Inspired by the “Did You Know?” video, we created this project in order to inform teachers of the importance of implementing technology in the classroom. Through our technology courses, we have come to see how important technology is not only for learner engagement and diversity, but to prepare students to compete in the job market. We as teachers are somewhat disconnected from the “adult world” and it was a shock to us how to realize how drastically the world has changed from the impact of technology. We wanted to impart this realization to other teachers in hopes that technology implementation would become more meaningful to them.
We address the following:
Competing with a global economy: We wanted teachers to see how the global interaction has changed and how the United States is facing serious competition in the job market and technological advances.
The digital divide: We wanted teachers to see that technology access is not equitable and that it is our responsibility to try to close that gap by exposing our students to the technology tools they will need.
Qualities of workers – We were shocked to see how drastically collaboration tools via the internet had changed not only the job market, but the qualities of workers that are in demand.
Pedagogy- We understand the roadblocks and hurdles of implementing technology. We have come to realize that just using technology is not enough. We wanted teachers to understand that in order to implement technology successfully, they must examine their pedagogy. We wanted to address the common fears teachers may have about implementing technology and offer them some solutions
In recent years mobile technology has begun to revolutionize business and educational practices. In the world of business, the major focus now is “access, access, and more access” as more people travel for their jobs. (Bonk, p.293, 2009) Airport lounges, shopping malls, and convention centers are only a few of the places beginning to offer Internet access for their customers. Many airlines have started to offer Wi-Fi services for their passengers while in the air. Business men and women no longer have to wait until they land to do business via the Internet. According to Bonk, “Internet access is now the top hotel amenity for business travelers.” Mobile gadgets and gizmos are constantly being invented. People crave “light mobile devices that enable them to multitask and access the web while on the go.” (Bonk, p.294, 2009) The Chumby and Internet –enabled wristwatches are a couple of these lightweight mobile devices. The Chumby “provides an array of data and information from the web.” (Bonk, p. 295, 2009) These devices and other similar to them will continue to gain popularity because the “cost, sizes, and weights of such devices continue to plummet.” (Bonk, p. 294, 2009)
In the world of education, “M-learning has sprung up in recent years with escalating use of handheld, portable, and wireless devices by learners on the move. Kids come to the classroom equipped with cell phones, iPods, and other mobile technology.” (Bonk, p. 293, 2009) “Wireless and mobile technologies have made u-learning possible.” (Bonk, p. 295, 2009) According to Bonk, u-learning occurs when you use technology to learn without reflecting on it. Thanks to mobile technologies people can learn all the time! Learning is becoming more “personalized and customized for a 24/7 experience” because mobile technology allows “flexibility and choice in the learning process.” (Bonk, p. 295, 2009) Mobile technologies help enhance the “We-all-learn” concept to “We-all-learn all the time”!
“Mobile technologies such as phones, laptops, PDAs, and clickers or student response devices are increasingly being used in corporate training and on college and university campuses as well as most other educational settings.” (Bonk, p. 296, 2009) iPods and iPhones are being used by students to download podcasts, upload assignments, and for collaboration. The “App Store” has games and other applications students can download to their phone. “Pioneering teachers will look at this as a means to create interesting applications for their classes.” (Bonk, p. 299, 2009) However, iPhone apps for school curriculums are not currently a high priority for developers because “schools currently ban mobile devices from the classroom.”(Bonk, p.300, 2009) According to Bonk, that will shortly change!
Technology is wonderful if you are able to access and afford it. Many children in countries around the world live in poverty. These children have limited accessibility to mobile devises and even teachers that could open up the world to them. The “Pocket School” was one solution to try to solve this issue. The “Pocket School” is an inexpensive MP3 player that has a small color screen, a few buttons to maneuver through the content, a built in speaker, microphone, camera, USB port, and a power switch. This mobile device has the ability to play books for young children to listen to and games to help them develop their language. It can store sounds and images that can help teach the kids grammar and spelling. “Such multimedia learning tools could help the education of children of migrant workers in any country.” (Bonk, p.317, 2009) On the Eastern Shore we have a large population of migrant works and I thought about how cool it would be for our ELL instructors to have a “Pocket School” to send home with the students for extra practice! Many of our students do not have books at home to read and I thought about how the “Pocket School” would be a wonderful resource for teachers to send home with students to practice their reading skills.
When I was reading the section on Twitter and “Dodgeball” I thought about the issue of Internet safety that we discussed last week. How safe is it to list everything you are doing or every place you are going online for the world to see? According to Bonk, many professors are starting to use this tool to provide a “seamless” educational experience inside and outside of the classroom. I can see how these tools would be beneficial for collaboration and learning purposes. Unfortunately, we live in a time when people like to use technology for the wrong purposes. I would be worried that “Dodgeball” could entice predators or stalkers by helping them figure out your location in real life. We try to teach our children to not list any personal information on the web but listing your location seems pretty dangerous to me. I am afraid that a child predator could track down a potential victim using this technology. So, one of the biggest issues mobile technology creates for education is how to use these resources in a manner that will keep our students safe? Using mobile technologies is not a decision a school system should make lightly. They need to develop plan stating clear expectations for their use in the educational setting. Are the devises going to be supplied by the school or do students need to purchase them? This year alone I have had 2 cell phones stolen in my classroom and a Nintendo DS. How are school systems planning on handling the issue of stolen, broken, or misused mobile devises? What are the consequences? How are school systems planning on handling cyberbullying, predators, and other issues that come with the use of using mobile technology in the classroom setting? All of these questions need to be answered prior to a school district implementing mobile technologies to make sure the students, teachers, and parents are all on the same page.
