.

How I’ve Leveraged Technology in My Learning

1. Generative AI as a Research Assistant: Generative AI tools like ChatGPT and Microsoft Copilot have transformed how I process information. I use AI to:

• Summarize lengthy reports into digestible insights.
• Clarify complex topics by asking follow-up questions.
• Compare different perspectives on aging-related issues.
• Generate structured notes that I later refine and tag in my TiddlyWiki.

This has made my study sessions far more efficient, allowing me to focus on analysis rather than spending hours sifting through documents.

2. Digital Note-Taking & Concept Mapping: Beyond TiddlyWiki, I use concept maps to visualize connections between different aspects of aging and technology. This approach helps me see how topics like digital inclusion for seniors relate to health equity and access to care.

Expanding My Learning Through Events & Training

Structured self-study is important, but I also make sure to learn from experts, attend discussions, and engage with the broader community. Some standout learning opportunities I’ve taken advantage of include:

A Local Talk on Assistive Technologies – I recently attended a community event focused on assistive technologies, where a local expert discussed available technology to support the hearing impaired. Seeing real-world applications of these technologies deepened my understanding of how older adults interact with them. This was focused on what is available to everyone without our state, including the local support organizations. It was attended by people who are struggling with hearing impairments and/or their caregivers.

The Microsoft Abilities Summit – This free online event held on 3/18/2025 highlighted how AI and digital accessibility tools are transforming the lives of individuals with disabilities and older adults. Learning about Microsoft’s efforts in inclusive technology gave me insights into how mainstream tech companies are integrating accessibility features in their products. This is particularly useful to empower workers who struggle with disabilities and there are benefits to older adults as well even if older adults are not the primary target.

Senior Planet Trainings – I’ve explored some of Senior Planet’s free training sessions, which help older adults navigate digital tools with confidence. Seeing how these sessions are structured has given me ideas on how to frame AgeTech education for different learning styles.

Breaking the Age Code (Book) – Written by Becca Levy, this book explores how our beliefs about aging directly impact longevity, health, and even cognitive function. Levy’s research-backed insights have challenged me to think critically about how ageism shapes technology adoption and how shifting mindsets could improve older adults’ engagement with digital tools.

Key Takeaway: Learning Without Limits

The CSA exam topics provide a useful structure, but real learning isn’t about passing a test—it’s about building meaningful, applicable knowledge. By combining structured study methods with digital tools like TiddlyWiki, Generative AI, concept mapping, and real-world events, I’m shaping a personalized, evolving learning journey that supports my work in AgeTech and older adult learning.

If you’re considering an independent study project, whether for professional development or personal growth, finding a structured approach, leveraging technology, and engaging with real-world learning opportunities can make all the difference.

Breaking the Age Code on Technology: Why We Need a New Narrative on Aging & Digital Literacy

Changing the Narrative

What if the biggest barrier to older adults learning technology isn’t the technology itself—but the way we think about aging?

For too long, we’ve heard the same outdated narrative: Older adults struggle with tech. They’re not digital natives. Learning new technology is too hard later in life.

But what if these beliefs are not just false—but actually holding people back?

(As as side note, the novel I'm working on includes a character in the 90+ age range who is totally badass around technology.  I want to be like her when/if I get to that wise age). 

Research from psychologist Becca Levy, described in her book, Breaking the Age Code, has shown that our beliefs about aging shape our cognitive abilities, health, and even how long we live. Dr. Levy's book does not focus on beliefs around technology and older adults, but that's where my mind went reading her book.  If we assume older adults can’t learn technology, they start to believe it too—creating a self-fulfilling cycle that leaves them out of the digital world.

It’s time to disrupt these myths and create a future where digital literacy is a lifelong journey, not something that stops at a certain age.  At the same time, it's important to also address another element:  Digital Equity.  The problem isn't just mindset, it's access and inclusion.  

What Have I been Doing about it?

