THE TEACHERS AMIDST THE RISE OF MODERN TECHNOLOGY

MARY AGATHA CLARE C. LUGUE

With the needs and demands of the 21st century world, education and modern technology turned inseparable in enabling learning. Modern technology is now established as an integral part of the education system serving a wide range of purpose: a learning tool, a source of references, a virtual classroom, a learning buddy, and even a teacher.

Despite the expanding role of technology, the value and importance of an actual human teachers is not to be undermined. Unlike technology, a human teacher has the ability and the capacity to empathize with the learners.

Teachers see the learners more than just a data or a user account; teachers see learners as human beings who have stories, reasons, and emotions. Teachers cultivate learning by understanding the background and responding to the needs of the learners – by forging meaningful connections with their learners. Hence, more than the academic support, teachers have the ability to provide moral support and inspiration among the learners. Education via technology is designed to be accessed but the education through a human teacher reaches out to the learners.

The human teacher and the technology both have great things to offer to improve the quality of education, hence enabling the provision of quality 21st century education is not a competition but the harmony of the two. In this digital age, the use of technology may be the trend but it is not meant to overrule nor to replace the human teachers. Technology is designed to enhance the teachers’ facilitation of learning and to enrich every learning experience.

Amidst the rise of the digital age where technology can flex into different roles even that of a teacher, human teachers remain to have invaluable roles – roles that only them can assume.

-oOoThe author is a Teacher III at San Vicente Elementary School, Apalit District.