In the education world “mobile technology devices create not only new forms of knowledge and new ways of accessing it, but also create new forms of art and performance, and new ways of accessing them.” In the business world, “mobile devices are creating new forms of commerce and economic activity as well.” Overall, “mobile learning is not about ‘mobile’ as previously understood, or about ‘learning’ as previously understood, but part of a new mobile conception of society.” (Bonk, p. 318, 2009)
REFERENCES
Bonk, C. (2009). The world is open: How web technology is revolutionizing education. San Francisco, CA : Jossey-Bass.
“Forty-five percent of children in the United States more than 30 million of those younger than 18 use the Internet.” (Netsmartz, 2001-2010) While surfing the net, children can encounter numerous online risks. Nudity, sexually explicit material, racist websites, drugs, graphic violence, cults, cyber-stalking, harassment, and sexual predators are only a few. Children lack emotional maturity and it makes them more susceptible to manipulation or intimidation by devious people on the web. Often they believe everything they read, hear, or see on the Internet and do not have the skills to sort out the difference between fact and fiction.
Sexual exploitation or enticement is a major risk for children on the Internet. According to the Netsmartz website, sexual predators are able to choose from a large population while maintaining relative anonymity by providing false identities, ages, and intentions. The website also explains how sexual predators have a procedure for enticing children into their world. Predators use chatrooms, interactive games, and social networking sites to make contact and start conversations with their potential victims. First, they work to develop a friendship and emotional reliance. Next, they bait the victims by discussing sexual topics. Often predators will spend months “grooming” their victims before they try to meet them in real life. Sexual predators like to use gifts such as money, games, compact discs, and other items children would want as a way to get them to meet them offline. Some predators are so bold they send their victims bus tickets to cover any travel costs for meeting them in person.
Some children are more susceptible to victimization. Those kids who have a “strong desire for attention, validation, and affection along with a lack of caution or self- preservation” are high risk. Children who are curious about sex and other inappropriate topics are also more likely to encounter a predator online. Once a child encounters a sexual predator online, they might be hesitant to tell an adult due to feeling embarrassed. (Netsmartz, 2001-2010)
There are warning signs family members, friends, and teachers can use to identify if a child has had an encounter with a sexual predator online. Phone calls from strangers, unsolicited gifts arriving in the mail, and a child spending long hours online, especially at night are a few of the warning signs. (Nemours, 1995-2010)
Whose responsibility is it to teach children the skills they need to stay safe on the Internet? Currently there is a debate over whether Internet safety should be taught by parents or schools. Teachers and administrators even have differing opinions over the topic. “More than half of school administrators are more likely to think teachers / schools are primarily responsible for teaching children the content, compared to almost three quarters of teachers who feel parents are responsible for teaching children to use computers safely and securely.” (NCSA, 2010)
How can parents be monitor their kids when “over half (51%) of parents either do not have or do not know if they have software on their computers(s) that monitor where their teenager(s) go online and with whom they interact”? On top of that “30 % of parents allow their teenagers to use the computer in private areas of the house such as bedroom or a home office.” (Netsmartz, 2001-2010)
Why do teachers feel so strongly about parents teaching students computer and Internet skills? Often it is because teachers have not been trained in cyberethics, cybersafety, and cybersecurity. According to a study by the NCSA, “seven in ten teachers think cyberethics, cybersafety, and cybersecurity training should be a high priority in their professional development needs.” Overall, the 2010 NCSA study concluded that “America’s young people aren’t receiving adequate instruction to use digital technology and navigate cyberspace in a safe, secure and responsible manner and are ill- prepared to address these subjects.” In my county, the elementary students are taught cybersafety beginning in Pre-k during library. Our county chose the program Netsmartz to use with students because it is child friendly. There are lessons to discuss cyber-safety issues, games, videos, and cartoon characters which make the information memorable for the students.
Social networking site have become very popular amongst children and adults. “They are popular in part because they provide a socially shared space where people can mingle, learn, interact, have fun, and get to know virtual friends or maybe some real friends.” (Bonk, p. 253, 2009) On these sites there are interactive games such as Farmville, Farmtown, and Bejeweled to just name a few. These games are very enticing for children. I know I enjoy playing them but in school I hear my students talking about what they are farming. One child always talks about what he is about to plant, harvest, and sell at the market. He is learning how farmers make money while playing a game. It is amazing! However, in order to play these games kids must have an account on a social networking site such as Facebook. It is unfortunate that predators lurk in these sites and add danger in a world that could provide so many collaboration opportunities for students to learn with people all around the world.
In my opinion Internet safety needs to be taught at home and at school in order to keep the children safe. We teach our children to never talk to or go anywhere with strangers in real life. Parents are comfortable teaching their children this because they have been informed by police departments and other organizations about how to keep there kids safe. Many of our parents don’t have the knowledge themselves about the Internet and how it works. Often their children know more than they do. In order for our parents to become more involved, we need to provide them with tools, information, and knowledge about Internet safety. Remember, knowledge is power! Once our parents have the knowledge they need to teach their children Internet safety then they will be more comfortable taking on the job. On the other side, our teachers need to have adequate professional development on Internet safety. The stereotype that the Internet and computer skills should be taught by the technology teacher still exists. Classroom teachers need to become comfortable with the Internet and safety issues in order to be able to effectively teach the skills to their students. Teachers and parents both need to be knowledgeable about Internet safety. As a team they can keep children safe!
