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In the early 1960s work was underway in a US laboratory on a project that had the potential to revolutionise education. Professor Donald Bitzer, an electrical engineer at the University of Illinois, was creating one of the world’s first teaching machines. By 1972 his software had gone from serving a single classroom to being used across America.
But with its growth came speculation and apprehension – could a computer replace a teacher?
“Computers at this time were viewed as gigantic brains that would control our lives,” says historian Brian Dear. Bitzer’s software – known as the Programmed Logic for Automated Teaching Operations (PLATO) – let students answer questions on six-inch black screens using teletype keyboards costing around £5,000 a terminal.
Integrating Technology into Classroom Teaching Vicki F. Health Risks Using Computers 97 Eventually, there will be a computer on each student's desk.
Forty years on, the question of whether computers could render teachers obsolete is still being asked. Fiona Hollands, senior researcher at Columbia University’s Teachers College, says computers are now being used for several distinct reasons in the classroom: they help face-to-face teacher instruction in “blended learning” models; can be used to supplement educators in “hybrid” teaching models; and replace teachers in “virtual” classrooms.
“A few states and districts have created their own virtual schools with Florida Virtual School being the best known,” says Hollands, adding that a recent study claimed not only can students do just as well with this approach, but there may also be cost savings.
In the US, Rocketship schools have cut overheads by introducing more online classes and employing fewer teachers. They have attracted global attention through their “blended learning” approach in which a quarter of a student’s school day is taught by a computer. Teachers without credentials supervise online sessions while qualified teachers focus on critical thinking. Any savings are used to pay existing teachers more.
Speaking on British radio in 2014, the chief executive of Rocketship, Preston Smith, said that computers had let them “re-think” the school day. But Gordon Lafer, a political economist and University of Oregon professor, thinks they offer a “stripped down program of study”.
Hollands argued that Rocketship schools provide a lower quality education to deprived children. He believes it is hard, for example, to work alone online if your English reading skills are weak and if you are easily distracted.
The UK version of Rocketship, Ark Pioneer academy, will open its doors next year. But Christine Blower, general secretary of the National Union of Teachers, has been sceptical. Speaking to the Daily Mail last year, she said that if children end up sitting in front of computers for a significant amount of time, with no routine access to a teacher for every lesson, then that would be a “wrong departure”.
Tricia Kelleher, principal of the Stephen Perse Foundation, warns that technology should not spell the end for teachers. Rather, it should be seen as a useful tool in the teacher’s armoury. “If you’re no longer just standing up and delivering instruction you need to think how that changes the way you teach,” she says.
Sugata Mitra, professor of educational technology at the School of Education, Communication and Language Sciences at Newcastle University, thinks that in the future the role of teachers will be similar to that of a football coach. “Children can now go out into cyberspace and the teacher is the friend at the back telling them where they might need to go,” he says.
In May 2013, Mitra did a Ted talk on the “school in the cloud” where he discussed his hole in the wall experiment. Mitra placed a computer in a kiosk in a Delhi slum and allowed children to use it freely. He found that many of them, lots who had never seen a computer, could teach themselves all on their own.
“Teachers often ask me, am I going to lose my job? I say no because your job will get harder. It will become a different job. It will go from being a master standing at the front of class to a helpful friend at the back.” He adds: “There will have to be a dramatic change to teacher programmes but we are no where near that yet.”
One thing that is going to change, however, is the need for teachers with technological skills. José Picardo, the assistant principal of Surbiton High school, says teachers who can use technology will replace those who cannot. He adds that tools like video now allow children to learn at any point, and teachers need to make the most of this.
But in this complex debate there’s one thing that continues to reassure Plato developer David Woolley: “Will computers replace a teacher? It never came to pass then and I doubt it ever will. Humans are social animals and there is something about the human connection between students and teachers that matters a lot. That is not to say that other means of teaching are not valuable. They are, but there are things that a computer will never be able to do as a good human teacher.”
The schools of the future series is funded by Zurich Municipal. All content is editorially independent except for pieces labelled “brought to you by”. Find out more here.
Every child is born full of creativity. Nurturing it is one of the most important things educators do. Creativity makes your students better communicators and problem solvers. It prepares them to thrive in today’s world — and to shape tomorrow’s. For 40 years, Apple has helped teachers unleash the creative potential in every student. And today, we do that in more ways than ever. Not only with powerful products, but also with tools, inspiration, and curricula to help you create magical learning experiences.
Products for Learning
Technology designed to be as limitless as a child’s imagination.
Apple products put complete freedom of expression in the hands of every student who uses them. iPad is simple enough for anyone to master right from the start, and flexible enough to let students go wherever their ideas take them. Mac provides the power to pursue even the most ambitious projects. And with a full suite of Apple-designed apps made for creation, both iPad and Mac give students a canvas as limitless as their imaginations.
Tools for Teaching
Apps that help you put the power of technology to work. In and out of class.
We’ve developed tools to make it easy for you to guide how your students use devices and apps in the classroom, and to provide valuable insight into each student’s progress. So you can focus on what’s most important: teaching.
Everyone Can Create
Project guides that unleash creativity in every student.
When students have more ways to express ideas, it changes how they think. They see things they wouldn’t otherwise see and make connections they wouldn’t otherwise make. With this in mind, we’ve worked with educators to design a curriculum with project guides to help you ignite creativity and give your students the skills to communicate through drawing, photography, music and video. So your students can put math equations to music, bring an illustrator’s eye to social studies, and make scientific processes come alive on film.
Teaching Code
An immersive program to help you teach the language of innovation.
Coding is essential to help students thrive in a future driven by technology. We created the comprehensive Everyone Can Code curriculum with lessons on iPad and Mac, teacher guides, and apps to make it easy to teach coding in your classroom. Because we believe coding isn’t extracurricular — it’s part of the core curriculum.
We’ve designed curriculum that makes it easy to bring coding and core creative skills to every subject. And programs to help teachers learn from one another, professional learning resources to build skills and confidence with iPad and Mac, and initiatives to recognize pioneers in education. All to empower you to be the best teacher you can be.
IT and Deployment
Apple devices are as easy to deploy as they are to use.
We want every aspect of your school’s experience with Apple products to be as simple and intuitive as the products themselves. That starts with support for IT in each step of your deployment. And now with Microsoft Azure Active Directory support, it’s easier than ever to integrate iPad and Mac into your learning environment.
How to Buy
Rethink the cost of technology in your classrooms.
When you expect more from the technology you use in the classroom and look for what's best for teaching and learning, iPad is the clear winner over other less expensive options. And when you look closely at the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) for your deployment, you may find that iPad costs less and gives you more over its lifetime.