Flat Classroom ProjectBy Mu Ji Hwang

FlattenersThe flat classroom project is based on Thomas

Friedman’s book ‘The World is Flat: A Brief His-tory of the Twenty-First Century‘. And he believes that the world is becoming ‘flatter’ and the fac-tors contributing to the flattening includes:

Flattener #1: Collapse of the Berlin Wall, Flat-tener #2: Netscape, Flattener #3: Workflow Software, Flattener #4: Open Source, Flattener #5: Outsourcing, Flattener #6: Offshoring, Flat-tener #7: Supply-Chaining, Flattener #8: In-sourcing, Flattener #9: In-forming, Flattener #10: The Steroids.

The ‘real’ creators/contributors to this flat class-room project are Julie Lindsay and Vicki Davis.

The Aim of the ProjectThe aim of the flat classroom project is to ‘flatten’ the

walls to help students from around the globe to connect virtually in order to share thoughts and ex-periences. This is done through:

1. Connecting the World Online (CWO) 2. World Wide Web(WWW) 3. Work Flow Software(WFS) 4. Up-loading: The Changing Shape of Information (CSI) 5. Web 2.0 (W20) 6. Globalization and Outsourcing (G&O) 7. Google (GGL) 8. PLEs and Social Net-working (PLE&SN) 9. Mobiles and Ubiquitous (M&U) 10. Virtual Communication(VCom) 11. Wire-less Connectivity (WCon).

The Aim of the Project (cont.)So with our knowledge of the flatteners and

soft wares that enable flattening of our world we will create an educational video using var-ious filming styles through our perspectives and through outsourcing (ask for ideas from our global classes). We will also associate with global classes to experience the world becoming flat through wikis and bloggers.

Collapse of the Berlin WallThe collapse is what Thomas Friedman de-

fines as the starting point of digital freedom. This is because the collapse represented the fall of communism and the prevail of freedom. Hence allowed people to write what they wanted and share what they wanted.

Supply ChainingSupply chaining enabled various companies

to make services more effective and efficient as having various stores in various locations allows more accessibility to the people, the best example of that would be Wal-Mart.

Wal-Mart Branches around USA

The SteroidsAs the name suggests it may be the most

powerful flattener. Steroids includes phones, ipods, handheld PCs, Smartphone (iPhones) and many more. They all help to keep people updated and connected wherever they are and whenever they want, especially teens. Hence mobile devices has helped the world become a flatter place.

GoogleGoogle may be one of the most important

form of software that contributed to the flat-tening of the world as it enables anyone to re-trieve information from around the world. Without such websites the internet would have been a less popular and less user friendly e environment.

Digital EtiquetteThe flat classroom project enables students

to experience real life situations such as deadlines, interaction within a society, the necessity and requirement of etiquette and the most important aspect of inter-dependence. Hence the flat classroom project helps to prepare students for the competitive real world.

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