References
Bonk, C. (2009). The world is open: How web technology is revolutionizing education. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.
NCSA (2010). The state of k-12 cyberethics, cybersafety and cybersecurity curriculum in the u.s.survey. Retrieved April 15, 2010 at www.staysafeonline.org
Nemours. (1995-2010). Internet safety.Retrieved April 15, 2010 at http://kidshealth.org
Netsmartz (2001-2010). How to use netsmartz. Retrieved April 15, 2010 at http://www.netsmartz.org
This is my second experience with online learning and personally I love it. I enjoy online learning because of the flexibility it provides. Teaching is a career that can be very hectic between grading papers, lesson planning, meetings, conferences, and other extra duties that are expected outside of the typical work day. It is hard to commit to a weekly scheduled class when so many obligations exist. “I need something that lets me work on my time.” (Bonk, p.100, 2009)I like being able to access my assignments from anywhere at anytime. After a long day of teaching, it is so nice to go home and put on comfy clothes, sit on a comfy couch, and complete my class work instead of driving 45 minutes to sit in a cold, hard chair for 3 hours. It makes continuing my education more enjoyable!
E-learning can be delivered through a variety of formats to meet the needs of learners of all ages. Three main categories of E-learning are “fully online, supplemental, and face-to-face.” (Bonk, p99, 2009) I feel that at the elementary level it is important for students to come to school so, that they can develop their social skills, build friendships, and have hands on experiences. Currently, many of my students do not have access at home to a computer or the Internet. Therefore, they would need to come to school in order to participate in an online course. I do not feel my students are ready for a fully online version of E-learning. Rather I could vision them participating in a supplemental or face-to-face version. “We have to be willing to provide the maps and the compass so that when they get out into the new open world of instant access, they will have guideposts, warning signs, and even a moral compass to keep them on a productive path.” (Bonk, p. 110, 2009) I believe through the use of supplemental or face-to-face versions of E-learning we can provide our students with the “maps and compass” to navigate successfully through an online course. Therefore, in middle or high school the format of instruction could be fully online. By then the students would have developed the skills they need to be responsible and organize so they can be independently successful. I feel if we were to start out fully online with students it would be like throwing someone over board without a life jacket! They need support to survive in the online “ocean”.
While I read chapter 3, I thought about the students I have this year. I tried to picture them completing an online course designed for a 4th grader. Would they be successful? Do they currently have the skills needed to successfully complete an online course? So many of my students are unorganized and do not take responsibility for their own actions. I have to constantly hunt them down for missing assignments. Student responsibility is one thing that I notice is missing at the elementary level. We try to teach them to be responsible but often when discipline is lacking students feel as though they don’t need to be responsible. According to FLVS, students improved their “organization skills and self-initiative as students to take responsibility for their own learning.” (Bonk, p. 108, 2009) Overall students developed “presentation, communication, organization, reading, writing, and technology skills” all at once. Online learning seems to fit well with TPACK by integrating pedagogy, content knowledge, and technology skills together. (Mishra, 2008) Could online learning be the missing puzzle piece for our 21st Century learners? If it worked in Florida, could it work in Maryland?
There are always two sides to a coin. Online learning has its benefits but it also has many kinks that will need to be ironed out. How to determine the credibility of the online instructor is one challenge that needs to be addressed. In the future, will online instructors need a college degree or be required to pass the Praxis to be “highly qualified”? State testing is another obstacle for online learning. I found it very interesting that in the book Britney was able to take her final exams and tests by being allowed to have the dock masters or captains proctor her test. Would Maryland be this accommodating for the MSA? I just don’t see it happening when we basically have to sign our lives away before the test!
E-learning appears to be the future of education. “As a sign of things to come, in 2006, Michigan state lawmakers passed a bill requiring all high school youth to complete at least twenty hours of meaningful online learning experiences as part of their high school degree.” (Bonk, p. 104, 2009) I found it interesting that so many states are passing laws which require school systems to develop online learning courses. When I was in high school, the buzz was service learning projects and today it is all about going online. It is amazing how things change. If states are starting to require students to complete an online course as a graduation requirement, how are they planning on supporting those students who are affected by the digital divide? Unless those students are provided with computers and Internet access, I feel the divide between the haves and have-nots of technology growing instead of shrinking. If school districts are going to require students to participate in online learning, they need to make sure all students have an equal opportunity of successful participation. Districts need to carefully select between the three main categories and choose the appropriate format so that it will benefit all their students.
References
Bonk, C. (2009). The world is open. San Francisco: Jossey-Boss.
Mishra, P. (2008) TPACK. Retrieved March 26, 2010 at http://punya.educ.msu.edu/research/tpck/
The Digital Divide: Fact or Fiction?
