World Is Flat

The World Is Flat Discussion Thread

The book entitled "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman provides a new paradigm through which to view education. As an educator, I believe that our work should ultimately assist students in gainfully, happily, and honestly pursuing productive means of making a living. How does Thomas Friedman's paradigm influence how we plan to carry out education?

I recognize that schools, as well as teachers, are working on this on many different levels. I also know that government, economics, law, politics, must all weigh in on the question. I have set up a blog to begin discussion about the themes outlined in The World is Flat. Young scholars have been invited to also share what they have been learning through reading this book through the blog. We are also reaching out to engage RET alumni in discussing this book.

While I hate to add more work to your already full plate - and this certainly isn't required of you, - if you would like to participate in the on-going blog/discussion, here's the first assignment:

FIRST READING

Read pages 1-87 of the book and provide your thoughts about what you've read on the FlatEducation blog. If you haven't been "invited" to participate on this blog, send me an e-mail and I will add you to the participant list.

Do you agree with T. Friedman's initial thesis that the world is flat? Why or why not? What evidence can you cite to confirm or to deny regarding his thesis? Do you have evidence from personal experiences that have contributed to your perspective?

SECOND READING

Read pages 176-199.

REFLECTION: How has Google "flattened" the world?

THIRD READING

Read pages 278-307.

REFLECTION: In reference to pages beginning at p. 279 - "The Untouchables,"

a) Are there job performers that can be "untouchable"? If so, what are we doing to prepare for these opportunities - as learners and as teachers? Even though T. Friedman claims these will represent the new "middle class," what do you believe the effect of supply and demand will be on these jobs? Can everybody be "special"? Can everybody be "specialized"? Can everybody be anchored? What happens when too many people want the anchored jobs?

b) As he continues on, he describes the following "new middlers" -

• 1. Great Collaborators and Orchestrators

  2. Great Synthesizers

  3. Great Explainers

  4. Great Leveragers

  5. Great Adapters

  6. The Green People

  7. The Passionate Personalizers

  8. Math Lovers

  9. The Great Localizers

Again, how do you feel these characterizations of the "new middlers" fit with the "old middlers"?

FOURTH READING

Read pages 309-336.

REFLECTION: Tubas and Test Tubes (begin p. 307): T. Friedman suggests that one of the most important skills is learning how to learn. How do/Do we teach this in our schools?

4) CQ + PQ > IQ (begin p. 313): Curiosity and Passion matter more than IQ. Do you agree? If so, how do we cultivate CQ + PQ in our schools?

5) Is Liberal Arts about connecting the dots? What is creativity? How do/Do we foster creativity in our schools?

6) Brain-based education: Do right-brained (creativity, connecting the dots, horizontal thinking, according to T. Friedman) skills get equal time in schools? If so, how? If not, is it a good idea to incorporate them more? (Hint: Is funding cutting them out?)

FIFTH READING

Read pages 337-373.

REFLECTION: 7) The Quiet Crisis (begin p. 337): T. Friedman identifies 6 "Dirty Little Secrets". Do you believe that these characterizations are accurate? If so, are we at the sunset of US dominated STEM?

8) The Bottom Line (p. 365): What do you think about Bill Gates's dismissive comments about an American education that stresses creativity, not rote learning and its relation to the future success of our students in international arenas? What REALLY matters in education? Can we have "the Bottom Line"???

SIXTH READING

Read pages 374-400.

Several groups made up of RET and YSP participants will gather together, so that each group can review all of these questions with one another. Although it would be ideal to have the entire group speak together, the shear size of participants and limited amount of time we have may not allow for proper facilitation of such a discussion. You can continue your thoughts on-line on the Blog.