Flat or Spiky?

            Technology has influenced various aspects of our world today.  As I reflect on the readings this week from Chapter 1 of Thomas L. Friedman’s book The World is Flat, I could not help but compare the analogy to my present residence in South Dakota.  As I look around at my surroundings, the world looks very flat! In the field of education, I feel that most positions and opportunities are available to me, even in my rural area.  I earned my Master’s Degree in math education from a college several hours away, and have never even stepped foot on that campus.  I am now working on my doctorate at a university four hours away, and have connected with many students from all over the United States and other countries.  Geographically, there are not limitations on my education, as I can receive the same education as someone in New York, for example. 

            As a math instructor at a small, private university, I have witnessed first-hand how advancements in technology have created a flat world.  Our university has approved an online initiative to begin classes for adult learners.  I will be instructing two of the online math courses, a challenge I am excited to tackle.  These online courses flatten the world, as students from almost any geographical location can participate and be successful.  Friedman (2007) pointed out that people are able to plug in from every corner of our world, making it possible for many different people to become empowered and to take an active role in globalization.  

            Education has been greatly altered because of technology.  Advances in technology allow students of all ages the opportunity at an education that was not available to them before.  Students in rural areas are able to connect with teachers from all over the world in order to gain knowledge in subject areas that are not provided at their current school.  Adult learners are able to earn degrees that were unavailable to them due to their personal responsibilities.  Technology has created a more flexible learning environment for these students.  Students have learned to expect a more flexible and immediate classroom environment. 

            While I believe that technology has allowed more individuals from all over the world to be active members in organizations and in educational programs, I tend to agree with Florida’s (2005) perspective that the world is spiky, which he explained as spikes in specific cities and regions that are the driving force of the world’s economy.  Technology has made it much easier for individuals to become involved, but it has not been able to solve all of our economic problems.  I can do so much from my location in rural South Dakota, but a vaster array of opportunities is available to those individuals in urban settings.  Many people still must relocate to these urban areas for certain career paths.  Florida (2005) continued to explain that the connection between these peaks has been strengthened by technology and through the easier mobility created by this technology. 

            The World is Flat (Friedman, 2007) is an intriguing book on technology from the last decade.  The first chapter focused on how outsourcing has become a part of creating a flat world, which is still relevant to today’s economy.  Outsourcing has become a large discussion in the news lately with the factory collapse in Bangladesh.  Foroohar and Saporito (2013) took a different approach to outsourcing in a recent article in Time magazine.  These authors discussed how the latest technology and cutting edge practices have brought manufacturing back to the United States.  Will technology cause more spikes in the United States, or will the trend continue to level the playing field? 

Resources: 

Florida, R. (2005, October). The world is spiky. The Atlantic Monthly, 48-51.

Foroohar, R., & Saporito, B. (2013). Made in the USA. Time, 181(15), 22.

Friedman, T. L. (2007).  The World is Flat.  New York: Picador.