According to many our world is caught in a digital divide due to issues surrounding race, gender, and economic status. The term digital divide is used to describe “the gap between people who have access to computer technology and the people who don’t.” (Steele-Carlin, 2000)
Just who is affected by the gap the most? According to a study completed by a researcher at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), the digital divide is “more pronounced among children than adults.” ( eSchool, 2005) The digital divide is present in educational systems across the nation. The races affected the most by the digital divide are African Americans and Latinos. “Estimates from the 2000 CPS indicate that 70.9 percent of whites have access to a home computer. In contrast, only 41.3 percent of blacks and 38.8 percent of Latinos have access to a home computer.” (Fairlie, p.3, 2004) “Only 24.0 percent of blacks and 19.7 percent of Latinos use the Internet at home.” (Fairlie, p.5, 2004)
How does this racial factor of the digital divide affect the education system in the United States? “Teenagers who have access to home computers are 6 to 8 percentage points more likely to graduate from high school than teens who lack access to a home computer, after reportedly controlling for individual, parental, and family characteristics.” (eschool, 2005) This is a serious concern since “information technology is a new prerequisite for success in the labor market.” (eschool, 2005)
Knowing there is a gap is one thing. Acting to build a bridge to close the gap is another. How can educators begin to bridge the gap in the digital divide to help level the playing field for all their students? Obviously one solution is to provide computers for those who do not have access at home. Computers for Schools is one program that can help close the gap. The program is “dedicated to providing a low cost alternative for achieving technology in the classroom.” (PC Rebuilders, 2000) They collect, refurbish and recycle used computers for lower economic areas where the digital divide is very prevalent. One-to-One laptop programs are another way to bring computers in the homes of our students. The county in which I teach began a One-to-One Laptop initiative last year with middle school students as a way to provide students with a computer at home. Implementation of laptop programs takes a lot of planning before it starts and ultimately takes time and money. The digital divide will not be an easy obstacle for educators to overcome but it is an issue that needs to be addressed to ensure that all students have an equal opportunity to learn and succeed in life.
REFERENCES
eSchool News. (2005). ‘Digital divide’ affects school success.Retrieved March 10, 2010 at http://www.eschoolnews.com/2005/12/12/study-digital-divide-affects-school-success/
Fairlie, R.W. (2004).Race and the digital divide. United States:University of California Santa Cruz, Department of Economics.
PC Rebuilders. (2000) Computers for schools.Retrieved March 11, 2010 at http://www.pcrr.com/pcsforschools.asp
Steele-Carlin, S. (2000) Caught in the digital divide. Retrieved March 11, 2010 at http://www.educationworld.com/a_tech/tech041.shtml
People often say that if you keep doing what you have done, you will get what you have always gotten. In the past, people received a traditional education and were able to be successful after graduation. In the future, people who continue to receive a traditional education will not be able to be successful after graduation. The ten flatteners that Friedman discussed in chapter 5 have drastically changed the world in which we live. We can no longer continue to do what we have always done because we will no longer continue to be successful. In order to survive in a flatten world, we need to adapt to our new environment. In chapters 6 and 7, Friedman discusses the types of jobs and skills needed in our new flattened world so that we can adapt to our new world and continue to be successful.
The Next Wave of American Jobs
According to Friedman, “…in a flat world there is no such thing as an American job. There is just a job, and in more cases than ever before it will go to the best, smartest, most productive, or cheapest worker-wherever he or she resides.” (p.279)
In order to secure a job in the New Middle Class of America, you will have to figure out a way to make yourself an “untouchable”. Friedman uses the term “untouchable” to describe jobs that can not be outsourced, digitalized, or automated. In the past, there was more job security because fewer items were able to be traded. Due to technological advancements, more items can be traded “…Because packets of digitalized information can now play the role that boxes use to play, many services are now tradable and many more will surely become so.” (Friedman, 2005, p.281) Friedman discusses categories of jobs that will exist in our flattened world.
Sports players, musicians, artists, and surgeons all fall under the first category of “untouchable” jobs. These careers are considered “special or specialized”. According to Friedman, people in these careers can never have their jobs “…outsourced, automated, or made tradable by electronic transfer.” (p.282)
Barbers, waitresses, chefs, plumbers, nurses, repairmen, and lawyers are some of the careers that fall under the second category of “untouchable” jobs in which Friedman coined “localized” and “anchored”. Jobs in this group can be high-end, vocational, or even low-end. The fact that their jobs need to be conducted in a specific location is the common bond between them.
The third category of jobs in the flattened world Friedman coined “old middle jobs”. In this group, there are the former middle class jobs of assembly line workers to data entry. These are the jobs that are being outsourced, digitalized, or automated. In order to compete in the new flattened world, middle class workers need to “grasp the competitive intensity of the future.” (Friedman, 2005, p. 282) If people in this category don’t make the effort to reskill themselves, they will be out of a job.
Skills for Competition
According to Friedman, the new middle class jobs are going to require people who are great collaborators and orchestrators, synthesizers, explainers, leveragers, adapters, mathematicians, and green. As educators, it is our duty to provide opportunities for our students to master these skills in order to be successful in our flattened world.
The new middle class worker will need to have good people skills so they can collaborate with colleagues “within and between companies, especially those employing diverse workforces from around the world.” (Friedman, 2005, p.285) They will also need to be able to create value by “…synthesizing disparate parts together.” (Friedman, 2005, p.288) As synthesizers grow, the need for explainers will expand. Explainers can … “see the complexity but explain it with simplicity.” So, middle class workers will need to be great managers, writers, producers, journalists, and editors. Middle class businesses need workers who are skilled in problem solving and mathematics. The leveragers need to be able to “see the problem, stop the problem, and then redesign the system so that that particular problem never, ever happens again- and it can’t be a cowboy solution.” (Friedman, 2005, p.292) People will need to be flexible and life long learners so they can adapt to their ever changing workforce. Friedman called these people “versatilists.” “Versatilists are capable not only of constantly adapting but also constantly learning and growing.” (Friedman, 2005, p.294) Finally, the green people are those workers who are interested in preserving the environment. As industry grows, environmental clean up will also increase. Workers need to be knowledgeable of environmental issues and science.
