ABSTRACT
When technology first entered people's lives, it was simply an easier or faster or cheaper way of doing what they did before-write papers, teach classes, keep track of expenses, find an old document. Technology made the Zambian engineer part of a global network of engineers, of a local network of innovators and of a network of learners that are gradually embracing an entire world. When the second-world economy of the Soviet bloc collapsed, it set in motion changes in how countries trade that would ultimately lead, along with a technology revolution, to changes in what is valued and, in turn, changes in the means by which countries progressed. Parents create demand for particular schools, teachers, educational policies, educational opportunities and educational technology. Following the money people can understand why this informal learning is important, and also understand why it pays to have communities linked into this global learning system.