I used to work very globally, now I work very locally.  In a series of projects very early in my career (late 1990s), I worked on efforts to eliminate the digital divide by providing access to computers and the nascent internet in so-called developing countries. It turned out cell phones would have a much more significant impact. I also co-authored a book on telecenters, an approach to provide community access to technology and the internet. Today, even in the United States, there are community access points, including in libraries.  Technology has advanced, access has improved.  A few decades later, challenges remain, not just globally but even locally in the United States. 

I live in what I would consider a privileged location, yet some of my neighbors, and especially older adults, may lack access to what we might consider basic technology and access to the Internet. Our county recently launched a Digital Equity Initiative. I hope to contribute to that effort in some way.  

I have started providing basic informational sessions through various existing programs, our community centers' 55+ program, the non-profit Arlington Neighborhood Village (ANV) that provides volunteer services for older adults, and soon (I hope) our network of libraries. So far I have focused on sessions to introduce Generative AI.  There is high demand for a much broader range of learning opportunities around technology.   There are also organizations that provide support and services more broadly, like AARP and its Senior Planet program, for example. 

What’s Next?

I’d like to put together a webinar exploring the psychology of aging and how we can rethink digital literacy for older adults. We would discuss:

• The surprising research on mindset and aging.
• Why some older adults thrive with technology—and how we can support more people to do the same.
• Strategies for making technology (and not just AgeTech) more accessible, intuitive, and empowering.
• Connections between aging and digital equity.

In the meantime, I am also super excited to have been accepted as a speaker at the 2025 Certified Senior Advisor Conference in Baltimore.  I have a few months to prepare and my proposed talk is fully aligned with, yet distinct from the webinar I just outlined.  As a result, I will likely have more to say on the subject and this might be the first in a series of posts on Digital Literacy and Aging. 

And for no other reason than the thought that spring is coming, here is a picture from my backyard. 

Hellebore - 3/12/2025

Pivots and Pathways: Learning, Unlearning, and Recombining for Growth

Imagine yourself in a room with just one door—the door you entered through. At first, the room feels full of promise, a new space to explore. But as time passes, you’ve seen everything it has to offer. The room becomes familiar, even stifling. There is so much more you want to experience, but the only door leads back to where you started. What you need are more doors, new ways to move forward. And here’s the remarkable thing: these doors don’t already exist. They are created through your creativity, imagination, and willingness to pivot.

A pivot is the hinge on those doors, enabling movement into new rooms, new pathways. Unlike a labyrinth with a single correct exit, these pathways are yours to design. Sometimes, a pivot starts as a window, giving you a glimpse of what lies beyond. When you’re ready—and when you’ve overcome the fear of stepping into the unknown—that window transforms into a door. The pivot is what makes that door’s opening possible, turning an idea or aspiration into a tangible opportunity.

Not all pivots are intentional. Life throws its share of curveballs, forcing us to adapt. But whether a pivot is chosen or imposed, it requires resilience and openness to learning. Navigating these transitions involves more than simply stepping through the door; it’s about learning through change, unlearning old certainties, and recombining past experiences into something new.

Learning and Unlearning: The Twin Pillars of Growth

Pivots compel us to learn new skills, adopt new perspectives, and stretch beyond our comfort zones. But they also force us to confront what we need to unlearn. In organizations, this is often referred to as shedding “zombie knowledge”—outdated practices that linger even when they no longer serve their purpose. The same concept applies to individuals. To embrace a pivot, we must be willing to let go of habits, beliefs, or frameworks that no longer align with where we’re headed.

Unlearning creates space for fresh insights and innovation. It’s not always easy—after all, certainty feels safe—but it’s essential for growth. New pathways challenge us to rethink our mental frameworks, making us more adaptable and curious. They push us to ask, “What else is possible?”