As An Educator, What Can I Do?
“Nobody works harder than a curious kid.” (Friedman, 2005, 315) The old saying “Curiosity killed the cat” no longer has a leg to stand on in a flattened world. Curiosity, passion, and the love of learning are so important to instill in our students. When students are motivated, engaged, and excited they learn better. So, how can we make school exciting when ever time you turn around there is another standardized test lurking? Whether it is a unit test, benchmark, milestone, or MSA! It seems as though we are testing these kids to death and for what? Are they going to have to know how to bubble in an answer key in the new flattened word? I think not! I find it so hard to incorporate the activities that allow the students creative freedom, curiosity, and problem solving because these skills take time. Time is the issue. As educators we are given a pacing guide with all the standards that must be taught in a certain amount of time before the next test. Often there is no time scheduled in for the exploration, critical thinking, or problem solving phases of learning that allows the students to think deeper about a concept. I constantly feel as though I am shoveling information at them and so many times the students are not ready to move on….but I have to! I do not feel as though I am able to prepare my students with the skills they need for the new flattened world. It is so frustrating! What is more important the test or the fact that the students have enough time to truly master the skill? When I think back to elementary school, I remember the projects and hands on activities that made me love to come to school. So many kids do not like school and do not have the love of learning…it is so sad! I found it interesting that Friedman stressed the importance of art and music in the curriculum. I found it ironic because these are the two subjects that are usually cut first when it comes to budget issues. After reading the world is flat, I realized that our world might be flat but our education system is still round!
Offshoring, supply-chaining, insourcing, informing, and the steroids are the last five forces that caused the world to flatten according to Friedman. In chapter 2, Friedman discusses the key players in each force and how they changed the world globally.
Offshoring
How many things in your home have a made in the USA sticker on them? If my prediction is correct, not many! Most companies have started offshoring their products. Offshoring is defined as “when a company takes one of its factories that is operating in Canton, Ohio, and moves the whole factory offshore to Canton China.” (Friedman, 2005, p.137) When China joined the World Trade Organization (WTO) offshoring was brought to a new level. The entire purpose of offshoring is “to produce the same product in the very same way, only with cheaper labor, lower taxes, subsidized energy, and lower health-care costs.” (Friedman, 2005, p.138) In order for companies to compete globally, they were forced to offshore their products. How many jobs were lost when the “Canton, Ohio” factory closed and went overseas to China? Once again, here is another example of how non-college degree jobs are becoming extinct in the world. Jobs that one day could have supported my students and their families are no longer available because they have been offshored. It is cheaper for a company to offshore than make it in the USA! How sad!
Supply- Chaining
How many times have you gone to a store and the item that you are looking for is not in stock? Supply-chaining was developed as a way to prevent this problem for consumers. If the item is not in the store, the consumer can not buy it, and the store can not make money! Supply-chaining is defined as “a method of collaborating horizontally-among suppliers, retailers, and customers-to create value.” (Friedman, 2005, p.152) Supply-chaining flattened the world because “they force the adoption of common standards between companies (so that every link of every supply chain can interface with the next), the more they eliminate points of friction at borders the more the efficiencies of one company get adopted by others, and the more they encourage global collaboration.” (Friedman, 2005, p.152) In other words, if one company finds a way to make an item cheaper it forces other companies to adopt their strategies in order to make their products cost less and compete in the global market! Wal-mart is able to be so successful because they have designed a supply-chain that works very effectively. “Wal-mart today is the biggest retail company in the world, and it does not make a single thing. All it “makes” is a hyperefficient supply chain.” (Friedman, 2005, p.152) Supply-chaining has begun to boil over in the education setting. No Child Left Behind, VSC, and standardized testing are three things that are forcing school systems to adopt common standards for teaching in order for students to successfully pass MSA, HSA, and other standardized tests they are expected to complete. When the standards were created, teachers no longer were able to choose what they wanted to teach. All students in each grade level are now expected to learn the same concepts and skills causing “friction” to be eliminated because everyone is doing the same. Are students just products now? Are parents the suppliers, the busses the distributors, the schools the manufacturers, and possible employers the consumers of the education supply-chain?
Insourcing
Have you ever had to send a product away to the manufacturer for repairs? How long did it take you to receive it back? Just recently, I sent a watch away to be fixed because of course they couldn’t just fix it in the store. All it needed was a pin in the watch band! Six weeks, yes SIX weeks later I get it back….broken and missing half of the watch band! As a consumer, I was very upset and had to spend time calling the company to get my watch replaced. This trouble is bad for business and insourcing was developed as an alternative method to supply- chaining because “very few companies, can afford to develop and support a complex global supply chain of the scale and scope that Wal-mart has developed.”(Friedman, 2005, p.169) Insourcing is defined as “a whole new form of collaboration and creating value horizontally, made possible by the flat world and flattening it even more.” (Friedman, 2005, p.169) Insourcing reduces the amount of time items take to be shipped and continues to keep costs low. UPS figured out the importance of insourcing and began “synchronizing global supply chains for companies large and small.”(Friedman, 2005, p167) Basically, UPS became the main middle man for many companies. For example, UPS was able to help Toshiba reduce its repair time on computers by completing repairs in its own workshop allowing consumers to receive their repaired computer in only 3 days. Oh how I wish my watch company was this efficient! UPS also helps Papa John’s deliver pizza dough to its bakeries and even drives the branded vehicles instead of the big brown truck. I could not believe that some companies “never touch their own products anymore.” (Friedman, 2005, p.170) How can you claim a product your company never touches?
