Technology integration must be at a system level. He iterates that teachers already have too much on their plate to be expected to lead the charge. And what can we do to help teachers? Look at what machines can do to replace medial tasks, including in the teaching process. If we can offload repetitive tasks, streamline processes, it is possible to make more time available for quality student interaction. And how do we educate teachers on globalization? Eye-popping facts.

And don’t like NCLB? Voice your concerns. Speak up! Of course, legislators are about their own constituents, which can make it hard to think globally. There is some positive signs… like the College Board’s effort to revise the SAT. But don’t judge college readiness as scores on the SAT. US colleges have a good system for picking students based on multiple factors, and we shouldn’t lose that.

What would he do if he could open a school? Provide vertical tiering of teachers with experience and skills as criteria (I’m not sure what he really means here…). Make sure they are working together. They are the counselors and advisers. Provide system software to track students horizontally across areas and vertically across grades. Trust students. They do better if you trust them. Look at learning levels to use appropriate technologies (books, computers, etc). Trust the teachers. Bridge technology use in personal and professional life. Bring the outside world in. Engage cyberlearning. Make sure students have virtual mentors and peers. Create spaces and opportunities that allow students to personalize learning. Open technologies, different species of technologies for flexibility. Core learning at early grades, but projects at higher grades. Allow kids to share personalized stories to a global audience. And the school as a whole? It is an ecology. Think of how resources effect the pond.

His Chinese language game is Zon. First a game, then a platform for education. Brilliant. It is a cultural experience. Come in as a tourist and you can explore in English. But if you want to play (own a teahouse, for example) you must learn Chinese.

And his big concern with globalization? Global peace. He’s working on the Global Village Academies. This would bring students together from around the world. ETC, Education for Global Citizenship, is another project of his. The current curriculum is on East versus West, with making it uncomfortable for the students to effect change. Risk with support creates an opportunity to learn.

Oh, and look for his upcoming book, The Digital Pencil.

For a nation of fear, fear of globalization in the US is not surprising. Globalization needs to be embraced. What is the alternative? Think of Vietnam shortly after the American War (pardon the global perspective). Vietnam went off the map, but are back with a vengeance. I suppose, the US could do the same. We’d cause a catastrophic failure of Walmart, but despite any animosity on my part for the chain, I don’t want it to happen. The fact is, we cannot expect to compete without being a player. To be a player, we need to find a role. And we need to redefine education.