Comparison Of Teacher Versus Technology
Ho Chi Minh, the former president of Vietnam, once said: “Children are the future of a country”, therefore, educating students has always been one of the most essential topics in today’s world. The government of many countries attempts constantly to comprehend and apply new methods of teaching, which may improve students' performances. In a fast-changing world, technology plays an important role in enhancing one's living standard due to its benefits, however, whether it can substitute for teachers is a subject of broad interest nowadays, since people give prominence to technology and often neglect its drawbacks. This essay will compare both the differences and similarities between teachers and technology.
The contribution of technology to our daily lives is prominent and it is now so entwined in society. First of all, its convenience is undeniable. Technology contains knowledge in various fields such as education, politics, law and so on. It, therefore, can provide educational needs more efficiently. It is more time-saving and convenient that students now may easily find relevant information for their research or assignment through the Internet. An article on the website Edutopia stated that there are different types of learners, thus, technology will perfectly be the best choice for those who learn through vision as technology gives a pictorial presentation, which help them to understand more accurately. However, the interaction with students is considered to be one of the most essential factors when it comes to teaching and learning. Computers are tools and they do not have emotions. Students require not only academic subjects to prepare for their future career but also etiquettes in daily situations. Computers can drill them the fundamentals, however, in terms of mental problems, which can be seen in several teenagers nowadays, they have no potential to come up with useful advice. Students have different intellectual capacities, thus, forcing them to study in one particular way that a computer is programmed may harm the performances at school.
Another drawback of using technology is that teenagers may avoid building social relationships. Benjamin Franklin once said: “ Practice makes perfect”, the skills one learns on computers are just theories, they have no opportunity to either put those skills into real practice or communicate with people in the society. Moreover, technology may prevent students from challenging new things, as they have no one to compete with. Last but not least, according to the Better Health Channel website, computers can cause some health problems both physically and psychologically such as short-sightedness, obesity, and behavioral problems.
On the other hand, unlike technology, which was regarded as a teaching method not so long ago, a teacher is an indispensable factor in each class. Teachers are human beings, they consequently have limited knowledge. While technology is capable of granting numerous detailed information about each academic subject, a teacher only have the ability to major in specific fields. Take Vietnamese schools as examples, a teacher is responsible for only one to two subjects. This may due to several reasons; however, it is truly tough for one to excel in several subjects at the same time. What’s more, teachers impart information mostly through oral speech, therefore, sometimes it is difficult for students to remember and understand clearly. However, they are free to ask questions instead and this enables them to improve their communication skill. In addition, it is obvious that teachers can do a better job than technology to communicate with students. They motivate their students by honoring their efforts, ensuring each of them receive the suitable support needed as well as personalized feedback. As it is said earlier, mental health problems are inescapable, a teacher can substitute for a psychologist, listen to students’ problems and help them to figure out the solutions.
Teachers also teach them how to behave well, how to treat people in life, which one can only gain from experiences, not through technology. Furthermore, during classes, a teacher can recognize one’s weakness and strength then help one to develop better. Also, students are given numerous chances to practice social skills as well as gain social relationships. For instance, teachers give their students an assignment to work in groups and present it in class, which can boost their group working ability as well as their public speaking. There is no denying the fact that both teachers and technologies have their own advantages and disadvantages, but they do have some similarities. Firstly, they are essential for a student to learn and adapt to new knowledge. Besides, they allow students to check their scores and performances. Students can easily take an automatic quiz on the Internet to notice that whether they have had a thorough grasp of the lesson or not.
Similarly, a teacher would give students exams and tests to see how far the students are able to comprehend the lessons. In addition, both teachers and computers provide instructions and information not only about academic subjects but also others such as entertainment, social issues and so on. From my perspective, technology is unable to replace the teachers, however, it will be an essentially helpful tool to teach students in a class. Technology can assist teachers with further information, enables them to teach in various methods such as presentation, videos to suit different types of learners. Taken everything into consideration, one can conclude that teachers and technology are far more different than similar. They both have particular positive influences and liabilities; therefore, it is too subjective to assert that state-of-the-art technology can substitute for the teachers.
As a student, one is able to learn further more than just academic subjects. Although academic knowledge is prominent, it cannot decide one's future is success or failure. There are much more to consider whether a person has the potential to reach the goals and to be respected by others. The combination between technologies and teachers would be an ideal method to teach and to learn since it can compensate their weakness. Undoubtedly, students would be more concentrate on study and have the attempt to better their skills as they are approached a new way of learning.
