Any teacher that can be replaced with a computer, should be.
My problem with this is that I know teachers like that. I know teachers who just couldn't teach well and I can honestly say that a computer would have done a better job.
However I have so many social and economic arguments against educators being replaced by technology. If there is the resource for a teacher to be employed, they should be. And no, I'm not just fighting for my own future job availability. Here are my arguments:
Students already spend too much time engrossed in a screens that they are surrounded with and this makes them blind to the world around them and we become desensitised to human behaviour and human emotion.
Young people can often hide behind the confidence of a screen and digital world. Although this might empower students temporarily, the confidence they gain could remain only behind a screen and not transfer to their daily face-to-face interactions that will always be necessary as humans.
South Africa struggles with intense unemployment rates and we find technology taking the jobs from humans on a daily basis. To boost employment, GDP and quality of living for South Africans, we can't afford to be taking their jobs away.
In a teacher to child relationship, I feel that the human contact is necessary for one is so influenced by the input and investment educators make in the lives of their learners.
Above are only some of my arguments against online self-directed, tech-mediated learning.
HOWEVER
When distance learning comes into play and the community/individuals cannot afford a good education taught by an actual person or don't have the resources to have a school infrastructure, then I find a need for distance learning can be filled by technology.
One would just have to carefully moderate how it affects the growth of children intellectually, socially and emotionally.
Not ready to say, "Cheers, Teach" yet!
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