Overwhelmed?...Totally

If no one is feeling overwhelmed after reading chapters 5 and 6 in Friedman's text..you clearly didn't read it! I personally had a better time understanding chapter 6 but I will admit that I should read chapter 5 again to really get the grasp of it.

I have not begun my observing yet so I cannot say first hand if I have witnessed whether or not teachers are doing what is necessary to support "the new middlers". However, my cousin is a first year English teacher and when I asked her if her students were blogging, she responded with: "what the hell is that?"
So based on that answer, I am guessing that no, teachers are not preparing what is needed for their students to become prepared in this world, where the jobs they will have don't even exist yet.

The job market is becoming extremly competitive as the world becomes flatter. Since the world has become so globally connected, people all over the world are becoming more educated and prepared for any job that comes their way. This puts more pressure on us because we have to prepare our students to be above and beyond. We have to teach them all the skills that will make them "untouchable" so that they will survive in this competitive world and maintain their jobs.

We need to be teaching our students more than just what a "Sonnet" is or what "allegory" means. We truly need to enforce having students speaking publicly, communicating inside and outside of the classroom, keep them on their toes with all of the technology that is being invented, how to use all the technology resources that are currently on the market and available.

Friedman mentioned that most of the jobs that people had 30 years ago won't exist in the flat world. Hello?! Look at us! The description of what an English teacher does and is, is changing right before our eyes! I never knew I would be blogging as an English major when I first entered the program! The way the world and jobs are changing is rapid. Along with the world and the jobs changing, we have to basically reprogram our students brains and teach them all that is needed to live in this flat world.

I don't think Friedman could have been more on target if he tried!