I just returned from a long drive to see my mom. I like driving by myself because I can listen to whatever I want. Over 800 miles worth of time to think. I like podcasts and audiobooks. This trip I spent most of my time listening to a recent book by Robyn Meredith – The elephant and the dragon. The book describes and compares the recent paths of India and China to become engines of economic change and the ripple of this development as it impacts us all. As Meredith describes it, these changes have brought us low Walmart prices and the outsourcing of many of the jobs that may have once produced more expensive versions of these same goods.
I have written on this topic many times. Mostly, I have focused on the writing of Thomas Friedman (The World is Flat). In my opinion, content of this type should be required reading for teachers, soon to be teachers, and anyone interested in U.S. education. There are many messages in this material, but here are a few:
- Many resources (material goods and certain services) can now efficiently be produced by individuals in other countries at far less cost than is true of the U.S. and other countries who come to depend on the jobs this work requires.
- This movement of job is inevitable because movement is easy to accomplish (e.g., Internet) and all buyers benefit from the lower cost of goods and services. Try explaining to folks that they should not shop at Walmart (and similar stores).
- High income jobs will increasingly be based on higher level skills. Such skills require improved educational experiences.
- Our educational advantage is also slipping. Other countries are investing heavily to develop educational institutions that can create people with these higher level thinking skills.
While the topic is still fresh in my mind, I will again urge educators to read one of these books (I can now offer two recommendations).
A recent Friedman speech at MIT may encourage you to put one of these books on your reading (or listening) list.
I would be remiss if I did not mention Vicki Davis and others’ Flat Classroom Project. This project encourages students from many countries (7 in 2007) to collaborate. Friedman mentions this project in the latest addendum to his book.
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