Image source: Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the BPL
Recently I have had the opportunity to read and watch Thomas Friedman talk about his thoughts on why the world is flat. I think that the world being flat makes it a more level playing field for people and countries than ever before. People are able to easily communicate with other people from all over the world. People are also able to connect to the internet through their smart-phones. I see this changing everyday life by allowing people to constantly be able to communicate with each other. We can collaborate with each other at different times of the day and different areas in the world. I think educating your students on how to fully embrace and engage these technologies that have made the world flat is an extremely important task. You can learn so much from other people and that can be incorporated into education through programs such as the Flat Classroom Project.
Mr. Rein,
ReplyDeleteI agree that we live in an age that allows people to communicate and collaborate 24/7 using multiple modes of communication. On a recent blog I have been following, the author references another blog: http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2010/11/the-real-digital-divide-time-zones-kill-truly-global-thinking.html. This blog discusses how "time zones kill global thinking".
My opinion is that the purpose of global communication is to experience and get to know other people's culture and values. It's not necessarily about figuring out time zones to communicate through a chat.
Just my thoughts. . .
Billie
This is very true. New technologies have brought collaborative learning which in turn has resulted into a level playing field for all around the world. Since the market for jobs is global, we have to work harder either to keep a job or look for one. Now companies have to work harder to stay in operation.
ReplyDeleteMikael,
ReplyDeleteThe Flat Classroom Project does break down traditional walls of classrooms. This new type of technology is allowing for greater collaboration than ever before. It's important, as educators, that we are introducing students to all of these possibilities and allowing them to see the world through different perspectives.
Jarod Mozer