The Keynote of the FlatClassroomProject 2011

After watching the Keynote for the Flat Classroom Project I was asked to answer questions:

1.)I think that the title is "Big Little Classrooms" because no matter the size, everyone can communicate with the internet making their classrooms big on the internet but having the small class group all at the same time.
2.) The students in the Hawksdale group used things such a skype, elluminate and other instant messengers to communicate around the world.
3.) Anne Mirtschin uses video chats and instant messegngers, along with twitter to gather guests to talk and to teach through videos to her students
4.) I believe her thoughts on having a better learning experiance on the web. It just functions better to learn from real live people what their culture is from them, not from a text book that could have been written two decades ago.
5.) to make real time connections can enable someone on a project to collaborate with a partner thousands and thousands of miles away without waiting for someone to respond in their time period or their class time. With video chatting and such you can get information right away, get progress done faster, be productive in the means of instant communication.

The World is Flat, Folks.

So being introduced to the world is flat concept changed my idea of global economics via the Flat Classroom Project. This focuses on the concept developed by Thomas Friedman that the economic playing field is flattening out. Its becoming even for countries like India and China who are in the eastern hemisphere and are starting to control the economy of the world like America has, like Britain has. He describes it as such. The first version of the world economy took place in 1492 to the early 1800s and was focused around country economy. The second version took place from the early 1800s to the year 2000 and focused around large company economy. The last version has taken place since then and focuses on individual growth in the economy.

Next were the iron rules of business. The first always being: Do something or someone else will. Really it says take advantage of the ideas you have before someone else has it and takes all the profit for something that you had an idea for. The second rule is your biggest competition is yourself. You need to create new ideas and make them fast because that will be your economic downfall. The third and last rule: Learn to communicate like the rest of the world does or you’re getting nowhere. People have learned to communicate a certain way with each other and if you can’t do that then it’s going to be a tough economic road for you.

The Flat Classroom Project worries me with how much we are going to have to rely on the internet and trying to communicate efficiently with each other. Are times zones going to matter? Are there hints and tips on how to connect to a person you feel like is away from the group?