Bestseller focus of staff development initiative
Niskayuna High School faculty reads World is Flat; discusses effects of globalization on education
One book that has become a “must-read” at Niskayuna High School – at least among all faculty and many staff members – is “The World is Flat” by Thomas Friedman, a New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize-winning author.
Associate Principal Shelley Baldwin-Nye said the book is essentially the foundation for a yearlong high school staff development initiative.
In September, administrators introduced the idea.
“Teacher response has been overwhelmingly positive,” Baldwin-Nye said. “Everyone has been enthusiastic about the book.”
The best-seller has become a hot topic among educators in Niskayuna and elsewhere.
High school administrators view the book as a springboard for teachers and staff to discuss as a learning community how to address the effects globalization and emerging technologies will have on education.
“It’s a platform for educators to begin discussing ways to reshape what we teach and to better prepare our students with the skills they will need to remain competitive and successful,” said Baldwin-Nye.
Problem solving and creative thinking, for example, are two skills Baldwin-Nye said can be taught across all curricula and will remain valuable assets in the global marketplace.
But as Friedman suggests in his book, 30 percent of tomorrow’s jobs have yet to be created and that, according to Baldwin-Nye, will continue to be a major challenge for educators.
“As teachers, we must keep instruction relevant and current,” she said, “and continue to emphasize to our students the value of lifelong learning.”

(October 2006)