The Semantic Web initiative offers us an opportunity to examine applications of web technologies in the light of many diverse domains, two of which are e-commerce and education. In this paper, we examine ways in which the collaborative and ontology-based nature of e-commerce solutions can be combined with new technologies that support constructivist epistemologies to further enhance the many ways in which the Semantic Web will benefit education. We explore ways in which the new XTM Topic Map standard can be combined with Issue-based Information Systems (IBIS) and features of the Semantic Web to provide opportunities for the development of critical thinking skills to classrooms everywhere. We further outline an approach to enabling classrooms to provide such learning experiences in a worldwide collaborative fashion, enabling learners to become world-class thinkers.