What Shape Is The Earth?

What shape is the earth? If you said round, oval or a sphere, you are correct as you are probably referring to the physical shape of the earth. There exist a recent expression which states, “The earth is flat.” Have you heard this expression? Do you know what it means?

The expression is from a book titled “The Earth is Flat”, written by Thomas Friedman. In this book, the author argues that technology has made the earth “flat”, because people from all over the world can log unto the Internet and share resources, ideas and information.

As technology has changed, teachers have also had to change what and how they teach. Teachers have to teach students much more than basic facts, skills and concepts (i.e. addition, spelling, geography memorization). Teachers now have to teach students how to communicate, how to think critically and how to use technology effectively and responsibly.

Teachers have to make sure students can communicate by reading, writing, speaking and listening to others. All of these communication methods can occur face-to-face or at a distance due to technology tools such as blogs and wikis. Students should understand respectful ways to communicate with others no matter what the communication medium may be.

Critical thinking includes investigating, analyzing and evaluating (upper levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy). Teachers have to mentor and assist students in thinking critically when solving problems. Teachers also have to mentor and assist students to think critically about the large amount of information that exist electronically and digitally (i.e. radio, television, Internet). A flat world can be an interesting place to live!