Last month, I suggested that in terms of economic opportunity and global communication capacity, the world had become “flat.” As you may recall, that characterization refers to Pulitzer Prize winning author Thomas Friedman's landmark book, “The World is Flat - A Brief History of the 21st Century.” At the conclusion of last months column, I suggested five key concepts that school districts like Port Byron should focus their attention on the upcoming years in order to effectively adapt to the dramatically altered global economic setting. They were:

1. An emphasis on teaching students to learn how to learn.

2. Creating an awareness among parents and students of the reality of today's world.

3. Forming partnerships with business and industry.

4. Matching the work ethic demonstrated by emerging nations such as India and China.

5. Imagination: The ability to envision innovative concepts and bring them to reality.

In an effort to apply these concepts specifically to the educational setting, I will be continuously referring to the fifth concept, imagination, in connection with the other four. While the first four areas occupy a specific domain, the need for imagination pervades every area in a profound way. It is imagination, after all, that has powered innovation throughout history, moving societal convention from one phase to the next. While there is something to be said for those qualities that steadily maintain the status quo - reliability, consistency, the comfort derived from knowing that tomorrow, and tomorrow's tomorrow will look and feel very much the same as today.

Unfortunately for those who revel in this sense of consistency and safety, reality says that the world has continuously progressed to its present state as a result of the creative vision and leadership of individuals whose ability to see tomorrow through a modern day lens promulgated a framework for our cultural and economic future. This progress was and will always be reliant on allowing positive change to take place. As a result, the world is forever changed. While today we celebrate the pioneering visionaries of days past, the stark reality is that throughout history innovation has caused much discomfort to those who have adapted slowly, or defiantly refused to adapt to their changing environment. In some ways, you're fighting with one hand (or both) tied behind your back.

Living in an era erupting in change presents both daunting challenges and compelling opportunity.

The perspective and vision of the participant is typically the determining factor in how the changes are handled.

From the emergence of the printing press, automobile, Internet, etc. one thing is certain: for every Benjamin Franklin, Henry Ford and Bill Gates, there are thousands and thousands who essentially took a step backward by standing still.

Obviously, everyone can't be a Franklin, Ford or Gates. But by acknowledging and embracing a culture of productive change, we can benefit from their creative genius fueled by imagination, and thereby ensure our own seat at the table of the global economic feast.

What we can do is strategically position ourselves by honing our creative, problem solving skills, to attach ourselves to the innovations taking place all around us and allow innovation to make us better.

Therefore, employing a focus on encouraging imagination in schools will serve as the catalyst for the development of the other four areas.

Next time, we'll look at specific ways that imagination fuels each of these areas.

Shawn Bissetta is principal of Dana L. West High School in Port Byron