So many times teachers have professional developments that are not meaningful or helpful. Is this the result of insourcing gone wrong? Is this a product that has never been touched by the “company”? According to Zhao and Franks article on the factors affecting technology use in schools, teachers need to feel that the professional development is meaningful and useful. The best professional development happens when teachers are able to create, collaborate, and discuss the topic with their peers who they trust. “Teachers were strongly influenced by help from their colleagues.” (Zhao & Frank, 2003, p.830) As educators we work collaboratively with peers and help each other reflect on our teaching practices, in other words we insource. We figure out what strategies and activities are effective just like UPS did with P&H in regards to their packing materials. Then we change the ones that are not working to more beneficial strategies for our students. In a school it is more cost effective for teachers to share their wealth of knowledge and years of experience with each other to help one another be the best. The money saved can be used elsewhere!
Informing
When you want to know something, do you run for the computer or the library? I’m thinking probably the computer and then the Internet. I use my internet for professional and personal research all the time. Movie times, weather, and fast facts are just a click away. Friedman coined this flattener as informing. “Informing is the individual’s personal analog to uploading, outsourcing, insourcing, supply-chaining, and offshoring. Informing is the ability to build and deploy your own personal supply chain- a supply chain of information, knowledge, and entertainment.” (Friedman, 2005, p.178)
Informing has flattened the world because “never before in the history of the planet have so many people-on their own- had the ability to find so much information about so many things and about so many other people.” (Friedman, 2005, p.177) Informing gives knowledge to the people and knowledge is power! Is the ability to find out information on other people a good thing? You can log on to Twitter, Facebook, and MySpace and see what celebrities are doing. It is mesmerizing and addicting …what happened to personal space and privacy? Does this increase the chance of a stalker or crime against someone due to infatuation? Everything seems to be public!
However, informing has helped the field of education. “If someone has broadband, dial-up, or access to an Internet café, whether a kid in Cambodia, the university professor, or me who runs this search engine, all have the same basic access to overall research information that anyone has. It is a total equalizer.” (Friedman, 2005, p177) The Internet is available in libraries, schools, and even business. The availability of Internet access allows anyone to use it no matter their education or economic status. Google has opened the world by supplying a search engine that is easy to use and allows people to gain knowledge with just a key stroke. Technology levels the playing field for all students. Students who have a variety of learning styles and abilities are able to gather information on the Internet. I have noticed in my classroom that the Internet brings students together that usually would not work together because they have a common interest….the computer activity.
The Steroids
Steroids are “new technologies” that are “amplifying and turbocharging all the other flatteners.” (Friedman, 2005, p.187) Computing, file sharing and instant messaging, Internet phone calls, video conferencing, and advancements in computer graphics are the five steroids Friedman discusses as the tenth force that flattened the world.
Computing refers to “computational capability, storage capability, and input/output capability”. (Friedman, 2005, p.188) Computing has drastically increased each year and as a result “we have been able to digitize, shape, crunch, and transmit more words, music, data, and entertainment than ever before.” (Friedman, 2005, p.188) Data drives instruction in the classroom and due to computing, educators are able to use programs such as Successmaker and Performance Matters to disaggregate data. Teachers are then able to identify each individual student’s strengths and weaknesses for remediation. Imagine having to do all that by hand….we would never finish!
File sharing and instant messaging “allows computer users to share songs, video, and other kinds of files with one another”. (Friedman, 2005, p.190) Napster and Limewire were products of this steroid and grew in popularity due to being free. Unfortunately, due to copyright infringement they were shut down. There is an endless supply of audio, videos, and graphics on the web that users can access. It is important to know the rules and regulations in regards to copyright when sharing, uploading, or downloading. Students are not aware of copyright laws. If they see it on web and can share, upload, or download…they do! It is important that educators teach students cyber etiquette and copyright laws. In our county, student in the elementary grades are exposed to Netsmartz which is a program that teaches students about cyber bullying, cyber etiquettes, and copyright laws.
Internet phone calls are the third steroid because “collaborating with all this digitalized data is going to be made even easier and cheaper”. (Friedman, 2005, p.191) Skype Technologies is one company taking advantage of this steroid by offering free phone calls over the Internet. Not only can you talk to the person but with a web cam you can see the people you are talking to. This leads to the fourth steroid, video conferencing which allows people to collaborate with people from all over the world without leaving their hometown. Businesses are able to collaborate using video conferencing with their distributors and manufacturers from all over without having to spend money for people to fly.
Computer games have created the fifth steroid, advances in computer graphics. Computer graphics “are greatly enhancing video collaboration and computing generally by offering so much sharper images and so many more ways to illustrate and manipulate those images on screen.” (Friedman, 2005, p. 193) Thanks to computer graphics, I am able to have a Promethean board in my classroom to enhance learning by allowing students to manipulate graphics on the screen.
In conclusion, “It doesn’t matter whether you are a lion or gazelle. When the sun comes up, you better start running”. (Friedman, 2005, p.137) In other words, it doesn’t matter if you are the one leading or the one following. There is no time for rest. Due to the ten flatteners, you have to keep running faster and faster because someone is always going to be right behind trying to out run you! To stay on top…keep running!
