Refurbished but Not Replaced

Check out the Huffington Post's Article HERE on Technology Replacing Teachers....

It's funny, I've never really thought about technology taking over my job or replacing my position. I've heard of people working at cyber schools and being more than happy with that position, and I think it's great! Many students thrive in places like cyber school for many different reasons. I think of young men and young women who are showing on the "A" circuit riding; cyber school has enabled them to follow their dreams and finish their education simultaneously.

In this article, we hear, "Personalized tech-infused learning is the future of education," - and it's true! Think about differentiation...technology produces teachers who use apps to promote student learning and choice. I feel like with differentiation we often think about just different ability levels; and that's not right! I think the key to remembering how to use technology for different levels of learning is remembering that differentiation is not just about ability levels but different areas of interest and learning styles. For instance, many learners have issues with producing work when it is not displayed visually somewhere, i.e. the differences between auditory learning, visual learning and so or and so forth. I think that technology won't replace teachers because we are the ones that know our students personalities and abilities more than a test on a computer. However, this doesn't mean we should exclude technology from our classrooms because of fear it will take-over us! We have to be open to sharing our thoughts and using it to the best of its' advantage.

I thought this article was also interesting because it talked about the different opportunities of technology not changing the role of the teacher (necessarily). Maybe I am taking this out of context, but my role changes depending on what I have to offer my students. For instance, students can't be completely unaware of the importance of having found new ideas through their own accord, but they also need to learn how to USE this technology, which can be challenging and taxing for all depending on the situations that arise in the classroom. I feel as thought it is critical to give students time to understand and review the tools they have so they are able to make the best decisions for what kind of technology to use when.

I feel like this article is a bit slanted and doesn't always include the formulation of the us vs. them mentality that is produced through this article's deviation in technology vs. the people; this is not iRobot people, we are all on the same page!