I found the dialogue of our classes recent discussion about this book very interesting and informative. This book is incredibly descriptive about the flattened world via globalization and technological advances. We, as teachers, are thus charged with an ongoing task of preparing students for a world in which they are facing not only challenges from those around them, but from other countries as well. One of the most important questions that a student asked, and that we discussed, was surrounding that issue of competition.
Certainly, our students need to know that this "flat" world has increased their competition tremendously. Students from China, India, and a number of other countries are finding ways to stay competitive and outsourcing happens on so many levels that students can't be assured that their only competition is at the state/national level. However, how/when do we communicate that to our students?! Most students already feel enormous strain with class competition. They feel like they have to put in extra time constantly to keep up with the other students in their high school. If we amplify this concern to competition around the world, we are being truthful, but perhaps in a way that might not create a better learning environment. I'd love to see some research on when high schoolers would be ready for that type of information and how we stress that they are doing great as they are. We want progress, but we also want students to feel accepted for their current abilities.
I agree that emphasizing the need to be competitive is counter-productive. I think this approach just reinforces students' misguided idea that if they memorize the "right" answers on a superficial level they will achieve wealth and social status.
ReplyDeleteOn the other hand, I do think it's important for students to understand that the world is bigger than their school, their state, or even their country. I think teaching students about the world - geographically, historically, politically, intellectually, linguistically, economically - is beneficial because it challenges them to learn more and understand what they learn in a global context.
In my opinion, this global outlook is the primary edge that students in other countries have. They understand and engage with the world. Our students are too often smugly ego- and America-centric in their outlook. This is a limiting, self-defeating outlook.
We need to broaden students' perspective (and our own!), not to help them "compete" but to help them grow and learn.