References
Friedman, T. (2006). The world is flat. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Zhao, Y. & Frank K. (2003). Factors affecting technology uses in schools: An ecological perspective. American Educational Research Journal. 40 (4), 807-840.
How did our world change?
“Our students have changed radically. Today’s students are no longer the people our educational system was designed to teach.” (Prensky, 2001, p.1) What caused our students to change? It all began on November 9, 1989…two years after I began elementary school! As I was learning, growing, and changing so was the world and I didn’t even know it!
On November 9, 1989 the Berlin wall fell which began the rapid and radical changes that would eventually affect traditional educational practices. When the wall fell, “It tipped the balance of power across the world towards those advocating democratic, consensual, free-market-oriented governance, and away from those advocating authoritarian rule with centrally planned economics.” (Friedman, 2005, p. 52) No longer would people be governed from the top down. Their interests, demands, and aspirations could be expressed. When the wall fell “it was like unleashing a caged tiger.” (Friedman, 2005, p.53) A domino effect occurred and the world was forever changed. “The diffusion of personal computers, fax machines, Windows, and the dial-up modems connected to a global telephone network all came together in the late 1980s and early 1990s to create a basic platform that started the global information revolution.” (Friedman, 2005, p.57) A piece of the puzzle was still missing…connectivity. In the 1990s, the emergence of the Internet and the World Wide Web provided a low-cost solution to global connectivity. Individuals could post their own digital information for others to access in a way that would be simple for everyone to use. “This sudden revolution in connectivity constituted a major flattening force.” (Friedman, 2005, p.60) The invention of Netscape took connectivity one step farther making it even easier for millions of people to connect with people through their computer. “This development, in turn, wired the whole world together, and, without anyone really planning it, made Bangalore a suburb of Boston.” (Friedman, 2005, p.63 )
The domino effect continued with the rise of work flow software. “It enabled more people in more places to design, display, manage, and collaborate on business data previously handled manually. As a result, work started to flow within and between companies and continents faster than ever.” (Friedman, 2005, p.79)
More recently uploading and blogging have revolutionized the abilities of individuals in a community. These tools allow individuals “to upload files and globalize that content- individually or as part of self-forming communities- without going through any of the traditional hierarchical organizations or institutions.”(Friedman, 2005, p.95) Everyday people could now set up and send out their own products and ideas for free. Individuals are now able to be producers instead of only consumers. So many of my 4th graders have Facebook and Myspace accounts and they are only 9!
Growing up I never knew that all of these steps were occurring and changing the world as I knew it. After reading Chapter 2, I realized how the world in which I grew up changed and is a lot different for my students. However, I do not feel as though I am a complete digital immigrant. According to Pensky, digital immigrants do not believe their students can learn successfully while watching TV or listening to music. (Prensky, 2001, p.3) Currently I am listening to my IPod and doing my work because it helps me concentrate! So, I feel I am also part digital native. My generation grew up while the world was changing. I was exposed to pre-technology times and current technology resources. Some technology is foreign to me and I am an immigrant. However, some technology is not foreign making me a native. The students of today have grown up in a world filled with technology. “The next generation is growing up online, rather than adapting to it in their mid-adult years.” (Friedman, 2005, p.119) So, where do we go from here? Our current educational design does not meet the needs of our students? Our students are being taught by digital immigrants while they are digital natives? How can we close the gap between the natives and immigrants to reform the educational system to meet the needs of our students?
As digital immigrants where do we begin to catch up?
According to Pensky, reform begins with teachers’ methodology. Teachers need to learn the language of their students while still conveying what is important in a faster, less step by step method. We need to teach our students more randomly and parallel because “our students’ brains have physically changed” and so have their “thinking patterns”. (Prensky, 2001, p.1)
Teachers need to be able to teach two different types of content simultaneously. “Legacy” and “Future” are the two types Pensky discusses in his article. Legacy refers to our traditional curriculum of reading, writing, and arithmetic. Future pertains to technology knowledge and skills. Educators need combine the two types together to provide students with well balanced educations which will prepare them for 21st century jobs. This concept correlated with TPACK. TPACK encourages educators to integrate their content, pedagogy, and technology together in their lessons. (Mishra, 2008) Sometimes it is easier said than done. When teachers are immigrants it is hard for them to integrate the technology portion into their lessons. Teachers need to have proper professional development to help them learn the language of their digital native students so they can provide them with a 21st century education.
References
Friedman,T. (2005). The world is flat. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Mishra, P. (2008) TPACK. Retrieved February 8, 2010 at http://punya.educ.msu.edu/research/tpck/
Prensky, M. (2001) Digital natives, digital immigrants. On the Horizon, 9(5), 1-6.
How did the world become “flat” ?
In 1492, Christopher Columbus sailed the ocean blue to prove the world was not flat. He discovered new treasures and cultures that were very different from his own. In the 21st Century, Thomas L. Friedman flew the blue sky to India expecting to find a new world but ended up feeling as though he had located another America. He concluded that “the world is flat”. (p.5) I am sure you are thinking, how is the world flat?
According to Friedman, Columbus began the first of three stages of Globalization which would inturn “flatten” the world. He coined the first stage, “Globalization 1.0, the key agent of change, the dynamic force driving this process of global integration, was how much brawn- how much muscle, how much horsepower, wind power, or later, steam power-your country had and how creatively you could deploy it.” (p.9) Friedman believes that this is when the world began to shrink. Not in the terms of size, rather in terms of communication and collaboration across countries and continents. During this era, religion and /or imperialism inspired countries to expand and reach out to other countries to begin to break down the walls beginning global integration.
