Fearlessly Flat
Once upon a time, human beings believed the world was flat. If you sailed a ship far enough, you would fall off the edge of the earth. Then someone discovered that the world was not flat but round, and it was impossible to fall off the edge. Explorers became fearless, traveling the globe in search of new discoveries.
In the field of education, there’s a new group of explorers that believes that the world is indeed flat, but in a very new way. This theory, popularized by New York Times Thomas L. Friedman in his book, The World is Flat, contends that global forces called “flatteners” have leveled the playing field, and that supply chains have world-changing effects.
In this brave new world, fearless educators are overcoming the barriers of distance and language from their laptops. They interact with the natives and form their own collaborative tribes, which are known as personal learning networks (PLNs).
Not a new idea, each of us has a personal learning network that may include family, friends, and others who share knowledge with us. In the flat world, this group is no longer limited by geography or family ties but extends to the other side of the globe through new technologies.
In order to stay connected to the most progressive academic supply chains, educators must fearlessly grow their own PLNs, discover new ideas, and explore new methods for reaching their students. PLNs offer amazing collaborative opportunities, and provide solutions, suggestions, news, opportunities, and global resources in the digital age.
As a part of the academic supply chain, ODYSSEYWARE offers educators technology-based learning environments that transcend the traditional. As part of your PLN, we offer solutions that tech-savvy students use to connect. What’s your favorite PLN tool and how do you use it?