I wrote the following lines thirteen years ago, who knows why; probably as some kind of request. Facebook and Twitter were relatively new, Instagram had not even been created, and students in their classrooms were using textbooks, mostly without electronic support.
It is hard to fathom how different the world was, even if you were a full-fleshed grownup at the time, quite aware of everything around. Time and life move too fast, and it is hard to remember exactly what was and was not.
In my opinion, any venture into the possible way life is going to take is just pure guessing, a fun lottery which some will inevitably win, not because they know or understand more or better necessarily, but because history will take its course, whatever that might be, and somebody will probably have predicted it.
Nowadays, the star is ChatGPT, in a world that is all about AI. And yet, for me, some of the concepts below still hold true (some others probably sound quite childish) and the question remains open to debate: will technology eventually replace teachers (or people in general)?
The simplest and most honest answer may as well be «Probably not, but… who knows..!»
“Technology will not replace teachers.
But teachers who use technology will replace those who don’t.”
Christine Meloni, 1998
“One machine can do the work of fifty ordinary men.
No machine can do the work of one extraordinary man.”
Elbert Hubbard, The Roycroft Dictionary and Book of Epigrams, 1923
The meaning of the term “technology” has changed over and over throughout history, but people’s attitude has always remained the same. While some people love it and take advantage of it (and idealise too much at the same time), some others fear it and step aside. Technology is change, and we are naturally reluctant to changes. Especially if those changes are managed by people and knowledge that remain unknown to most of us. Probably, the wisest place to take is well in between these two extremes.
It is completely undeniable to me that technology, as well as most (if not all) things that happen in social life, encroaches into education’s sphere; and therefore, in teachers competence. Teachers (and students) are compelled then to face it, and take action, even if that means struggling against well-rooted conservative techniques.
Incorporating technology as part of our everyday education is not only useful, but necessary. This is not only because the academic circle tends to leave aside those who are “behind”, but specially because students who have it as part of their regular life, need to incorporate it as a regular tool.
Although technology and its uses and benefits are very easy and clear to see, they should not be overrated. Some teachers (and students too) may believe that technology can fix those holes derived from some others lacks, or that it may reduce your amount of work. Unfortunately, technology is, and it will be for long, only a complement, a resource, a tool.
The same reasoning should be used with those who do not have (or are not willing to) access technology. Some people may be reluctant to go off the established paths. This is fairly easy to understand if we think of people living a different reality from the one we have in the city.
Maybe the point is not whether a teacher uses or not technology, but what attitude he/she takes about it. After all, technology is just a (minor) part of a bigger whole, and it may only be the indicator to look at when we need to reflect upon a teacher’s capacity to adapt to different and ever-changing situations.
Originally posted 18/06/2010 in shvarela.wordpress.com