Finding a Balance Between Teaching and Technology

The right balance between teachers and educational technology benefits everyone.

Some people may feel that new technology is signalling that teachers will be replaced by computers. However, in many articles relating to this subject, the theme is the opposite. The theme seems to be "Technology in education doesn't replace teachers," according to many of the authors. 

Technology offers teachers a unique advantage to further develop hybrid and blended learning models which will allow educators and technology the opportunity to complement each other. Technology allows educators a chance to not only enhance and develop their style, but a way to make their classroom more accessible for the student. When the right balance is struck between teacher instruction and educational technology, everyone benefits, resulting in more effective instruction, personalized learning and student retention.

Traditional classrooms may involve a diverse student group with varying learning styles which can make teaching difficult. This can result in teaching to the "middle" due to classroom and time pressures. Inevitably this situation leaves some students out. Even when a teacher answers a struggling student's question, he or she can only allocate so much attention and time to that particular student. Meanwhile, the other students must patiently wait for the student to catch up, sometimes preventing them from progressing in the lesson. 

A hybrid or blended learning classroom, however, has the ability to fix this problem. The best educational technology can meet different students' needs. These tools also improve student retention since users can repeat a lesson as many times as necessary without requiring the other students to wait.

Vice versa, teachers play an active and critical role in hybrid and blended learning classrooms. They continue to set standards and benchmarks for the classroom's overall mastery of concepts and ensure that students are making progress. At the same time, they no longer have to teach to the "middle," and instead can guide students with different learning styles. They can work individually with students to develop personalized learning plans, establish goals and offer encouragement. If the balance between teachers and technology is properly struck, students truly can get the best of both worlds.