He stated among other things, that today’s generation were not passive and not content to watch television 24 hours a day as are the ‘Baby Boomer’s’ (yee-gads, that’s me a baby boomer). Today’s generation are active producers of material in today’s digital age. This has rippling effects in schools, in that students do not wish to be passive students in a teacher centred classroom but want to be active students in a student centred classroom that has structure. The current educational model is not appropriate for this era that deals with knowledge.

Many of the concepts dealt within his book, Wikinomics, can be related to things that are happening within the Horizon 2008 Project. Some of the concepts include:

• the project itself is not teacher centred but student centred
• teachers take on the role of facilitators to direct students to relevant data or to provide enough data that the students can derive a correct conclusion
• activities have been developed to encourage collaboration between students in different time zones
• upon completion of the Horizon 2008 Project, it is hoped that the students will appreciate things in a more global perspective rather than perspectives determined by political boundaries
• students (and teachers) will further develop 21 Century research skills using specific technologies and practices such as the use of delicious
• students (and teachers) will use technologies to further collaboration (use of the Horizon wiki)
• students (and teachers) will use technologies to further networking (use of the Horizon Ning)
  
• peer to peer revision mechanisms are in place so that a team’s end product may be improved
• specific events will take place within the project that were not expected nor planned eg. the creation of groups within the Ning site
• students will work in an environment that is open
• students will be offered opportunities to share
• students will be offered the opportunity to interact with ‘experts’ in their team topic
  
• the project offers the opportunity where ideas and concepts may be explored in depth
• the project offers the opportunity to produce a unique end product after synthesising the information that has been made available
  

It is a pleasure to note that Don Tapscott accepted the invitation to be the keynote speaker for the Horizon 2008 Project because so much of what is in ‘Wikinomics’ is being implemented within the Horizon 2008 Project. It is ’spine tingling’ when one observes ‘theory’ being put into practice.

‘Wikinomics’ compliments very much the concepts introduced in the book “The World is Flat” by Thomas Freidman.

Of course, much kudos goes to Julie Lindsay and Vickie Davis for bringing all of this together. Words fail me when trying to describe the brilliance of the Horizon 2008 Project.