Globalization 2.0 started in the 1800s until 2000. It was challenged by the Great Depression and the World Wars I and II. However, it prevailed. “In Globalization 2.0, the agent of change, the dynamic force driving global integration, was multinational companies”. (p. 9) The Industrial Revolution provided new technologies such as the steam engine and the railroad. These new resources allowed the cost of transportation to decrease. Then the invention of the telegraph, telephone, the PC, satellites, fiber optic cables, and the early version of the World Wide Web decreased the cost of telecommunications. These new technologies allowed for the birth of the global market where countries across continents could buy and sell goods with one another. It is weird to think that as of 1992, “virtually no one outside of the government and the academy had email” and the fact that “the Internet was just taking off”. (p 10) In my mind, 1992 was not that long ago and it is amazing to me how much has changed due to the next stage of Globalization.
Globalization 3.0 began in 2000. “Globalization 3.0 is shrinking the world from size small to a size tiny and flattening the playing field at the same time.” (p.10) Lower economic countries and companies are able to compete with the larger countries and companies because technology has leveled the playing field to make it fairer. I think about in my classroom how technology has helped level the learning field for students with disabilities. There are tools to help kids who have learning disabilities read and write so they can still learn the required content and produce work to show their learning. The power of Globalization 3.0 is it allows “individuals to collaborate and compete globally”. (p.10)
Outsourcing and homesourcing are two methods used by companies in Globalization 3.0 to ensure “lower costs, greater speed, and fewer mistakes. Outsourcing requires companies to send their work to countries such as India. Homesourcing is the same concept but to other people across America. Homesourcing has become popular for employees because they are able to work from home and employers have found that their profits have increased because their employees are happier. Many companies are homesourcing or outsourcing their work because it allows the company to be able to work 24/7. Tax companies, small and large businesses, education institutions, and even the military have begun to use technology to outsource their work loads. While America sleeps, the world works and visa versa!
I found it absolutely amazing that even some McDonald’s franchises outsource. I asked myself, what is there to outsource? In Missouri, Shannon Davis owns 12 franchises of McDonalds. He linked them “to the Colorado call center” where “cheap, quick and reliable telecommunications lines let the order takers in Colorado Springs converse with customers in Missouri, take an electronic snapshot of them, display their order on a screen to make sure it is right, then forward the order and the photo to the restaurant kitchen.”(p.41) Using a call center and technology allows the McDonalds to serve more people daily. However, I ask what will happen to small town America? Will the goal of lowering operating cost cause the extinction of local job markets and the personal touch of face-to-face conversations? What is the next step in lowering costs, remove the call center operator and replace them with a computer? It is hard to say where technology will take us but it safe to say, “You ain’t seen nothin’ yet”. (p.48)
How do I as a teacher prepare my students for the unknown future?
As a teacher, I do not know where Globalization 3.0 will take us or if there is a 4.0. I need to make sure that I provide my students with skills to survive in our ever changing world. They say give a man a fish, he will eat for a day but teach a man to fish, he will eat for a lifetime. I can not only show my students how to use the hardware and software that is current at moment . That would be me giving them a “fish” to satistfy their current needs. I need to teach them “to fish” by having them use the skills of problem solving, analyzing, and interpreting information in a technology rich envrionment so they adapt to our changing world. The United States has developed a partnership with the 21st Century organization to ” provide tools and resources to help the U.S. education system keep up by fusing the traditional 3 Rs with the essential 4 Cs (critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration and creativity and innovation).” (2004) They have created standards and tools that help teachers combine content, pedagogy, and technology to help ensure students are prepared “to compete in a global economy that demands innovation.”(2004)
References
Friedman, T. (2006). The world is flat. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Partnership for 21st Century Skills.(2004) A framework for 21st century learning. Retrieved February 1, 2010 at http://www.21stcenturyskills.org/
What are 3D projectors?
Traditional LCD projectors will soon be a thing of the past. Texas Instruments have developed a 3 dimensional projection system that is powered by DLP technology. This new technology is beginning to work itself into classrooms across the United States.
How do 3D projectors work?
3D projectors used DLP technology which uses million of microscopic, digital mirrors that reflect light to create two images on the screen at the same time. Then students use 3D glasses to combine the two images to create an amazing 3D effect that brings education alive in the classroom. 3D ready projectors operate in standard 2D and 3D modes automatically and are about the same price as a standard projector.
What are some ways 3D projectors can be used in the classroom?
Reaction: Why use 3D projectors in the classroom?
Personally, I love going to the movies or theme parks to experience the 3D effect! It makes the ride or movie so much more exciting and memorable! Teachers are constantly trying to grab their students attention. 3D projectors help level the playing field for teachers who are constantly competing with more interesting media such as video games, ipods, etc. 3D projectors help teachers bring back the excitement and “WOW” factor for their students in hopes their students will retain more information to raise test scores. According to a case study conducted, students who experienced the lesson in 3D increased their post-test score 35 percent more than those students who were taught the lesson without 3D projection.(DLP, 2010)
Information obtained from the following websites:
DLP 3D Ready Projectors. (2009) Retrieved January 30, 2010 from http://dlp.com/projector/dlp-innovations/3d- ready.aspx
DLP Classroom 3D Case Study. (2010) Retrieved February 1, 2010, from http://dlp.com/downloads/DLP_3D_Classroom3_Case_Study.pdf
