I don't think technology will ever replace teachers. It's certainly a scary thought. We spend all kinds of time learning to teach, only to be out on our butts because the school set up a robot in the front of the classroom instead. They could even have students stay home and learn from robots through the internet. But I don't think it will ever happen.
There's more to a teacher than just a lecture. Teachers are resources with stores of knowledge, and a human understanding of their students. Teachers can tailor their lessons as they're going when they notice students aren't understanding. Teachers grade papers and tests, and communicate with parents about why a student is or isn't succeeding. Teachers go out of their way to help students succeed. A robot or a computer can't do all that. So, I don't think technology will replace teachers.
But I do think that teachers who can use technology, will replace those who can't. Students have shorter attention spans now, and teachers who know how to adapt will be able to keep their attention. Teachers who can use a YouTube video to quickly sum up what they'll be learning about that day will keep students' attention. Teachers who are able to create dynamic, interactive lessons will replace teachers who can't move forward.
With such an incredible array of options for technology ready to be used in the classroom, there is nothing stopping a teacher from incorporating them, except perhaps a lack of technology in the schools. Schools without the funding for projectors or laptops are at a disadvantage, and the students in them are at a disadvantage. But, there is another way to incorporate technology and online video into class: a flipped classroom.
Flipped classrooms are those where the students watch a video, usually created by their teacher but sometimes from platforms such as Khan Academy, at home, and then in class do work that is traditionally homework. Instead of struggling through a problem set at home with limited available help, students work in groups to share their understanding of the rules for those problem sets and get more individualized attention from their teachers. As for the lectures, they're condensed a lot into shorter videos, and students can rewatch and rewind as much as they need to. For a class without problem sets, such as social studies or English, discussions happen in class, while lectures and readings happen outside of class. There are only a few schools using this method, but the results are incredible. One Michigan school had a graduation rate around 68% before they became a flipped school, and now their rate is over 90% (Rosenthal).
There is no one single way to use technology in the classroom now, and I don't think there will ever just be one way. I think technology will continue to grow, and with it our use of it. Teachers can communicate better with parents through emails, they can have Skype conferences if the parents can't come to the school.
Technology will allow students in group projects to collaborate on a paper even if they can't be in the same room. I actually did this with several groups in college, we worked on the same paper while in different states over a school break. Technology allows for greater access to research materials, which will allow students to gain a deeper understanding of any subject.
I think students' assignments will become more creative over time with more technology. Instead of just writing a paper or taking an exam, a student can prepare an interactive presentation that shows the depth of their understanding of a subject. When studying an area of the world, students can take tours of the area through Google Earth, or see art of the time and place from a museum on another continent.
Technology in the classroom is exciting, and it's going to bring amazing things in the future.
For further reading about Flipped Classrooms:
Turning Education Upside Down by Tina Rosenthal
Bill Nye The Science Guy Talks Flipped Classrooms by Kanoe Namahoe
The Flipped Classroom by Bill Tucker
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