Can Technology Replace Teachers?

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The act of teaching isn’t just imparting what’s in your head to a captive audience. Teaching is a performance, it’s reading the room and working it. This is where technology really falls short. Empathy is a key area of difficulty for technology and automation. Are the kids at the back of the classroom bored because you’re talking about something they find too difficult, because they know it already, or because you’re not presenting the information in a meaningful way?

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https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/07/can-technology-replace-teachers-google

Editorial

Fearful teachers and hopeful students have both asked this question at one time or another. As technology improves, the teacher's role in the classroom transitions away traditional instruction. Traditional instruction is mainly what education has consisted of for the last 50+ years. This includes elements such as a teacher in front of students, at a board/screen presenting information to students and students following along with the teacher until the lecture or presentation is over when students can work independently on either worksheets or other projects.

Example of Traditional Instruction

However, the teacher is not as visible in the modern classroom, leading some people to the perception that technology can replace (or has replaced) the teacher. Modern instruction is one where students individually learn at their own pace and the teacher can facilitate where needed. Some elements of traditional instruction can be present as well, only not as prominent.

Example of Modern Instruction

The teacher's role in the classroom has shifted from a deliver of knowledge, to a facilitator of learning.

Teachers are, in my opinion, not being replaced with technology. However, the teacher's role in the classroom has drastically shifted. As student-led and student-paced learning takes place, the teacher takes on new tasks to support student learning.