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.
