Has the “Flat World” Reached Your School District? Panel Howard Poole, Tracy DuBay, Robert Leneway, Sharon Peterson, Charlotte Poole

Objectives Participants will: Learn about the ten technology-related forces that shaped the coming of the Flat World Have explained case studies and examples of the Flat World as they related to K-12 schools, technology support services/personnel, and classroom teacher’s jobs/roles Participate in a discussion on preparing for the impact of the Flat World in their schools

Outline of Presentation Introduction Overview of Book (H. Poole-Peterson) Personal Experiences (DuBay) Culturequest (Leneway) Other Books (C. Poole) Open Discussion

Ten Flatteners by Friedman Flattener #1 When the (Berlin) Walls Came Down and the Windows (Microsoft) Went Up – 11/9/1989 Flattener #2 When Netscape Went Public – Explosion of Internet – 8/9/1995

Ten Flatteners by Friedman Flattener #3 Work Flow Software – Applications Sharing Data (Standards) – Mid-1990’s Flattener #4 Open-Sourcing – Public Domain Software – User Access Software

Ten Flatteners by Friedman Flattener #5 Outsourcing – Having someone else do your work at a reduced price – Late 1980s Flattener #6 Off shoring – having someone overseas doing your work at a reduce price – Higher quality

Ten Flatteners by Friedman Flattener #7 Supply-Chaining – Producing things and delivering them ”just in time” for sale or manufacture Flattener #8 Insourcing – Synchronizing and/or adding value and services to the supply chain

Ten Flatteners by Friedman Flattener #9 In-forming – providing individuals with information – Google, Yahoo, and other search engine services – Late 1990s Flattener #10 The Steroids – Digital/Mobile technologies that allow access so that other flatteners will work – Late 1990s

“Fungibility” Work that can be easily digitized and transferred (transported) to lower-wage locations (job skills and tasks that others can perform at lower costs/wages)

Three Dirty Little Secrets “Numbers Gap” (small number of college grads) is emerging that will sap America’s prowess in science, math, and engineering

Three Dirty Little Secrets “Ambition Gap” Where too many American young people have grown up with plenty and with a sense of entitlement. They too lack a feeling of needing to work hard to attain a better standard of living

Three Dirty Little Secrets “Education Gap” Because we’ve got to find ways to stimulate more of our young children to do better in science and math

“Compassionate Flatism” A national commitment to change things Categories of action include: LEADERSHIP – Political, governmental, and industrial leaders explaining impact of globalization MUSCLES – Lifetime employability via portable benefits and opportunities for lifelong learning

“Compassionate Flatism” A national commitment to change things Categories of action include: SOCIAL ACTIVISM – Collaboration between transnational companies and individuals/communities seeking social/environmental solutions PARENTING – A new generation of parents administering “tough love” to their children

Rules for Coping with Globalization #1 – When the world goes flat (School Districts) should reach for a shovel and dig inside themselves (for answers) #2 – The small shall act big – (School Districts) should be quick to take advantage of new tools (technologies) for collaboration

Rules for Coping with Globalization #3 – The big shall act small – (School Districts) should learn how to act small to allow individuals to enable themselves to act big #4 – Best (School Districts) will be the best collaborators because the world is too complex for one single firm (school) to be able to master the challenges

Rules for Coping with Globalization #5 – Best (School Districts) will be the ones that do a regular “self examination” and share the findings with their shareholders #6 – Best (School Districts) will outsource to innovate faster and more cheaply to grow larger, expand market, hire more specialists, provide better services

Rules for Coping with Globalization #7 – Outsourcing will be used by the social idealists (School Districts) to combine business decisions and social activism

Geopolitics and Globalism “Where people have hope you have a middle class.” - Chinese Official “Many people around the world live in the twilight zone between the flat world and the unflat world.” - Friedman

Geopolitics and Globalism “(The flat world) connects people to people much faster than people and cultures can often prepare themselves (for the changes)” - Friedman “(Because of demands for higher standards of living) we are going to experience either a serious energy shortage or worse, wars over energy, that would have a profoundly unflattening effect on the world.” - Friedman

Geopolitics and Globalism “(One of the most interesting dramas to watch in international relations will be the interplay between the traditional global threats (conflicts) and the (need to support) emergent global supply chains.” - Friedman

Geopolitics and Globalism “Infosystems versus Al-Qaeda – Who else (besides successful businesses) use open-sourcing and supply-chaining so imaginatively?” - Friedman “We can not live with nuclear terrorism. That would unflatten the world permanently!” - Friedman

DSM Plant Closing in South Haven Presentation Comments by Professor Tracy DuBay regarding globalization’s impact in southwest Michigan as part of the discussion “Has the Flat World Reach Your School District?” MACUL Conference 2006

CultureQuest - One Option for Teachers ( CultureQuest involves students and teachers engaged in inquiry-based classroom projects that explore other peoples and cultures. Projects are rooted in students ﾕ questions and interests and involve the focused, intensive study of one or more aspects of the art, music, history, literature, religion, values, daily life,customs and traditions of other cultures.

CultureQuest - One Option for Teachers ( Students’ completed work becomes part of class websites, which may be accessed at this site. CultureQuest seeks to promote better understanding and appreciation of other cultures, strengthen inquiry, research and literacy skills and provide students with technology skills for the 21st century

Additional Book References on Globalization - Charlotte Poole

Online References for Presentation wmich.edu/~poole/ edt6460/friedman.h tmhttp://homepages. wmich.edu/~poole/ edt6460/friedman.h tm or Contact

What are Your Questions????? Let us hear what you think about Globalization and Schools in Michigan? Will globalization impact you as a teacher, administrator, or technology support staff? Are your School Districts ready to confront the impact of globalization? Will your job change because of globalization?

Thanks for Coming!!! Have a good day and enjoy the rest of the conference!