Recombining: The Creative Potential of Pivots

Of all the aspects of pivots, recombining is perhaps the most exciting. It’s the process of weaving together threads from your past to create something entirely new. Recent experiences, long-held interests, and latent skills can intersect in surprising ways, opening doors you hadn’t imagined.  I always find mapping to be a very valuable "recombination" tool, allowing me to connect previously disconnected ideas.  That's partly why I call it "insight mapping". 

For example, I’m currently exploring how to recombine my experiences with volunteering with older adults with my decades-long interest in Personal Knowledge Management (PKM). PKM has been a personal tool for organizing and making sense of information, but I hadn’t thought about applying it more broadly in my work until now. By combining these threads, I see the potential to develop services that help older adults navigate the complexities of later life, what Susan Wilner Golden describes as the 4th and 5th quarters of life (in her book Stage (Not Age)). This pivot has sparked a burst of creative energy, a new way of looking at how I can contribute.

Resilience and the Courage to Pivot

Whether a pivot is self-initiated or forced by circumstance, resilience is the bedrock that supports it. Resilience is not just about bouncing back; it’s about bouncing forward—using the lessons of the past to propel yourself into new territory. Each pivot is an opportunity to reassess what matters, to experiment, and to move closer to a life of coherence and purpose.

Conclusion: Crafting Your Pathways

Pivots are not detours; they are pathways. They challenge us to learn, unlearn, and recombine in ways that create new opportunities and greater clarity. The next time you find yourself in a room with no apparent exits, remember: the doors don’t have to exist yet. Your imagination, experiences, and aspirations can build them. And when you’re ready to step through, visualize the hinges, create your pivot and step walk forward.

What pivots are you considering, and how might they lead to new pathways in your life?

As a side note, good Personal Knowledge Management habits are helpful when considering and creating pivots.

Teaching Knowledge Management

I've immersed myself in teaching with two classes. Both are focused on Knowledge Management, but they are as different as one could imagine. I am just finishing my first session online at the University of Maryland University College (UMUC) and I am preparing for George Mason University's face-to-face class in the fall of 2018. Very different classes with (for now), the same foundational textbook which has just been updated. Next I'd really like to provide some KM training within an organization.  That would provide a third, completely different way of teaching the same subject.

Component	University of Maryland University College	George Mason University Schar School of Public Policy
Format	100% Online 100% Asynchronous (though some chats are possible) 8 weeks long	Face-to-face over four-months. Some Fridays 5-10pm and some Saturdays 9am-5pm Total of 7 face-to-face sessions Small online component.
Level & Discipline	Required class for Undergraduate Business Management major, elective for other majors.	Specialized Masters Degree in Organizational Development/Knowledge Management
Curriculum Design	Instructor follows a set syllabus and pre-selected readings and assignments. Multiple instructors teach the class and the common syllabus helps maintain consistency. Greatest degree of freedom is in designing the Learning Activities for weekly discussions.	Instructor is fully responsible for curriculum design with some coordination with other classes to create synergies and avoid overlap.
Student Audience	Working adults, many in military, including many first generation higher education seekers. Students have never met each other, will probably never meet.	Working adults. Student cohort goes through the program as one group.  They know each other well.
Learning Objectives	An introduction to KM as it applies to business. Why is it important? How does it manifest itself in organizations?	A thorough understanding of KM concepts and approaches and building the skills needed to implement KM initiatives in organizations.
Making It Stick	Apply key KM concepts to yourself, your work, your studies; Make the learning activities very scenario-based to encourage critical thinking.	Highly experiential, practice KM skills in the classroom and work with real organizations. Lots of small group work.
Readings & Other Materials	Core textbook (Dalkir), supplemented by less abstract materials, including videos.	Core textbook (Dalkir), Milton/Lambe's Knowledge Manager's Handbook, and lots of case studies, including an in-depth presentation and discussion of KM at NASA.
Bonus	Some technology enhancements for added "engagement": Animated presentation using PowToon for instructor introduction, class overview and/or difficult concepts.	Possible guest speaker(s) to leverage the wealth of expertise in the DC area.