undesigned

The fear that technology will replace teachers has a long and storied history. It merits a close look.As has been repeatedly claimed, the use of the technology in the classroom is changing the role of teachers (or at least has the potential to change the role of teacher). My experience is that this scares teachers. More than one teacher and even ElEd profs have told me that online scripted lessons have the potential to turn the job of the professor into something that anyone could do and that they most teachers wouldn’t want to do. This make sense to me if you are delivering a heavily scripted Saxon or similar direct instruction lesson, but I don’t think working with computer based instruction is the same. A common reaction to technology is an instance of the perennial fear that “technology will replace me.”

I think a careful look at how technology could change the role of the teacher would alleviate these fears and in fact excite teachers. I have teachers responsd to Saxon and similar heavily scripted curriculums by saying that it turns them into a robot. Some teachers react to to scripted online instruction in similar ways.

Technology contrasts heavily with this. I believe that a major opportunity that technology offers is to allow us to deliver mastery learning (teach students where they are at and don’t move on until they do) in a way that also encourages understanding as opposed to rote learning of facts and procedures.

My perception is that direct instruction approaches to mastery learning try to narrow the gaps between learners, but often results in rote learning (and higher test scores by the way). Side note: I take it for granted that understanding is much harder to measure than recall and for that reason we assess recall and results based learning (NCLB) values instructional methods that produce it.

I believe technology offers an alternative to trying to homogenizing all learners, it can help teachers manage the logistical chaos of trying to let large numbers of learners go at their own pace. The role change I see of teachers is from dispenser of information to diagnoser of student understanding and customizer of instruction. To me this does not denigrate or demean the teacher, rather it seems to be immensely freeing. It allows you to be a fellow sojourner for understanding. I’d be interested to hear the opinions of lots of teachers on this? I’m sure one reaction, is yeah, that should great but it is pie in the sky.

Posted on September 26th, 2003 by joel
Filed under: instructional design, interactive online math, math education