There is a growing trend of fear and anxiety among educators, regarding the role educational technology will play in the future of their profession. This stems from the perception that technology is being sought out and used to replace teachers altogether, enabling school systems to function entirely without them. In a recent post by popular education blogger Tim Walker, he articulates this view, expressing the fear that the “‘miracle of technology’ [will be used] to cut teachers’ jobs, salaries, and increase class size.” Believing that technology, at its core, is unable to adapt to the individual learning styles of students, underpins his argument that the “benefits new technology may bring would then be overshadowed by the damage done to student learning.” The concern that he, teachers, and the unions that represent them share is the fear that technology will be employed by lawmakers as a cheap way to bring relief to budgetary bottom lines, supplanting human teachers altogether – a real fear for many teachers around the world. This must be addressed by those in the education technology field before it solidifies as the prevailing opinion among teachers about edtech.
A view of the future classroom from a teacher's perspective.