Week #7 - The World is Flat

For a while now I have been wanting to read "The World is Flat" by Thomas Friedman. So many books, so little time...you know the story and this is why I had not yet picked this book up. Since reading Web 2.0: New Tools, New Schools, I once again was reminded why I wanted to read this book. There are so many great quotes in Web 2.0 taken from Friedman.

I have begun reading and I am really enjoying this book. It validates why I'm taking this summer course, Teaching and Learning in a Networked Classroom. Students in schools which are not networked will fall behind the rest of the world. Educators need to stay on top of technology so that our students will be competitive with the rest of the world.

I don't see the advancement of other countries as a scary thing, something to fear. Some people I know feel this way. They are worried that people in India and China will be taking over their jobs, our country, the world. I look at the advancement of other countries as a challenge, a raising of the bar. It is time for us to challenge ourselves and rise to the occasion, not gripe and complain about how other people are doing better than we are. Each individual needs to work to be the best they can be. If competition is encouraging us to become better, is that a bad thing?

Whether young or old, we need to continue to grow and learn and change with the world. If our students learn nothing else, they should learn how to learn and accept change. One of my favorite quotes is "change in the only constant".

My uncle is 79 years old and he just invited me to be his Facebook friend. We can all continue to learn, change and stay connected!